Einstein, Albert
The Meaning of Relativity, Princeton University Press: Princeton, 1950
Princeton University Press, Princeton: 1950
FIRST PRINTED OF THE THIRD & EXTENDED EDITION, COMPLETE WITH ORIGINAL DUST JACKET of four lectures Einstein delivered at Princeton University in May 1921. The lectures, intended as further explanation of Einstein's famous theory of relativity and its developments, were titled 'Space and Time in Pre-Relativity Physics,' 'The Theory of Special Relativity,' The General Theory of Relativity,' 'The General Theory of Relativity II.' "This edition contains both an appendix discussing certain advances in the theory of relativity since 1921 and a new appendix on his generalized theory of gravitation. According to the Weil bibliography of Einstein's works, this is Weil 124a. CONDITION & DETAILS: Large 12mo (7.5 x 5.25 inches, 187 x 131mm). [8], 145, [3]. The dust-jacket is not price-clipped; small closed tear at the foot of the front wraps and head of rear wraps, both small and minor. Very good condition, safe in archival mylar. Bound in tan cloth, gilt-lettered at the spine; the binding is tight and solid. Bright and very clean inside and out. Very good condition.
More from Atticus Rare Books
Spectroscopic Observations of the Sun. Received February 2, Read March 19, 1874. Pp. 577-586 in The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 165, Pt. 2.,1876 [OFFPRINT of LOCKYER’S DISCOVERY OF HELIUM ON THE SUN. 6 PLATES]
RARE OFFPRINT OF JOSEPH LOCKYER'S DISCOVERY OF HELIUM ON THE SUN. ORIGINAL PAPER WRAPS, FINE CONDITION. 6 PLATES. An "offprint" is a separately published and bound issue of the journal paper in question. Usually these are printed for the given authors and for authors to give to colleagues. Because they are rare, offprints are considered more desirable that either the original issue of the journal in paper wraps or bound. Helium was the first chemical element discovered on an extraterrestrial body -- in this case, the sun -- prior to its discovery on the Earth. Lockyer's discovery of helium also represents the first element discovered via spectroscopy. Though rare on the Earth, helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, comprising 24% of known baryonic matter by weight. Lockyer discovered helium on the sun in 1868 when he adapted his 6-inch telescope to utilize a spectroscope and while using it to carry out electromagnetic spectroscopic observations of the sun during an eclipse, he discovered a yellow line never seen before in the laboratory. Unable to reproduce the line in his lab, Lockyer made the bold suggestion that the line was the 'fingerprint' of an element, an element he named 'helium' for Helios, the Greek God of the Sun. Lockyer's finding -- the only element to be discovered in space before it was discovered on Earth -- was the first element to be discovered by spectroscopy. As Lockyer tried to make sense of his initial discovery of a yellow line, he reasoned that "because the bright yellow line was close to the D1 and D2 lines of sodium, it [should be] designated D3. In order to identify the lines in his spectral data, Lockyer enlisted the help of the prominent British chemist, Edward Frankland. Their laboratory work showed that the majority of the observed solar lines were due to hydrogen, though often modified by changes in temperature and pressure. The D3 line, however, could not be reproduced in the laboratory" (Jensen, "Why Helium Ends in 'ium'?) . While Lockyer was ridiculed for his discovery for many years, in 1895, twenty-five years after Lockyer's initial discovery, William Ramsay confirmed the existence of Helium when he managed to isolate it from another mineral. In 1897, Lockyer was finally knighted for his discovery of helium. CONDITION & DETAILS: London: The Royal Society. Offprint from The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 165, Pt. 2. 1875. [Printed in 1876]. Continuously paginated, pp. 577-586. 4to. (300 x 225mm; 12 x 9 in.). ILLUSTRATIONS: 6 plates EXTERIOR: Bound in original paper wraps. Tightly bound. Near fine condition. Conservation of Isotopic Spin and Isotopic Gauge Invariance in Physical Review 96, 1, October 1, 1954, pp. 191-196
RARE FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE IN ORIGINAL WRAPS of the Yang and Mills quantum mechanical theory, introduced in this paper and underappreciated at that time. The Yang-Mills theory is now the foundation of most of elementary particle theory; it is the mathematical foundation underlying "three of the four fundamental forces of nature that physicists succeeded in unifying in the last half of the 20th century: electromagnetism, the 'weak force' responsible for radioactive decay, and the 'strong force' responsible for holding the nuclei of atoms together" (Gale, World of Mathematics Summary). Yang and Mills proposed a tensor equation that relies on a quantum mechanical property called the 'mass gap.' "The laws of quantum physics stand to the world of elementary particles in the way that Newton's laws of classical mechanics stand to the macroscopic world. Almost half a century ago, Yang and Mills introduced a remarkable new framework to describe elementary particles using structures that also occur in geometry. The successful use of Yang-Mills theory (now widely tested and affirmed) to describe the strong interactions of elementary particles depends on a subtle quantum mechanical property called the "mass gap:" the quantum particles have positive masses, even though the classical waves travel at the speed of light. This property has been discovered by physicists from experiment and confirmed by computer simulations, but it still has not been understood from a theoretical point of view. Progress in establishing the existence of the Yang-Mills theory and a mass gap and will require the introduction of fundamental new ideas both in physics and in mathematics" (Clay Mathematics Institute). CONDITION & DETAILS: Lancaster: American Physical Society. Volume 96, Number 1, October 1, 1954. Pp. 191-196. (10.5 x 8 inches). Complete issue with flat creasing to the front wrap impacting none of the interior. See photo. The wraps are bright and clean; owner's signature on front wrap; small mark next to a paper noted on the list of contents on the rear wrap. Bright and exceptionally clean within. Das Quantenpostulat und die neuere Entwicklung der Atomistik in Die Naturwissenschaften, Volume 16, 1928
FIRST EDITION OF BOHR'S SEMINAL PAPER ANNOUNCING HIS "COMPLEMENTARITY PRINCIPLE," a tenet at the center of quantum mechanics stating "that matter is both particle and wave, but can only be measured to be one or the other by any given experiment, because the object being measured is affected by the measurement" (History of Physics: The Wenner Collection). Bohr's "complementarity principle became the cornerstone of what was later referred to as the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics Bohr recognized the need for the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics to be imbedded in a rationally coherent conceptual framework" (H. Kragh, Quantum Generations, 1999, pp. 209-210). Toward that end, his â??complementarity' principle went on to form the basis of what became known as the â??Copenhagen interpretation' of quantum mechanics. "From the epistemological point of view, the discovery of the new type of logical relationship that complementarity represents is a major advance that radically changes our whole view of the role and meaning of science. In contrast with the nineteenth-century ideal of a description of the phenomena from which every reference to their observation would be eliminated, we have the much wider and truer prospect of an account of the phenomena in which due regard is paid to the conditions under which they can actually be observed - thereby securing the full objectivity of the description" (DSB). "Bohr presented his ideas on complementarity for the first time at an international congress of physics in Como in the fall of 1927, commemorating the centenary of Volta's death. On this occasion, he stressed that in the quantum world, contrary to the classical world, an observation of a system can never be made without disturbing the system. But how can we then know the state of the system? The quantum postulate would seem to imply that the classical distinction between the observer and the observed was no longer tenable. How then would it be possible to obtain objective knowledge? "Bohr's reflections on these and related questions led him to introduce the notion of complementarity as denoting the use of complementary but mutually exclusive viewpoints in the description of nature. Two years later, he defined the complementarity principle as â??a new mode of description. in the sense that any given application of classical concepts precludes the simultaneous use of other classical concepts which in a different connection are equally necessary for the elucidation of phenomena'. The wave description and the particle description are complementary and thus in conflict. But Bohr argued that the physicist is still able to account unambiguously for his experiments, for it is he who chooses what to measure and thereby destroys the possibility of the realization of the conflicting aspect. "The complementarity principle became the cornerstone of what was later referred to as the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. Pauli even stated that quantum mechanics might be called â??complementarity theory', in an analogy with â??relativity theory'. And Peierls later claimed that â??when you refer to the Copenhagen interpretation of the mechanics what you really mean is quantum mechanics' . by the mid-1930s Bohr had been remarkably successful in establishing the Copenhagen view as the dominant philosophy of quantum mechanics." (H. Kragh, 209-210). CONDITION & DETAILS: CONDITION & DETAILS: Berlin: Springer. Die Naturwissenschaften, Volume 16, 1928. Quarto (10.75 x 7.75 inches; 269 x 194mm). [xviii], 1102, [2]. Full volume bound in brown cloth over brown marbled paper. Minor rubbing and scuffing to the boards and edge tips. Gilt lettered at the spine. Clean and bright inside and out. Very good condition. Copernicus Yesterday and Today: Proceedings of the Commemorative Conference held in Washington in Honour of Nicolaus Copernicus
First edition. This profusely illustrated biography of Copernicus is comprised of extensive essays on his scientific contributions, the nature of the scientific revolution of which he was a part, and the impact of his contributions and work. His humanistic contributions and their significance within the Copernican heritage are covered as well. Seventeen papers by a wide range of authorities included - Edward Rosen, Stillman Drake, Owen Gingerich among others. CONDITION & DETAILS: Pergamon Press, 1975. 4to (10 x 7 inches). [xxxiii], 223, [2]. Hardcover, bound in black cloth, gilt-lettered on the spine and on the front board. Tightly and solidly bound. Bright and clean inside and out. Fine condition. A Potentially Realizable Quantum Computer in Science, Volume 261, Number 5128, September 17, 1993, pp. 1569-1571
FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL PICTORIAL WRAPS OF THE 1st PAPER TO "PROPOSE THE FIRST TECHNOLOGICALLY FEASIBLE DESIGN FOR A QUANTUM COMPUTER" (Wikipedia). The wraps are still very bright, which is somewhat unusual for Science issues. Address label on front. Clean and bright within. Excellent condition. "Quantum computing studies theoretical computation systems (quantum computers) that make direct use of quantum-mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement, to perform operations on data" (Gershenfeld, "Quantum Computing with Molecules" in Scientific American, June 1988). "Quantum computers are different from binary digital electronic computers based on transistors. Whereas common digital computing requires that the data be encoded into binary digits (bits), each of which is always in one of two definite states (0 or 1), quantum computation uses quantum bits, which can be in superpositions of states" (Wikipedia). Seth Lloyd, a self-proclaimed â??quantum mechanic', is a professor of mechanical engineering and physics at MIT. His â??potentially realizable' quantum computer is described in this paper as "arrays of weakly coupled quantum systems. Computation is effected by a sequence of electromagnetic pulses that induce transitions between locally defined quantum states. in a crystal lattice" (Van Loocke, The Physical Nature of Consciousness, 41). This means that in Lloyd's computer architecture, every â??quit', or gate, does not need to be addressed individually. Lloyd's architecture necessitates "only a few control quits are needed, while the quantum information is stored in a chain of quits that consists of repeated units ABC of only three distinguishable physical qubits. Each group of three physical quits stores one logical quit. Logical operations can be broken down into operations that act on all A, B or C physical quits. It was shown that this architecture is universal, i.e., it can efficiently run all algorithms that are efficient on a network quantum computer" (Stolze, Quantum Computing, 143). Lloyd argues that "operated with frequent error correction, such a system functions as a parallel digital computer. Operated in a quantum-mechanically coherent manner, such a device functions as a general purpose quantum-mechanical micro-manipulator, capable of both creating any desired quantum state of the array and transforming that state in any desired way" (Lloyd, 1993, p. 1569). In a 1996 paper that we offer separately, Lloyd would go on to prove that Feynman's 1982 conjecture that quantum computers can be programmed to simulate any local quantum system is correct. In the 1996 paper, Lloyd "proved that a universal quantum simulator is possible by showing that a quantum computer can be programmed to simulate any local quantum system efficiently" (History of Science: The Wenner Collection; Wikipedia). CONDITION & DETAILS: New York: American Association for the Advancement of Science. 8vo. Complete. The wraps are still very bright, which is somewhat unusual for Science issues. Address label on front. Clean and bright within. Excellent condition. De la substance feuilletée et cristalline contenue dans les calculs biliaires, et de la nature des concrétions cystiques cristalisées in Annales de Chimie, Vol. 3, 1789, pp. 242-252
FIRST EDITION OF FOURCROY'S "IMPORTANT" DISCOVERY OF COMPOUND CHOLESTEROL, "an insoluble constituent of animal fats found among the lipids in the bloodstream and in all cells of the human body" (Thudichum, A Treatise on Gall-stones", 70; Boslaugh, Encyclopedia of Epidemiology, 179). The title translates as "Chemical Examination of the foliated and crystalline substance contained in Gall-stones, and of the nature of the cystic crystallized concretions". Fourcroy notes the possibility that 20 years earlier, Poulletier de la Salle had likely obtained cholesterol; regardless, the substance remained unnamed until 1815 and history awards both the discovery and first description of cholesterol to this 1789 Fourcroy paper. Fourcroy's work on gallstones led to his discovery of cholesterol. While it was well known that some parts of the body putrefied to form a white waxy material resembling spermaceti, in 1786 Fourcroy had shown that the material had a lower melting point than did spermaceti and was more soluble in alcohol. Gallstones seemed to contain a similar substance. Fourcroy's experiments led him to discover that his new extract â??â?? a crystalline one he had isolated from alcoholic extracts of human gallstones â?? was only slightly soluble in alcohol and melted at a higher temperature than did the others. "This use of measurable physical properties to distinguish substances was very unusual before the nineteenth century" Dictionary of Scientific Biography, 5 p. 91). Antoine François comte de Fourcroy (1755-1809) was a French chemist, a pioneer in animal and plant chemistry; he collaborated with Lavoisier and was also one of the scientific communities earliest converts to his views. CONDITION & DETAILS: Paris: Chez Joseph de Boffe. (8.25 x 5.5 inches; 206 x 138mm). Bears one small â??Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain' stamp at the foot of the title page and a small penciled â??x' on the rear of the title page. There are no other library markings. [8], 315, [1], 4. Handsomely rebound in half-calf over marbled paper boards; 4 gilt-ruled and tooled bands at the spine; gilt-lettered black morocco spine label; new endpapers. Tight and very solid. Some minor foxing throughout. Very good +. The World of Comets, 1877
First English edition a comprehensive, scientifically oriented work - by which I mean this is not a "popular" history. As the mathematician and astronomer, James Glaisher notes in the preface, no work prior to this one had covered all the ground that Guillemin's did. Profusely illustrated with beautiful chromolithographic plates of Donati's Comet, Cheseaux's Comet, and the Large Comet of 1843, 2 reproductions of Warren De La Rue's photos of the Great Comet of 1861; in total there are 4 plates, this volume also includes 5 whole-page woodcuts, 1 large fold-out, & 75 figures and tables. "Written in 1877 by the French journalist Amédée Guillemin (1826-1893), this volume appeared on British bookshelves at a time of intense interest in space, the solar system and stars. In the same year, Schiaparelli made his infamous 'discovery' of Martian canals, whetting the public's appetite for all things astronomical. Guillemin's account of comets was equally ambitious and, ultimately, more valuable" (CUP). His subjects range from modern theories and mathematical projections of periodic comets to Renaissance superstitions, to accessible explanations of the orbits, constitution, and brilliance of comets. CONDITION & DETAILS: London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1877. Translated and edited by James Glaisher. 4to. xxxvii, 548pp. Frontispiece, 4 plates (one repaired on the versa and one with a very small missing area at the lower left and outside the illustration, 5 whole-page woodcuts, 1 fold-out, 75 figs., tables. Ex-libris (Royal Holloway) bearing very few markings and none at the spine. Very solidly and tightly bound in tan buckram with gilt-lettering at the spine. Bright and clean inside and out. Very good condition. “The developmental capacity of nuclei “The developmental capacity of nuclei by Defined Factors in Cell 131, No. 5, 30 November 2007, pp. 861-872
FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPS of Takahashi and Yamanaka's 2007 Nobel Prize winning paper in which the authors described a pioneering technique for reprogramming adult human cells into a pluripotent state, meaning they could transform mature, specialized cells back into a state where they could potentially develop into any type of cell in the body. The key innovation of their work was the identification of a set of transcription factors capable of inducing pluripotency in somatic cells. Specifically, they found that by introducing four transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc) into adult human fibroblast cells, they could reprogram these cells into what they termed "induced pluripotent stem cells" (iPSCs). These iPSCs exhibited characteristics similar to embryonic stem cells, including the ability to differentiate into various cell types. This discovery represented a significant advancement in the field of regenerative medicine, as it offered a potential alternative to embryonic stem cells for studying development and disease, as well as for therapeutic applications. iPSCs provided a non-controversial and potentially patient-specific source of pluripotent cells, with the potential for use in tissue regeneration, disease modeling, drug discovery, and personalized medicine. Takahashi and Yamanaka's paper has had a profound impact on biomedical research and regenerative medicine. CONDITION & DETAILS: Illustrated throughout. Quarto (11 x 8 inches; 275 x 200mm). Original paper wraps in near pristine condition inside and out. Clean and bright. Laennec, sa vie et son oeuvre [STETHOSCOPE; UNCOMMON 1st ed. SIGNED COPY of the Neurologist LANDOUZY]
UNCOMMON 1st edition of Henri Saintignon's 1904 book "Laennec sa vie et son oeuvre," an extensive work on the French physician and inventor of the stethoscope, Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec (1781-1826). This work is largely available only in reprint. To date, Saintignon is considered the most respected biographer of the life and work of Laennec. Laennec is considered the father of clinical auscultation and wrote the first descriptions of bronchiectasis and cirrhosis and also classified pulmonary conditions such as pneumonia, bronchiectasis, pleurisy, emphysema, pneumothorax, phthisis and other lung diseases from the sounds he heard with his invention. Later, he would determine that his diagnoses were supported by the observations he made during autopsies. Laënnec went on to publish the first seminal work on the use of listening to body sounds, De L'auscultation Mediate (On Mediate Auscultation). "Laënnec perfected the art of physical examination of the chest and introduced many clinical terms still used today" (Roguin, National Library of Medicine, 2006). Saintignon's book explores Laennec's personal and professional life, his contributions to the field of medicine, and his impact on the practice of clinical diagnosis. It also delves into the historical and scientific context in which Laennec lived and worked, with insight into his discoveries and innovations in the field of medicine. This work was submitted for Saintignon's doctoral thesis in medicine. It is the signed copy of Professor Landouzy (Louis Theophile Joseph Landouzy, prominent neurologist at the University of Paris Medical School. His armorial book collection stamp also appears on the half-title. Landouzy's name is associated with Landouzy-Dejerine syndrome, a type of muscular dystrophy with atrophic changes to the facial muscles and scapula-humeral region. He is also known to have supported the admission of women into medical school. Condition & Details: Paris: J.-B. Baillière et Fils. 4to (9 x 6 in). [2], 488, [4]. Bound in half-calf over marbled paper boards with five gilt-ruled bands at the spine. Marbled endpapers. Portrait frontispiece. Signed by Dr. Louis Theophile Joseph Landouzy. Minor scuffing at the edge tips. Slightly toned paper. Clean throughout. Very good condition. A Quantum Theory of the Scattering of X-rays by Light Elements in Physical Review 21, May 1923, pp. 483-502
FIRST EDITION OF ARTHUR COMPTON'S NOBEL PRIZE WINNING PAPER ON THE â??COMPTON EFFECT,' THE SCATTERING OF HIGH-ENERGY PHOTONS BY ELECTRONS. The landmark "discovery of the Compton effect served as the technical catalyst for the acceptance and rapid development of quantum mechanics in the 1920s and 1930s" (Todd, Scientists in Space and Astronomy, 88). From this distance, "it is difficult for us today to understand that Compton's explanation of X-ray scattering was regarded as revolutionary. Physicists until then had learned that electromagnetic radiation, depending on the process studied, had to be described as consisting of EITHER waves OR energy quanta but now had to accept that BOTH the wave AND the particle property were needed" (Brandt, The Harvest of the Century, 130). "Compton carried out relativistic calculations (assuming detailed conservation of energy and momentum on a quantum-by-quantum basis) that predicted that energetic X-ray or gamma-ray quanta, when scattered off of electrons, would lose a certain amount of energy" Peacock, The Quantum Revolution, 43). "His experiments revealed that there definitely was a measurable shift of X-ray (photon) wavelength with scattering angle - a phenomenon now called the â??Compton effect'" (Todd). "The Compton effect is the inelastic scattering of a photon when it collides with an electron that results in a decrease in energy (increase in wavelength). Part of the energy is transferred to the electron, which recoils and is ejected from its atom (which becomes ionized), and the rest of the energy is taken by the scattered, "degraded" photon. The classical wave theory of light cannot explain the shift in wavelength (and loss of energy) observed in the Compton effect, and as a result, Compton's experiment convinced most physicists that light does in this case behave as a stream of particles whose energy is proportional to its frequency" (The Wenner Collection). Compton's paper verified Planck's quantum postulate AND "confirmed Einstein'a view that the quantum of light interacted like a discrete particle" (Peacock). Compton was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize in Physics. CONDITION & DETAILS: Full volume. Lancaster: American Physical Society. 4to (10.75 x 8 inches; 268 x 200mm). Entire volume, continuously paginated pp. 1-736. Compton's paper: pp. 483-502. Ex-libris with no markings at the spine whatsoever. There are two stamps of the blank front fly leaf and an envelope on the front paste down. Minor. Illustration: In-text figures throughout. Exterior: Bound in blue cloth with a gilt-lettered spine; very slight rubbing at the edges. Tightly and solidly bound. The interior is bright and very clean throughout. Very good condition. The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the World Wide Web By Its Inventor, 1999 [SIGNED 1st edition with PHOTO]
FIRST EDITION, 1st PRINTING SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, TIM BERNERS-LEE, inventor of the World Wide Web, the first web browser, as well as the fundamental protocols and algorithms allowing the Web to scale. In 1989, while working at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research), Berners-Lee proposed the concept of the World Wide Web as a way to facilitate the sharing of information among researchers. He published a paper entitled Information Management: A Proposal. In the paper, Berner's Lee proposed a linked system of information - a universal one - that would employ differing technologies and concepts. The most fundamental aspect of his proposition was the ability to link the connections between information. His proposition and the work it engendered laid the foundation for the development of the modern internet and transformed the way information is accessed and shared globally. His book, Weaving the Web provides insights into the creation and development of the web. He shares his experiences, thoughts, and vision for the future of the web. Berners-Lee covers the early days of the World Wide Web, discussing the challenges and decisions that led to its creation. Berners-Lee talks about the initial concepts, the development of the first web browser and server, and the establishment of the first website. The book also delves into the philosophy behind the design of the web and its potential impact on society. Furthermore, Tim Berners-Lee addresses the importance of maintaining an open and accessible web, free from proprietary constraints. He discusses the need for standards that allow interoperability and the sharing of information across different platforms. The book serves as a historical account of the web's origins and a call to preserve its fundamental principles. In addition to his work on the World Wide Web, Berners-Lee has been an advocate for an open and decentralized web, emphasizing principles like net neutrality, privacy, and accessibility. He continues to be involved in various initiatives to promote the positive and ethical development of the internet. CONDITION & DETAILS: Harper: San Francisco. The book includes a tipped in note on the stationery of Berner Lee's consortium W3C. Signed by Amy van der Hiel is the Media Relations Coordinator for the W3C Communications Team and the Team Contact for the Advisory Board, it is a response to a request for a signed photo of Berner-Lee's. The inscribed photo was then pasted down on the front flyleaf. [xl], 3, 226, [2]. Bound in blue cloth with dust jacked protected by a mylar slip. Tightly bound. Bright and very clean inside and out. Fine condition. Recherches sur L’Isolement du Fluor in Annales de chimie et de physique, 12, 1887, pp. 472-537 [NOBEL PRIZE WINNING ISOLATION OF THE ELEMENT FLUORINE]
In 1887, the French chemist Henri Moissan achieved a significant milestone in the field of chemistry by isolating the element fluorine. Fluorine is a highly reactive and corrosive gas, making its isolation a challenging task. Moissan developed a method involving electrolysis of potassium bifluoride, which he had prepared by reacting potassium fluoride with hydrogen fluoride. Moissan's work on isolating fluorine earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1906 for isolating and investigating the chemical element fluorine and for introducing the electric furnace into the service of science - exploits whereby he has opened up new fields for scientific research and industrial activity. His achievement not only advanced the understanding of fluorine but also contributed to the development of new methods in the field of chemistry. Moissan's pioneering efforts in isolating fluorine played a crucial role in expanding the knowledge of the periodic table and the properties of chemical elements. CONDITION: Volumes 11 & 12 solidly bound together in burgundy cloth; gilt-lettered at the spine; very slight toning to the boards. Ex. Library with NO spine markings & only a stamp on the front paste down & one on the title page. Clean & bright inside and out. Near fine condition. Memoire sur les corpuscules organises qui existent dans l’atmosphere. Examen de la doctrine des generations spontanees in Annales de chimie et de physique, 3rd series, vol. 64, 1862 [REFUTATION OF SPONTANEOUS GENERATION]
PASTEUR'S SEMINAL REFUTATION OF SPONTANEOUS GENERATION, INCLUSIVE OF "SWAN NECK" FLASK ENGRAVINGS. The doctrine of spontaneous generation -- a belief that living organisms arose spontaneously from non-living matter -- was used to explain the appearance of microorganisms in decaying organic substances beginning with Aristotle and was taken as scientific fact for two millennia. Written in 1861 and published in 1862, Pasteur famously felled the doctrine by demonstrating in this paper that microorganisms did not arise spontaneously but came from pre-existing microorganisms. In understanding the import of sterilized equipment, etc., Pasteur demonstrated the possibility of culturing and studying a single microorganism in the absence of others" (Norman). Taken in total, his work lay the foundation for the germ theory of disease and thus had profound implications for microbiology and medicine. This volume includes "The longest and most important of Pasteur's papers on spontaneous generation, describing the series of classic experiments with bent-necked and sealed flasks by which he proved conclusively that fermentation and putrefaction are not the products of spontaneous generation, but result from contamination by airborne micro-organisms" (ibid). Pasteur began his studies on spontaneous generation via his interest in fermentation. "In 1860 he had completed a series of careful but simple 'Experiments relative to so-called Spontaneous Generation' . When his conclusions were called into question by Pouchet. Pasteur [conducted] further experiments [presented here] which demonstrated beyond dispute that fermentation is caused by the actions of minute living organisms, and that if these are excluded or killed fermentation does not occur. This enabled him to explain to brewers and vintners the cause and prevention of sourness in their products. The heating process that he recommended was the earliest form of 'pasteurization'" (PMM). Pasteur's swan-necked culture vessels (illustrated on the engraved plate) were integral to Pasteur's discovery. He partly filled the body of the flask with an â??infusion' - a nutrient rich broth -- then boiled the infusion killing any germs already present in the liquid, a process now known as pasteurization. "Pasteur allowed the infusion to rest. Over time, he observed that the physical appearance, particularly the colour of the broth did not change. This he explained was because the germ particles in the air attempting to enter the flask had become became trapped in the s shaped bend. Therefore, they had not contaminated the liquid. Pasteur then tipped the particles into the body of the flask and observed that the microorganisms appeared in the infusion and multiplied, spoiling the infusion. "This demonstrated that certain germ particles in the air caused the spoiling of the broth, disproving spontaneous generation - a previous leading theory of disease that claimed the air itself was to blame. From this Pasteur developed and published his germ theory of disease revealing to the world the existence of microorganisms and the role they play" (Worcester Medical Museum) ALSO INCLUDED: Kirchhoff and Bunsen's long spectral analysis of salts paper introduces the technique of spectroscopy as a tool for chemical analysis, work fundamental in the development of analytical chemistry and THAT marked the beginning of the application of spectroscopy to identify and analyze chemical elements. CONDITION: Volumes 64, 65, & 66, solidly bound together in burgundy cloth; gilt-lettered at the spine; very slight toning to the boards. Note that the toning on the plates in the image appear much worse than they do to the naked eye; the brightness of the scanner light does this. 14 plates, 1 colored. Ex. Library with NO spine markings & only a stamp on the front paste down & one on the title page. Clean & bright inside and out. Near fine condition. Mémoire [MEMOIRE] Sur le Fermentation Alcoolique, Pasteur, Annales de chimie et de physique, 58, 1860, PP. 323-426 [LONG, CLASSIC MEMOIR ON ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION]
FIRST EDITION OF PASTEUR'S DEFINITIVE PROOF THAT ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION IS DUE TO THE ACTION OF A LIVING ORGANISM (yeast), and is not a purely chemical process as most chemists since. Lavoisier had believed. This work laid the foundation for the germ theory of disease and had significant implications for the fields of microbiology and biochemistry. In December 1857, Pasteur published the first in a series of abstracts, notes, and letters on alcoholic fermentation. When his research was completed in 1860, he published the culmination of his work, the long and classic memoir offered here. Pasteur divided this work into two major sections, dealing respectively with the fate of sugar and of yeast in alcoholic fermentation, it inflicted on the chemical theory what Duclaux called "a series of blows straight from the shoulder, delivered with agility and assurance." "Pasteur established that alcoholic fermentation invariably produces not only carbonic acid and ethyl alcohol - as was well known - but also appreciable quantities of glycerin and succinic acid as well as of these results. Pasteur emphasized the complexity of alcoholic fermentation and attacked the tendency of chemists since Lavoisier to depict it as the simple conversion of sugar into carbonic acid and alcohol" (DSB, Vol. 10, p. 363). CONDITION & DETAILS: Paris: Victor Masson. Complete. Three full volumes, Volumes 58, 59, & 60, bound together in burgundy cloth, gilt-lettered at the spine; very slight toning to the boards. Ex. Library with NO spine markings & only a stamp on the front paste down & one on the title page. Clean & bright inside and out. Near fine condition. Forces in Molecules (Feynman, pp. 340-343) with The Mechanism of Nuclear Fission (Bohr and Wheeler, pp. 426-50) AND On Continued Gravitational Contraction (Oppenheimer and Snyder, pp. 455-59) in Physical Review, Volume 56, 1939 [Full Volume: FEYNMAN’S UNDERGRADUATE THESIS & THE 1st DESCRIPTION OF A SINGULARITY — A BLACK HOLE]
FULL VOLUME 1st EDITION OF THREE LANDMARK PAPERS, each of seminal import in the history of physics. FEYNMAN'S "Forces in molecules" is the first edition of Feynman's undergraduate thesis, the paper that began to establish his name in physics. Published when he was just twenty-one, his work here a fundamental discovery "that has played an important role in theoretical chemistry and condensed matter physics" (Selected Papers, p. 1). This extraordinary work documents the first steps in original research of one of the most brilliant minds of the twentieth century. Feynman showed in this paper that "the force on an atom's nucleus is no more or less than the electrical force from the surrounding field of charged electrons - the electrostatic force. Once the distribution of charge has been calculated quantum mechanically, then from that point forward quantum mechanics disappears from the picture. The problem becomes classical; the nuclei can be treated as static points of mass and charge. Feynman's approach applies to all chemical bonds. If two nuclei act as though strongly attracted to each other, as the hydrogen nuclei do when they bond to form a water molecule, it is because the nuclei are each drawn toward the electrical charge concentrated quantum mechanically between them" (Gleick, Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman). The paper is known as the Feynman-Hellmann theorem and it proposed an original and enduring approach to calculating forces in molecules. Feynman "treated the problem of molecular forces from a thoroughly quantum-mechanical point of view, arriving at a simple means of calculating the energy of a molecular system that continues to guide quantum chemists" (DSB). "Feynman was one of the most creative and influential physicists of the twentieth century. A veteran of the Manhattan Project of World War II and a 1965 Nobel laureate in physics, he made lasting contributions across many domains, from electrodynamics and quantum theory to nuclear and particle physics, solid-state physics, and gravitation" (ibid). BOHR & WHEELER'S "The mechanism of nuclear fission" is the first fully worked out theory of nuclear fission and it laid the groundwork for atomic and hydrogen bombs"The paper is a masterpiece of clear thinking and lucid writing. It reveals, at the center of the mystery of fission, a tiny world where everything can be calculated and everything understood. The tiny world is a nucleus of uranium 236, formed when a neutron is freshly captured by a nucleus of uranium 235. The uranium 236 nucleus sits precisely on the border between classical and quantum physics" By studying this process in detail, they show how the complementary views provided by classical and quantum pictures are both essential to the understanding of nature. Without the combined power of classical and quantum concepts, the intricacies of the fission process could never have been understood. Bohr's notion of complementarity is triumphantly vindicated" (Barrow, Science and Ultimate Reality, xvii). OPPENHEIMER & SNYDER'S "On continued gravitational contraction" constitutes the very first theoretical prediction of a singularity when a sufficiently large neutron star collapses -- the extraordinary correct physical description of what happens in a particular collapse of a neutron star. This phenomenon was later to be coined as a black hole. "Had J. Robert Oppenheimer not led the US effort to build the atomic bomb, he might still have been remembered for figuring out how a black hole could form" (American Physical Society). This paper has been described as the forgotten birth of black holes. Lancaster: American Institute of Physics, 1939. Royal 8vo. (10.5 x 8 inches); 267 x 203 mm. Entire volume in contemporary full black cloth, gilt-lettered at the spine. Ex-libris with NO spine markings & bearing only a small, largely invisible perforated stamp at the foot of the title page. Tightly and very solidly bound. Bright and very clean throughout. Near fine condition. Wave Power in Nature 249, June 231, 1974. pp. 720-724 [Salter’s Duck. Energy Review Issue] and Modeling Tide and Surge Interaction, pp. 692-693 [Discovery of Interaction Between Astronomical Tides & Storm Surges]
Salter, S. H. [Stephen] and J. Darbyshire FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS of Stephen Salter's influential paper on a wave energy converter (WEC) he invented known, the celebrated and eponymous "nodding duck," commonly called Salter's Duck. In the 1970s, alternative energy was beginning to gain a lot of hype due to the oil crisis, Salter's design was the most exciting possibility. Note: Information on Darbyshire's discovery appears at the end of this write-up. Stephen Salter is Emeritus Professor of Engineering Design at the University of Edinburgh and inventor of the eponymous Salter duck wave energy device. He is also a proponent of geoengineering and is responsible for creating the concept of the mechanical enhancement of clouds to achieve cloud reflectivity enhancement. Salter is responsible for the design and invention of the wide tank at the University of Edinburgh, the world's first multi-directional wave tank equipped with absorbing wavemakers. With the aim of providing a renewable and sustainable source of power, Salter's Duck was designed to harness energy from ocean waves and convert it into electricity. The Duck fells under a class of WECs known as terminators. Terminators are oriented perpendicular to the direction of the wave. When effective, they destroy the waves they face, leaving a calmer sea on the other side. The device itself is shaped like a large floating buoy or duck, and its design is optimized to efficiently capture and convert wave energy. The duck bobs up and down with the motion of the waves, and this movement is used to drive a hydraulic system, which in turn generates electricity. The key innovation of Salter's Duck was its ability to efficiently convert the linear motion of waves into rotational motion for electricity generation. While Salter's Duck was an innovative concept and faced challenges in terms of scalability and cost-effectiveness, "the funding for the project was cut off in the early 1980s after oil prices rebounded and the UK government moved away from alternative energy sources" (Wikipedia). OTHER PAPER OF NOTE: In Darbyshire's "Modeling tide and surge interaction," he presents his discovery that the interaction of astronomical tides and storm surges is nonlinear, and that this nonlinear interaction can form additional storm surges. CONDITION & DETAILS: London: Macmillan. 4to. (11 x 8.25 inches; 275 x 206mm). Original wraps. Inclusive of label & very light stamp on front wrap. Slight wear at the edge tips. Tightly bound & very clean inside & out. Very good condition. Sur les fonctions de n variables complexes. Publication No. D’order 817, Theses Presentees a la Faculte des Sciences de Paris Pour Obtenir le Grade de Docteur es Sciences Mathematiques, Stockholm, 1894. [COUSIN’S DOCTORAL THESIS. TWO COUSIN PROBLEM]
Cousin, Pierre TRUE 1st edition of the French mathematician Pierre Cousin's doctoral thesis, published the following year in Acta Mathematica. Ownership stamp "F. Heymann," likely Franz Ferdinand Heyman (1924-2005), a British physicist who served as Quain Professor at University College London. He was featured in Who's Who in British Scientists, Who's Who in Atoms and Who's Who in Technology. Offered here is Cousin's thesis on the additive problem, or the two "Cousin problems," "two questions in several complex variables, concerning the existence of meromorphic functions that are specified in terms of local data" (Wikipedia). Cousin's work here has particular application to classical global function theory. Cousin who succeeded in solving it for products of planar domains by systemically iterating one variable techniques based on the Cauhy integral formula. in his honor the decomposition problem is often referred to as the additive cousin problem" (Range, Complex Analysis: A Brief Tour into Higher Dimensions). CONDITION & DETAILS: Stockholm: Central-Tryckeriet. 10 x 8 inches. 4to. [6], 61, [5]. Bears the ownership stamp of the physicist Franz Heyman and a small stamp on the rear of the title page reading "ad bibl. Univers. Monac." No other stamps whatsoever. Text illustrations throughout. Tightly bound in black cloth over marbled paper; tiny crease upper right corner. Bright and clean throughout. Very good + condition. Relativity The Special and The General Theory PERSONAL COPY OF BUCKMINSTER FULLER with SIGNATURE, ADDRESS, & DATE
Einstein, Albert The ownership signature, address of Buckminster Fuller appear on the front pastedown. Fuller also dated his entry (March 12th, 1948).This is his personal copy. Buckminster Fuller was a renowned inventor, philosopher, futurist architect, writer, social activist, designer, inventor, "intellectual outlaw," and author of more than thirty books (The New Yorker, In the Outlaw Area, Tomkins, 12.31.1965). Among many honors, Fuller (1895-1983), was selected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. EINSTEIN'S WRITING OF THIS BOOK: "After submitting the final version of his general theory of relativity in November 1915, Einstein began to write a comprehensive summary of the theory for the scientific community. At that time he was already thinking about writing a popular book on relativityâ??both the special and the generalâ??as he indicated in a letter to his close friend Michele Besso, quoted in the epigraph. Einstein completed the manuscript in December, and the booklet (as he referred to it) Relativity: The Special and the General Theory (A Popular Account) was published in German in the spring of 1917. Einstein believed that the laws of nature could be formulated in a number of simple basic principles, and this quest for simplicity characterized his scientific activities. He also believed that it was his duty to explain these principles in simple terms to the general public and to convey the happiness and satisfaction that understanding them can generate. As Einstein stated in the short introduction to his booklet, he "spared himself no pains in his endeavour to present the main ideas in the simplest and most intelligible form" (Einstein Papers, Princeton Press, 10). CONDITION & DETAILS: 8vo. Tightly and solidly bound in blue cloth, gilt-lettered on the front board and at the spine. The dust jacket is worn, but present. The volume and cover are protected with a mylar sheath.Frontispiece portrait. Full table-of-contents and index. Clean and bright throughout. Very good condition. Uber quantentheoretische Umdeutung kinematischer und mechanischer Beziehungen in Zeitschrift fur Physik, 33, 1925, pp. 879 to 893. WITH: Born and Jordan Zur Quantenmechanik in Zeitschrift fur Physik, 34, 1925, pp. 858 to 888. WITH: Born, Heisenberg and Jordan Zur Quantenmechanik II in Zeitschrift für Physik, 35, 1926, pp.557 to 615
Heisenberg, Werner and Max Born and Pasqual Jordan FIRST EDITIONS OF THREE LANDMARK PAPERS THAT TOGETHER FORMED THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF QUANTUM MECHANICS. "In spite of its high-sounding name and its successful solutions of numerous problems in atomic physics, quantum theory, and especially the quantum theory of polyelectronic systems, prior to 1925, was, from the methodological point of view, a lamentable hodgepodge of hypotheses, principles, theorems, and computational recipes rather than a logical consistent theory. Every single quantum-theoretic problem had to be solved first in terms of classical physics; its classical solution had then to pass through the mysterious sieve of the quantum conditions or, as it happened in the majority of cases, the classical solution had to be translated into the language of quanta in conformance with the correspondence principle. In short, quantum theory still lacked two essential characteristics of a full-fledged scientific theory, conceptual autonomy and logical consistency" (Jammer, The Conceptual Development 196). The work of Heisenberg, Born, and Jordan in these papers began to rectify these issues and together marked the "starting point for the new quantum mechanics," also called matrix mechanics (DSB). "In May 1925, Heisenberg took on a new and difficult problem, the calculation of the line intensities of the hydrogen spectrum. Just as he had done with Kramers and Bohr, Heisenberg began with a Fourier analysis of the electron orbits. When the hydrogen orbit proved too difficult, he turned to the an harmonic oscillator. With a new multiplication rule relating the amplitudes and frequencies of the Fourier components to observed quantities, Heisenberg succeeded in quantizing the equations of motion for this system in close analogy with the classical equations of motion. In June Heisenberg returned to Göttingen, where he drafted his fundamental paper [the 1st paper], which he completed in July. In this paper Heisenberg proclaimed that the quantum mechanics of atoms should contain only relations between experimentally observable quantities. The resulting formalism served as the starting point for the new quantum mechanics, based, as Heisenberg's multiplication rule implied, on the manipulation of ordered sets of data forming a mathematical matrix. Born and his assistant, Pascual Jordan, quickly developed the mathematical content of Heisenberg's work into a consistent theory with the help of abstract matrix algebra [the 2nd paper].Their work, in collaboration with Heisenberg, culminated in their "three-man paper" ["Dreimännerarbeit", the 3rd paper] that served as the foundation of matrix mechanics. Confident of the correctness of the new theory, Heisenberg, Pauli, Born, Dirac, and others began applying the difficult mathematical formalism to the solution of lingering problems" (DSB). ALSO INCLUDED in ZfP Volume 33 is a major milestone in gravitational wave theory: the Czech physicist Guido Beck's discovery of a family of exact solutions to the equations of general relativity representing gravitational waves with cylindrical symmetry (called 'Beck vacua' or 'cylindrical gravitational waves'). His paper, "Zur Theorie Binärer Gravitationsfelder" appears on pp. 713-738. ALSO: We offer the Heisenberg paper (Volume 33) as a lone offering. Heisenberg, Werner "Über quantentheoretische Umdeutung kinematischer und mechanischer Beziehungen" in ZfP 33, 1925, pp. 879-893. ALSO, we offer Pauli's 1926 paper with the 1st significant application of & 1st validation of Heisenberg's new quantum mechanics. ("Über das Wasserstoffspektrum vom Standpunkt der neuen Quantenmechanik" in ZfP 36, 1926). CONDITION & DETAILS: In: ZfP 33 (1925), 34 (1925), 35 (1926). 8vo. (225 x 156mm). 3 full volumes. Volume 33 has no ex-libris stamps whatsoever; volumes 34 and 35 have some on the title page. Handsomely and uniformly rebound in grey linen, gilt-tooled and lettered at the spine. Tightly bound. Very clean inside and out. Near fine condition. Allgemeine Relativitätstheorie und Bewegungsgesetz. Offprint from Sitzungsbericht der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. (THE PROBLEM OF MOTION IN GENERAL RELATIVITY). 6 January 1927, pp. 2-13
Einstein, A. [Albert]; Grommer, J. [Jakob] FIRST EDITION, OFFPRINT ISSUE IN ORIGINAL PAPER WRAPS, VERY GOOD CONDITION. "Einstein and Grommer's work [treats] the particle as a singularity in the field, and attempts[s] to obtain the equations of motion by imposing conditions on the exterior field in the neighborhood of the singularity" (Stachel, Einstein from â??B' to'Z', pp. 507). Weil 155. In 1927, Einstein's research "concentrated on a new approach to the problem of the motion of particles in a general field theory" (Mehra, The Golden Age of Theoretical Physics, 997). He presented his work, conducted with Jakob Grommer in this report. Einstein and Grommer here show that â??in the case of a pure gravitational field the mechanical behavior of singularities can be derived,' a result which in Einstein's opinion â??opened the possibility to obtain, on the basis of the field equations, a theory of matter characterized as discontinuities in space' (ibid, 997; Einstein and Grommer, 1927). "After Einstein had tried for years to obtain a theory of material particles in a generalized field theory by describing these objects with the help of continuous functions, Einstein and Grommer now proposed â??to consider elementary particles as singular points or singular world lines, respectively,' motivated by the observation â??that both the equations of the pure gravitational field and the equations augmented by Maxwell's electromagnetic field possess simple spherically-symmetric solutions which contain a singularity' (ibid). Finally they arrived at the result: In the approximation of the gravitational field obtained by solving linearized equations, the equation of motion for a singularity is completely determined - at least in the case of equilibrium - and corresponds to the law of a geodetic line" (ibid). CONDITION & DETAILS: Berlin: Verlag der Akademie der Wiss. Pp. 2-13. Offprint in original wraps. (10 x 7.25 inches; 250 x 181mm). Toning at the edges & bearing the ownership stamp of "Friedrich Wilhelm Ritter" (W. F. Ritter) 1839-1929. Ritter had a large library. Very good condition.
Esperienze Intorno alla Generazione Deglinsetti Fatte da Francesco Redi Accademia della Crusca, e scritte in una letters, 1674 [MASTERPIECE REFUTING SPONTANEOUS REGENERATION; 39 COPPERPLATE ENGRAVINGS]
Redi, Francesco THIRD EDITION OF FRANCESCO REDI'S MASTERPIECE REFUTING SPONTANEOUS REGENERATION, first published in 1668. "A milestone in the history of modern science," Redi's book outlines the first series of experiments to disprove 'spontaneous generation' -- "a theory also known as Aristotelian abiogenesis" (Wikipedia). Francesco Redi was an Italian physician, naturalist, and poet. Redi's seminal work includes 39 particularly gorgeous copperplate engravings. "At the time, [the] prevailing wisdom was that maggots arose spontaneously from rotting meat"; in other words, that nonliving matter could generate the production of living organisms" (ibid). In his experiments, Redi captured maggots and waited for them to metamorphose, becoming flies. "Also, when dead flies or maggots were put in sealed jars with dead animals or veal, no maggots appeared, but when the same thing was done with living flies, maggots did" (Wikipedia). Redi compared two groups of meat: "the first left exposed to insects, and the second group covered by a barrier of gauze. In the exposed meat, flies laid eggs, which quickly hatched into maggots. On the gauze-covered meat, no maggots appeared, but Redi observed fly eggs on the outer surface of the gauze" (Benecke, A Brief History of Forensic Entomology). Knowing full well the terrible fates of out-spoken scientists like Giordino Bruno and Galileo Galilei, Redi was careful to express his new views in a manner that would not contradict to theological tradition of the Church; hence, his interpretations were always based on biblical passages, such as his famous adage: omne vivum ex vivo ('All life comes from life')" (Wikipedia). CONDITION & DETAILS: Florenz: Onofri. 1674. Quarto (9.5 x 7 inches; 238 x 175mm). Complete. [4], 136, [39], 1. 39 copperplate engravings in near fine condition (29 numbered; 10 unnumbered; 3 large folding). Vellum bound with the title written on the spine in an early hand. A large section of the vellum has been cut from the rear board and is missing. The binding and its stitching, however, remain very solid. Vellum has some creasing, but is still handsome. Two early ownership signatures; see photos. Consistent with its age, slight toning within. Calcul Mecanique — Machine a calculer fondee sur l’emploi de la numeration binaire (Valtat, pp. 1745-1748) WITH Sur l’emploi de la numeration binaire dans les machines a calculer et les instruments nomomecaniques (Couffignal, 1970-1972) in Comptes Rendus 202, 1936, [VALTAT’S IMPORTANT DESCRIPTION OF HIS PATENTED CALCULATING MACHINE ALSO: COUFFIGNAL ON ELECTRICAL CALCULATORS]
Valtat, Raymond WITH Louis Couffignal Full volume. FIRST EDITION OF VALTAT'S DESCRIPTION OF HIS PATENTED CALCULATING MACHINE FOUNDED ON THE CONVERSION OF DECIMAL INPUT INTO BINARY INPUT PRIOR TO CALCULATION. Valtat here notes "that binary digits could be represented either mechanically or electrically. He also stated that in an electric circuit the switch "on" would equal 1 and the switch "off" would equal 0" (Jeremy Norman, History of Science). As noted below, some instead credit Louis Couffignal who in 1936 and in this same volume, wrote of employing binary notation in a calculating machine. Couffignal "argues the utility of representing numbers by binary notation in computers and discusses the design of electrical calculators" (Aiken, Proposed Automatic Calculating Machines, 10). A Frenchman, Raymond Valtat (1898-1986) patented his calculator in 1932, but this 1936 paper is his first written account of his invention. In this paper, Valtat finally explains his thought and methodology, strongly advocating for the usage of the binary system in calculating apparatus over that of the decimal system. The scholarship on the invention of the first binary-based calculating machine is confusing. The discovery is sometimes credited to Claude Shannon's master's thesis published in 1938 but written in 1937. Some credit Konrad Zuse who working in Germany, applied for a patent on a binary calculating machine in 1936. Others credit Louis Couffignal who in 1936 also wrote of employing binary notation in a calculating machine. Valtat, however, "may have been the first to propose a binary-based calculating machine" - this because though he did not publish until 1936, he applied for his patent in 1932, thus predating both Zuse and Shannon (Norman; Ptak). Randell 1982a, 519-20. Origins of Cyberspace 397. CONDITION & DETAILS: Complete volume. Ex-libris stamp on the rear of the first page; slight ghosting at the spine where a spine level has been removed. Illustrated throughout, including the Pouillet paper. 4to (11 x 8 inches; 275 x 200mm). Continuously paginated: pp. 1225-2331. Full blue cloth binding, gilt-lettered at the spine; ghosting from the removal of a label at the spine; stamp on the rear of the title page. Remarque à propos de la découverte du gallium in Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de L’Academie des Sciences 81, 1875, pp. 969-972
Mendeleev, Dmitri. [Mendelejeff, Mendeléev, Mendeleyev, Mendeléeff] FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST OF MENDELEEV'S PREDICTED ELEMENTS TO BE IDENTIFIED, thereby confirming "the validity of the periodic system of elements" Mendeleev had designed (Niaz, Critical Appraisal of Physical Science, 62). "The confirmation of this prediction may certainly be called the culminating point in the history of the periodic system" (ibid). In 1869 "Mendeleev published a periodic table. Mendeleev also arranged the elements known at the time in order ofrelative atomic mass, but he did some other things that made his table much more successful. He realised that the physical and chemical properties of elements were related to their atomic mass in a 'periodic' way, and arranged them so that groups of elements with similar properties fell into vertical columns in his table. "Sometimes this method of arranging elements meant there were gaps in his horizontal rows or 'periods'. But instead of seeing this as a problem, Mendeleev thought it simply meant that the elements which belonged in the gaps had not yet been discovered. He was also able to work out the atomic mass of the missing elements, and so predict their properties. And when theywerediscovered, Mendeleev turned out to be right. "The discovery of the three elements predicted by Mendeleev was of decisive importance in the acceptance of his law. In 1875 Lecoq de Boisbaudran, knowing nothing of Mendeleev's work, discovered by spectroscopic methods a new metal, which he named gallium. Both in the nature of its discovery and in a number of its properties gallium coincided with Mendeleev's prediction for eka-aluminum, but its specific weight at first seemed to be less than predicted. "Although Lecoq de Boisbaudran objected to this interpretation, he made a second determination of the specific weight of gallium and confirmed that such was indeed the case. From that moment the periodic law was no longer a mere hypothesis, and the scientific world was astounded to note that Mendeleev, the theorist, had seen the properties of a new element more clearly than the chemist who had empirically discovered it. From this time, too, Mendeleev's work came to be more widely known" (Dictionary of Scientific Biography). CONDITION & DETAILS: Complete volume. Ex-libris bearing only a deaccessioned stamp on the back of the title page and slight ghosting at the spine where a spine level has been removed. 4to (11 x 8 inches; 275 x 200mm). [6], 1450, [2]. Bound in clean full blue cloth, gilt-lettered at the spine. Solidly and tightly bound. Very occasional toning, otherwise clean and bright throughout. 