Ludwig Boltzmann: The Man Who Trusted Atoms by Carlo Cercignani (PDF)

Description

Ludwig Boltzmann arguably played the key role in establishing that submicroscopic structures underlie the ordinary world. He had a tremendous impact on late 19th-century and early 20th-century physics, and he anticipated many contemporary ideas, including Kuhn’s theory of scientific revolutions and recent theories of knowledge based on Darwinian principles. This book is the first accessible biography of this important figure. Without relying on equations, it provides a deep look at the full range of his scientific and philosophical ideas, discussing both their original context and their relevance today. The book also gives a concise portrait of Boltzmann’s life, which, despite his successes, ended tragically in suicide. Drawing on recent research related to some of Boltzmann’s more controversial ideas, this book offers fascinating insights into the birth of modern physics.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “Ludwig Boltzmann (1844-1906) is the scientist to whom, more than anyone else, we owe the great conceptual leap that yielded a joint view of mechanics, statistics, radiation and thermodynamics….Boltzmann paid dearly for his vision, in terms of his own psychological stability and mental health, up to his tragic suicide….Boltzmann had a very intense life, dominated by insecurity, academic feuds and a passion for science. He was also a sensitive musician and a lover of nature, with a keen eye for picking out and explaining to his children, for example, evolutionary mechanisms. He would tell them long tales of a great English scientist sailing around the world in a ship called Beagle, and from that explain why foxes have fur, or birds feathers….Cercignani’s beautiful book has the merit, first of all, of bringing Boltzmann fully back to life, as a scientist, a philosopher and a poet, thanks to painstaking research.”–Nature”While researching the mathematical theory of the Boltzmann equation, Cercignani (theoretical mechanics, Politecnico di Milano) encountered the eclectic thought of this Austrian physicist (1844-1906) who established that an atomic structure underlies macroscopic bodies. This biography covers physics and kinetic theory before Boltzmann; his Darwinian theory of knowledge anticipating Kuhn’s theory of scientific revolutions; relationship with Maxwell, Planck, and other peers; and influence on modern science. Appends mathematical theorems and models. Includes a chronology, portraits, and diagrams related to his work.”–SciTech Book News”Solving the enigma of irreversibility was the great enterprise to which the Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann…edicated his life….Carlo Cercignani’s [book] is not about recent developments in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. It may be described briefly as a careful, in-depth discussion of Boltzmann’s science and personality and of the world he lived in….Actually, Boltzmann’s scientific ideas have retained immediacy because the development of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics has been slow…[Cercignani’s book] is obviously a work of love, and I would advise the reader to take time going through it. There are, for instance, sensitive descriptions of the intellectual atmosphere of central Europe in the late 19th century….It is refreshing to see the philosophy of science discussed not by a licensed hermeneutician but by a true scientist like Boltzmann, who is able to disregard formal details and go straight to the important ideas.”–Physics Today”The text is packed with fascinating aspects of Boltzmann’s career….In the 1870’s, Boltzmann was, in Cercignani’s words, ‘also busy with an experimental study on the law that according to the Maxwell picture related the dielectric constant and the refractive index of a given material.’ The measurements of the dielectric constant were based on electrical attraction or changes in capacitance. Thus they determined the dielectric constant at zero frequency. The good agreement that Boltzmann found with the refractive index…was–in part–a stroke of good luck. (If Boltzmann had tried water, he would have been surprised.) And then there were Boltzmann’s travels from one university to another, especially during the ‘restless years,’ from 1888 to his suicide in 1906….I can recommend the book to anyone wanting to know more about Ludwig Boltzmann, a man who was misunderstood by many of his colleagues and yet highly respected…”–American Journal of Physics”This book gives an interesting review of Boltzmann’s work and time and the various relationships to other scientists. Boltzmann’s equation…Boltzmann’s work in statistical mechanics, the problem of polyatomic molecules, and his reflexions on other physical parts are described well….The book contains an appendix, a reference list and a useful index. It is a nice book…”–Mathematical Reviews”[A] thorough analysis of Boltzmann’s scientific achievements by an expert on modern kinetic theory, who has also made an effort to read the original papers in ‘dense German’ and has surveyed some of the extensive biographical material. The result is a book that can be highly recommended to all physical scientists and mathematicians, including graduate students. Cercignani, who is Professor of Theoretical Mechanics at the Politecnico di Milano, is well known for his research on the Boltzmann equation and is credited with several notable results, such as establishing the Boltzmann-Grad limit hierarchy….Well-written chapters on Boltzmann’s life and time and on the early history of thermodynamics and kinetic theory, and followed by chapters on his philosophical views, his relations with his contemporaries, his dispute with the anti-atomists, and his influence on 20th century science.”–Journal of Statistical Physics, Vol 98, No 5/6, 2000 About the Author Carlo Cercignani is Professor of Theoretical Mechanics at the Politecnico di Milano.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐An ‘easy’ read, this is not. The prose is consistently high. This is a well written, if detailed, assessment of Boltzmann’s life and science. The scholarship is impressive (for example: 17 page reference list). The goal is an historical symbiosis of Boltzmann’s life alongside his scientific work. The book takes a two-pronged approach: the main text is devoid of mathematical detail while appendices (50 pages) present technical elaborations of the main text (read: preface). The book could be utilized as a resource for a statistical mechanics course (from an historical yet rigorous viewpoint. Beware, such a course would be technically demanding if only utilizing this book).(1) I highlight chapter six: Boltzmann’s relation and statistical interpretation of entropy. Here, the author beautifully enunciates the explicit use of probability for a gas with discrete energies. I highlight chapter seven, another gem, as it examines and contrasts Boltzmann’s approach relative to Gibbs’ approach.(2) Appendices present the bulk of detailed derivations and deserve careful consideration from the reader. Note regards the appendices: they are technical, if demanding (advanced calculus). There are some gems:(A) A calculation of pressure in dilute gas: “we are computing not momentum, but momentum flow.” (page 252).(B) Liouville equation: A nice derivation involving collisions, conservation laws, Jacobians (page 255).(C) Use of Boltzmann’s inequality to derive Maxwell’s distribution law (page 271).(D) Discussion of hourglass model pertaining to growth of entropy (pages 277-279).(E) Likelihood of a distribution: From the discrete to the continuous, utilizing Stirling’s formula and induction (pages 280-282).(F) Canonical distribution for equilibrium states: A tour de force, essentially two alternative derivations (see page 283).(G) A more traditional derivation of Stefan-Boltzmann law, following which derivation of Wien’s law (pages 294-295).Concluding: A distinctive offering, presenting modern considerations combining historical antecedents. Professor Cercignani has tried to fulfil those two conflicting goals. But, the book can be recommended as enrichment in statistical mechanics and appreciation of Ludwig Boltzmann. I note that, unfortunately, Oxford University Press has again produced a ‘print-on-demand’ paperback copy and the quality suffers.

⭐This book is difficult to get through. Not particularly because of the complex subject matter described, rather because of the way it is presented. For example, the references are unnecessary since it is not a research paper. Secondly, there are constant references within the text such as ‘in the previous chapter’ or ‘we will see in chapter 7’ after almost every few paragraphs, which makes it quite annoying and detracts from the main points, while confusing the reader. If one can ignore these extra remarks and references, then it is a decent book. Overall, I was hoping for a better read.

⭐Great book for people interested with the history of science.The book includes a detailed account of different aspects of Boltzmann’s life and scientific achievements.Recommended.

⭐Why are you here? Why are you looking for a biography about Boltzmann? If you are looking for a strong science biography with a lot of mathematical detail, then you’ll want this book. The book is not just a historical biography but a mathematical one. For this purpose I would have given it 5 stars.However, I was looking for a biography in the same category as Lindley’s “Degrees Kelvin” (William Thomson aka Lord Kelvin) or Mahon’s “The Man Who Changed Everything” (James Clerk Maxwell). While much of the math is placed into appendices, chapters 4, 5, and 6 will be difficult for the typical science history reader. The first three chapters were wonderful and detailed the life of Ludwig Boltzmann. Before this book he was simply the guy who’s name was attached to a constant (which is why I want to read more about him!).The back cover praise is extremely misleading-“…accessible to all…””Much of the book will be interesting to the general reader.””I can warmly recommend the book to everybody who is interested in the history of science.”Umm… no. If the second paragraph of my review is what you are looking for then I would suggest you try Lindley’s “Boltzmann’s Atom”. While I have yet to read it, I did read his book about William Thomson/Lord Kelvin, “Degrees Kelvin”, and really enjoyed it.

⭐In the last half of the 1800’s there was a lot of ferment in the world of physics. The basic descriptions of how the world worked was put together by Newton was being challenged by new discoveries such as the Michelson-Morley experiment that proved Newton’s wave theory of light was incorrect, or at best incomplete. Other experiments were identifying other problems. This was a time when the world of physics was about to undergo massive changes, but of course that was still in the future.Ludwig Boltzmann was working during this time. He was formulating theories that explained some of these problems. Some of his work was later to become part of the underlying basis for Einstein’s famous papers of 1905. There were unfortunately a number of physicists in this same category. They provided a basis for Einstein but never quite had the spark of understanding that carried it to the next step.During his time Boltzmann was ahead of many of his contemporaries, many of whom disputed his theories. Time has shown that his work on atomic theory were fundamentally correct but only as a first step. Atoms, matter, and energy are now viewed as being much more complex than his first theories.As the author points out in his closing paragraph, there are indications now that we are headed for a ‘great change’ in theoretical physics as something new comes to explain some of the problems identified in quantum mechanics. But, of course, that’s predicting the future.

⭐An excellent overview and a good balance between the technical details and the story telling.A recommendation for everyone who wants to know more about Ludwig Boltzmann as a persona and a scientist.

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