Unifying Scientific Theories (Q4486012)

This book is a carefully written overview about unification in mathematics and physics. After an introductory chapter, it starts with 19th century physics by analysing the model of an ideal gas (chapter 2) accompanied by van der Waals forces and goes over to Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism which unifies the electric and the magnetic forces (chapter 3). The next part deals with 20th century physics guided by gauge symmetries, with the most prominent examples of the electroweak unification (chapter 4) and relativity theory (chapter 5). Here it is to be emphasised that for special relativity theory (SRT) also the predecessors different from Einstein are carefully mentioned. Indeed, not only in 1905, when Einstein was supposed to have found SRT, but already in the second half of the 19th century several papers appeared on that topic. And, of course, the unification of space and time to space-time is one of the main topics in this context. The final chapters 6 and 7 are devoted to biological unification themes like Darwin's and Mendel's models of the development of the species, and mathematical modellings of them. This book is one of those few examples that a philosopher writes about physics and mathematics of the 19th and 20th century with competence in all three areas. From the publisher's description: Margaret Morrison argues that contrary to popular philosophical views, unification and explanation often have little to do with each other.