Mathematical Physics: A Popular Introduction (Dover Books on Mathematics)

What are the laws of physics, and how did they develop? This reader-friendly guide offers illustrative examples of the rules of physical science and how they were formulated. It was written by Francis Bitter, a distinguished teacher and inventor who revolutionized the use of resistive magnets with his development of the Bitter plate. Dr. Bitter shares his scientific expertise in direct, nontechnical terminology as he explains methods of fact gathering, analysis, and experimentation.The four-part treatment begins with an introductory section on physical measurement. An overview of the basics of data assembly leads to the path of scientific investigation, which is exemplified by observations on planetary motions such as those of Earth, Venus, and Mercury. The heart of the book explores analytic methods: topics include the role of mathematics as the language of physics; the nature of mechanical vibrations; harmonic motion and shapes; the geometry of the laws of motion; and the geometry of oscillatory motions. A final section surveys experimentation and its procedures, with explanations of magnetic fields, the fields of coils, and variables involved in coil design.Appropriate for anyone with a grasp of high-school-level mathematics, this book is as well suited to classroom use as it is to self-study.