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  • © 2018

Jean Le Rond D'Alembert: A New Theory of the Resistance of Fluids

  • New approach to d’Alembert thoughts in fluid theory
  • The d’Alembert success and mistakes in the fluid theory
  • The turning point in the fluid theory evolution

Part of the book series: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science (AUST, volume 47)

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Table of contents (22 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-ix
  2. Introduction to the Essay

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 133-133
  3. Introduction to the Essay

    1. General Considerations

      • Julián Simón Calero
      Pages 135-145
    2. D’Alembert’s Dynamic Conceptions

      • Julián Simón Calero
      Pages 147-151
    3. Forces and Fluids in the Essay

      • Julián Simón Calero
      Pages 153-159
    4. Brief Analysis of the Contents of the Essay

      • Julián Simón Calero
      Pages 161-166
  4. Analysis of the Essay

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 167-167
  5. Analysis of the Essay

    1. The Essay’s Introduction

      • Julián Simón Calero
      Pages 169-171
    2. The Preliminaries

      • Julián Simón Calero
      Pages 173-186

About this book

In the commentaries to this book we try to understand d’Alembert thoughts and how he contrives to translate his ideas on mechanics to the fluid realm with a new and radical point of view; how he arrives at the first two fundamental differential equations among the velocity components; and how he tries to reduce the resistance of a moving body, which is a change of its momentum, to the hydrostatical pressure, which is related to the gravity. All this knowing that his mechanics has no forces and no pressures as well, and that the fluids are aggregates of individual particles.

The essay A New Theory of the Resistance of Fluids was a turning point in Fluid Mechanics because clearly, for the first time, the resistance is shown as the results of a fluid subjected to differential equations in a continuous mode instead of a set of impacts of individual particles. This contribution has been recognized by the scholars. However, only partial attention has been p

aid to this work, which can be justified due to the difficulty in its reading and also because it was eclipsed by the publication, a few years later, of Euler’s three Memoirs that established modern hydrodynamics.


Editors and Affiliations

  • Department of Logic, Philosophy and History of Science, UNED, Madrid, Spain

    Julián Simón Calero

About the editor

Julián Simón obtained the degree in Aeronautical Engineering of the Polytechnical University of Madrid in 1966. For more than 40 years, until his retirement in 2007, he worked in the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA). He passed through all the professional positions of the Institute. However, in those 40 years, his principal tasks were related to rockets, from sounding rockets until launcher vehicles. He worked in aerodynamics, flight dynamics, solid motors and project management. He also participated in several international committees as the Spanish representative.

From the beginning of his professional life he was involved in the Spanish National Aeronautical Association, being elected member of the board several times.

In 1986 he obtained the degree in Philosophy in the Spanish Open University (UNED) and in 1992 the doctorate. Even when his main job was always rather intense, he tried to combine it with the History of Science, especially the

origin of the fluid mechanics, given his knowledge of that subject.  He has produced two books and several articles on this matter.

 

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access