The ancient Greeks were the first to seriously ask for scientific explanations of the panorama of the heavens based on mathematical ideas. Ever since, mathematics has played a major role for human perception and description of the outside physical world, and in a larger perspective for comprehending the universe. This second edition pays tribute to this line of thought and takes the reader on a journey in the mathematical universe from conic sections to mathematical modelling of planetary systems.In the second edition, the four chapters in the first edition on conic sections (two chapters), isoperimetric problems for plane figures, and non-Euclidean geometry, are treated in four revised chapters with many new exercises added. In three new chapters, the reader is taken through mathematics in curves, mathematics in a Nautilus shell, and mathematics in the panorama of the heavens. In all chapters of the book, the circle plays a prominent role.This book is addressed to undergraduate and graduate students as well as researchers interested in the geometry of conic sections, including the historical background and mathematical methods used. It features selected important results, and proofs that not only proves but also 'explains' the results.

The ancient Greeks were the first to seriously ask for scientific explanations of the panorama of the heavens based on mathematical ideas. Ever since, mathematics has played a major role for human perception and description of the outside physical world, and in a larger perspective for comprehending the universe. This second edition pays tribute to this line of thought and takes the reader on a journey in the mathematical universe from conic sections to mathematical modelling of planetary systems.In the second edition, the four chapters in the first edition on conic sections (two chapters), isoperimetric problems for plane figures, and non-Euclidean geometry, are treated in four revised chapters with many new exercises added. In three new chapters, the reader is taken through mathematics in curves, mathematics in a Nautilus shell, and mathematics in the panorama of the heavens. In all chapters of the book, the circle plays a prominent role.This book is addressed to undergraduate and graduate students as well as researchers interested in the geometry of conic sections, including the historical background and mathematical methods used. It features selected important results, and proofs that not only proves but also 'explains' the results.

This reissued version of the classic text Basic Physics will help teachers at both the high-school and college levels gain new insights into, and deeper understanding of, many topics in both classical and modern physics that are commonly taught in introductory physics courses. All of the original book is included with new content added. Short sections of the previous book (174 in number) are labeled 'Features.' These Features are highlighted in the book, set forth in a separate Table of Contents, and separately indexed.Many teachers will value this book as a personal reference during a teaching year as various topics are addressed. Ford's discussions of the history and meaning of topics from Newton's mechanics to Feynman's diagrams, although written first in 1968, have beautifully withstood the test of time and are fully relevant to 21st-century physics teaching.

Comprehensive reference text on planetary astronomy written for the general reader.