Research Catalog

Hot Molecules, Cold Electrons From the Mathematics of Heat to the Development of the Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cable

Title
Hot Molecules, Cold Electrons [electronic resource] : From the Mathematics of Heat to the Development of the Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cable / Paul J. Nahin.
Author
Nahin, Paul J.
Publication
Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2020]

Available Online

  • Available from home with a valid library card
  • Available onsite at NYPL

Details

Found In
  • Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE COMPLETE 2020 English 9783110704716
  • Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE COMPLETE 2020 9783110704518
  • Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE Physics, Chemistry, Mat.Sc, Geosc 2020 English 9783110704754
  • Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE Physics, Chemistry, Mat.Sc, Geosc 2020 9783110704556
  • Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press Complete eBook-Package 2020 9783110690088
Description
1 online resource (232 p.) : 37 b/w illus.
Summary
An entertaining mathematical exploration of the heat equation and its role in the triumphant development of the trans-Atlantic telegraph cableHeat, like gravity, shapes nearly every aspect of our world and universe, from how milk dissolves in coffee to how molten planets cool. The heat equation, a cornerstone of modern physics, demystifies such processes, painting a mathematical picture of the way heat diffuses through matter. Presenting the mathematics and history behind the heat equation, Hot Molecules, Cold Electrons tells the remarkable story of how a foundational idea brought about one of the greatest technological advancements of the modern era.Paul Nahin vividly recounts the heat equation's tremendous influence on society, showing how French mathematical physicist Joseph Fourier discovered, derived, and solved the equation in the early nineteenth century. Nahin then follows Scottish physicist William Thomson, whose further analysis of Fourier's explorations led to the groundbreaking trans-Atlantic telegraph cable. This feat of engineering reduced the time a message could be sent across the ocean from weeks to minutes. Readers also learn that Thomson used Fourier's solutions to calculate the age of the earth, and, in a bit of colorful lore, that writer Charles Dickens relied on the trans-Atlantic cable to save himself from a career-damaging scandal. The book's mathematical and scientific explorations can be easily understood by anyone with a basic knowledge of high school calculus and physics, and MATLAB code is included to aid readers who would like to solve the heat equation themselves.A testament to the intricate links between mathematics and physics, Hot Molecules, Cold Electrons offers a fascinating glimpse into a formative equation's relationship with one of the most important developments in human communication.
Uniform Title
Hot Molecules, Cold Electrons (Online)
Alternative Title
Hot Molecules, Cold Electrons (Online)
Subject
  • Heat equation
  • Heat
  • Mathematical physics > History > 19th century
  • Telegraph cables > History
  • Telegraph cables
  • Transatlantic cables > History
Access (note)
  • Access restricted to authorized users.
System Details (note)
  • Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
Language (note)
  • In English.
Contents
Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- FOREWORD -- CHAPTER 1. Mathematics and Physics -- CHAPTER 2. Fourier's Mathematics -- CHAPTER 3. The Heat Equation -- CHAPTER 4. Solving the Heat Equation -- CHAPTER 5. William Thomson and the Infinitely Long Telegraph Cable Equation -- CHAPTER 6. Epilogue -- APPENDIX. How to Differentiate an Integral -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- NOTES -- INDEX -- ALSO BY PAUL J. NAHIN
LCCN
  • 2019027369
  • 10.1515/9780691199948
OCLC
ssj0002447108
Author
Nahin, Paul J.
Title
Hot Molecules, Cold Electrons [electronic resource] : From the Mathematics of Heat to the Development of the Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cable / Paul J. Nahin.
Imprint
Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2020]
Digital File Characteristics
text file PDF
Access
Access restricted to authorized users.
System Details
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
Language
In English.
Source of description
Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 30. Aug 2021)
Connect to:
Available from home with a valid library card
Available onsite at NYPL
Found In:
Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE COMPLETE 2020 English 9783110704716
Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE COMPLETE 2020 9783110704518 ZDB-23-DGG
Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE Physics, Chemistry, Mat.Sc, Geosc 2020 English 9783110704754
Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE Physics, Chemistry, Mat.Sc, Geosc 2020 9783110704556 ZDB-23-DPC
Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press Complete eBook-Package 2020 9783110690088
Other Standard Identifier
10.1515/9780691199948 doi
View in Legacy Catalog