The Theory of Elliptic Integrals: And the Properties of Surfaces of the Second Order (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

James Booth

 
9781330872932: The Theory of Elliptic Integrals: And the Properties of Surfaces of the Second Order (Classic Reprint)

Synopsis

This book explores the motion of a rigid body around a fixed point when not acted upon by accelerating forces, drawing on the properties of ellipsoids, curves, and elliptic integrals. Motions of this kind are typically determined by differential equations, which the author presents in a manner accessible to those moderately versed in integral calculus. The author's incorporation of geometrical conceptions enhances clarity and simplicity, preserving the elegance of analysis. The book's main contribution is its reduction of the problem of motion of a rigid body to three positions: the positions of the axes, the axes themselves, and the body's motion during the defined time. This reduction is accomplished through the author's focus on the motion of a certain ellipsoid, where the axes of the ellipsoid are assumed proportional to the inverse square roots of the moments of inertia around the principal axes of the body, coinciding with them in direction. The author demonstrates that the time and other quantities must be determined by the aid of elliptic functions, then develops those functions, revealing previously unknown properties of these curves. The author also posits a new geometrical representative for elliptic functions of the first order, introducing a new curve with close analogies to the plane parabola, which they name the "spherical parabola." This curve is the gnomonic projection of a plane parabola touching a sphere at its focus. This discovery leads the author to establish the formula for the comparison of elliptic integrals of the third order, a formula usually attributed to Legendre.

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About the Author

James Booth edited Philip Larkin's early girls'-school stories and poems as "Trouble at Willow Gables and Other Fictions" and has published two critical studies of the poet's work: "Philip Larkin: Writer" (1991) and"Philip Larkin: The Poet's Plight" (2005). He is Literary Adviser to the Philip Larkin Society and Co-Editor of its journal, "About Larkin". He recently retired from the Department of English at the University of Hull, where he had been a colleague of Larkin for seventeen years.

www.philiplarkin.com

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