Overview
- Presents a full account of Huygens' optics
- Sheds new light on the history of seventeenth-century optics and the rise of the new mathematical sciences, as well as Huygens' oeuvre as a whole
- Enlightening for students of the history of optics, of early mathematical physics, and the Scientific Revolution
Part of the book series: Archimedes (ARIM, volume 9)
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Table of contents (7 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
In 1690, Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) published Traité de la Lumière, containing his renowned wave theory of light. It is considered a landmark in seventeenth-century science, for the way Huygens mathematized the corpuscular nature of light and his probabilistic conception of natural knowledge. This book discusses the development of Huygens' wave theory, reconstructing the winding road that eventually led to Traité de la Lumière. For the first time, the full range of manuscript sources is taken into account. In addition, the development of Huygens' thinking on the nature of light is put in the context of his optics as a whole, which was dominated by his lifelong pursuit of theoretical and practical dioptrics. In so doing, this book offers the first account of the development of Huygens' mathematical analysis of lenses and telescopes and its significance for the origin of the wave theory of light. As Huygens applied his mathematical proficiency to practical issues pertaining to telescopes – including trying to design a perfect telescope by means of mathematical theory – his dioptrics is significant for our understanding of seventeenth-century relations between theory and practice. With this full account of Huygens' optics, this book sheds new light on the history of seventeenth-century optics and the rise of the new mathematical sciences, as well as Huygens' oeuvre as a whole. Students of the history of optics, of early mathematical physics, and the Scientific Revolution, will find this book enlightening.
Reviews
From the reviews:
"This book evolved out of a dissertation presented to the University of Twente in 1999. … there is a list of over 400 references in a variety of languages which the author consulted in the preparation of the book. The style of the book is easy … . This is a scholarly work which sheds light on the development of optics in the crucial period of the latter half of the seventeenth century. It can be thoroughly recommended." (Ll. G. Chambers, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2006 e)
Authors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Lenses and Waves
Book Subtitle: Christiaan Huygens and the Mathematical Science of Optics in the Seventeenth Century
Authors: Fokko Jan Dijksterhuis
Series Title: Archimedes
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-2698-8
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, History (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2004
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4020-2697-3Published: 03 September 2004
Softcover ISBN: 978-90-481-6706-7Published: 22 October 2010
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4020-2698-0Published: 20 January 2006
Series ISSN: 1385-0180
Series E-ISSN: 2215-0064
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: IX, 289
Topics: Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, multidisciplinary, History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics, History of Mathematical Sciences, Philosophy of Technology