‎Mach (Ernst) - John S. Anderson and A.F.A. Young‎
‎The Principles of Physical Optics - An Historical and Philosophical Treatment Translated by John S. Anderson and A.F.A. Young (1st English Edition, 1926)‎

‎Methuen and Co Ltd., London Malicorne sur Sarthe, 72, Pays de la Loire, France 1926 Book condition, Etat : Bon hardcover, editor's binding, full red clothes, no dust-jacket In-8 1 vol. - 335 pages‎

Reference : 100347

‎10 plates out of text (Portraits of Physicists, Complete) and 279 black text-figures 1st English Edition, Methuen, 1926 "Contents, Chapitres : Translator's Note (November, 1925), To Paul Carus and Hegeler (July, 1913), Preface, Contents, List of plates, xi, Text, 324 pages - Introduction - The rectilinear propagation of light - Reflection and refraction - The early knowledge of vision - The development of dioptrics - The composition of light - The further development of the theory of colour and dispersion - Periodicity - The further development of the theory of interference - Polarization - The mathematical representation of the properties of light - The further development of the knowledge of polarization - The explanation of rectilinear rays, reflection, and refraction by the propagation of waves - A further explanation of the behaviour of light by means of periodicity, diffraction - Appendix - Name index, subject index - Ernst Waldfried Josef Wenzel Mach (18 February 1838 19 February 1916) was an Austrian physicist and philosopher, noted for his contributions to physics such as the study of shock waves. The ratio of one's speed to that of sound is named the Mach number in his honour. As a philosopher of science, he was a major influence on logical positivism and American pragmatism. Through his criticism of Newton's theories of space and time, he foreshadowed Einstein's theory of relativity. - Most of Mach's initial studies in the field of experimental physics concentrated on the interference, diffraction, polarization and refraction of light in different media under external influences. From there followed important explorations in the field of supersonic fluid mechanics. Mach and physicist-photographer Peter Salcher presented their paper on this subject in 1887; it correctly describes the sound effects observed during the supersonic motion of a projectile. They deduced and experimentally confirmed the existence of a shock wave of conical shape, with the projectile at the apex. The ratio of the speed of a fluid to the local speed of sound vp/vs is now called the Mach number. It is a critical parameter in the description of high-speed fluid movement in aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. Mach also contributed to cosmology the hypothesis known as Mach's principle. - The preface of the posthumously published Principles of Physical Optics explicitly rejects Einstein's relativistic views but it has been argued that the text is inauthentic : ""I am compelled, in what way be my last opportunity, to cancel my contemplation of the relativity theory"" (source : Wikipedia)" Ex-library copy, the spine of the binding is lightly yellowing, minor wear on the extreimities of the spine and a small spot on the bottom of the spine with a library number, the binding remains clean, without dust-jacket, inside is clean, but with several library markings, bookplate and stamps, the former owner mentioned at pencil a list of book review of this book on the second page, no other annotation, it remains a very good reading copy of the first English edition, 1926, complete of the 10 lates, of this very important work on the history of physical optics by one the most important physicist and historian of physics of the beginning of the XXth century, Ernst Mach, 1838-1916 (The German edition was 1913).‎