Paris, Gauthier-Villars et Cie, 1926. 8vo. Bound with orig. printed wrappers in contemp. hcloth. Spine gilt with gilt lettering. A small part of lower spine with a bit of discolouring after a papelabel. A punched stamp on top of title-page. Light wear along edges of boards.VI,133,(1) pp. and (2) pp. of announcements. Textfigs. Internally clean.
First edition. In this work De Broglie set forth the idea that electrons, as was previously regarded as particles, also have wave-quaracters, as well as light has. The idea was tested and confirmed by Davisson and Germer the year after in 1927. Also Schrödinger took up the idea and formulated his wave-equation, explaning the stationary states of the electron of Niels Bohr, by applying De Broglie's concept of electrons as waves to the hydrogen atom. ""Thus the duality of both light and matter had been established, and physicists had to come to terms with fundamental particles which defied simple theories and demanded two sets of 'complementary' descriptions, each applicable under certain circumstances, but imcompatible with one another."" (PMM: 417).