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Exposition du système du monde
The work of the Marquis de Laplace (1749–1827) was enormously influential on the development of mathematical physics, astronomy and statistics. His Exposition du système du monde (first published in 1796) is often regarded as the most important book on mechanics after Newton's Principia Mathematica, and the elegance and clarity of its style won Laplace a seat in the Académie Française. The book, which was translated into English in 1809, was intended to 'offer a complete solution of the great mechanical problem presented by the solar system'. It was in this work that Laplace offered his nebular hypothesis, which proposed that the solar system originated from the contraction and cooling of a cloud of incandescent gas.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1835
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179 people want to read
About the author
Pierre-Simon Laplace
354 books66 followersPeople note theory of French mathematician and astronomer Marquis Pierre Simon de Laplace of a nebular origin of the solar system and his investigations into gravity and the stability of planetary motion.
His pivotal work led to the development of statistics. He summarized and extended the work of his predecessors in his five-volume Mécanique Céleste (Celestial Mechanics) (1799–1825). This work translated the geometric study of classical mechanics to one based on calculus, opening up a broader range of problems. In statistics, the Bayesian interpretation of probability was developed mainly by Laplace.
Laplace formulated Laplace's equation and pioneered the Laplace transform in many branches of mathematical physics, a field that he took a leading role in forming. People also named the Laplacian differential operator, widely used in mathematics. He restated and developed the nebular hypothesis of the origin of the solar system and was one of the first scientists to postulate the existence of black holes and the notion of gravitational collapse.
Laplace is remembered as one of the greatest scientists of all time. Sometimes referred to as the French Newton or Newton of France, he possessed a phenomenal natural mathematical faculty superior to that of any of his contemporaries.
Laplace became a count of the First French Empire in 1806 and was named a marquis in 1817, after the Bourbon Restoration.
A frequently cited interaction between Laplace and Napoleon purportedly concerns the existence of God. A typical version is provided by Rouse Ball:
Laplace went in state to Napoleon to present a copy of his work, and the following account of the interview is well authenticated, and so characteristic of all the parties concerned that I quote it in full. Someone had told Napoleon that the book contained no mention of the name of God; Napoleon, who was fond of putting embarrassing questions, received it with the remark, 'M. Laplace, they tell me you have written this large book on the system of the universe, and have never even mentioned its Creator.' Laplace, who, though the most supple of politicians, was as stiff as a martyr on every point of his philosophy, drew himself up and answered bluntly, Je n'avais pas besoin de cette hypothèse-là. ("I had no need of that hypothesis.")
Laplace's early published work in 1771 started with differential equations and finite differences but he was already starting to think about the mathematical and philosophical concepts of probability and statistics. However, before his election to the Académie in 1773, he had already drafted two papers that would establish his reputation. The first, Mémoire sur la probabilité des causes par les événements was ultimately published in 1774 while the second paper, published in 1776, further elaborated his statistical thinking and also began his systematic work on celestial mechanics and the stability of the solar system. The two disciplines would always be interlinked in his mind. "Laplace took probability as an instrument for repairing defects in knowledge." Laplace's work on probability and statistics is discussed below with his mature work on the analytic theory of probabilities.
The asteroid 4628 Laplace is named for Laplace.
His name is one of the 72 names inscribed on the Eiffel Tower.
The tentative working name of the European Space Agency Europa Jupiter System Mission is the "Laplace" space probe.
His pivotal work led to the development of statistics. He summarized and extended the work of his predecessors in his five-volume Mécanique Céleste (Celestial Mechanics) (1799–1825). This work translated the geometric study of classical mechanics to one based on calculus, opening up a broader range of problems. In statistics, the Bayesian interpretation of probability was developed mainly by Laplace.
Laplace formulated Laplace's equation and pioneered the Laplace transform in many branches of mathematical physics, a field that he took a leading role in forming. People also named the Laplacian differential operator, widely used in mathematics. He restated and developed the nebular hypothesis of the origin of the solar system and was one of the first scientists to postulate the existence of black holes and the notion of gravitational collapse.
Laplace is remembered as one of the greatest scientists of all time. Sometimes referred to as the French Newton or Newton of France, he possessed a phenomenal natural mathematical faculty superior to that of any of his contemporaries.
Laplace became a count of the First French Empire in 1806 and was named a marquis in 1817, after the Bourbon Restoration.
A frequently cited interaction between Laplace and Napoleon purportedly concerns the existence of God. A typical version is provided by Rouse Ball:
Laplace went in state to Napoleon to present a copy of his work, and the following account of the interview is well authenticated, and so characteristic of all the parties concerned that I quote it in full. Someone had told Napoleon that the book contained no mention of the name of God; Napoleon, who was fond of putting embarrassing questions, received it with the remark, 'M. Laplace, they tell me you have written this large book on the system of the universe, and have never even mentioned its Creator.' Laplace, who, though the most supple of politicians, was as stiff as a martyr on every point of his philosophy, drew himself up and answered bluntly, Je n'avais pas besoin de cette hypothèse-là. ("I had no need of that hypothesis.")
Laplace's early published work in 1771 started with differential equations and finite differences but he was already starting to think about the mathematical and philosophical concepts of probability and statistics. However, before his election to the Académie in 1773, he had already drafted two papers that would establish his reputation. The first, Mémoire sur la probabilité des causes par les événements was ultimately published in 1774 while the second paper, published in 1776, further elaborated his statistical thinking and also began his systematic work on celestial mechanics and the stability of the solar system. The two disciplines would always be interlinked in his mind. "Laplace took probability as an instrument for repairing defects in knowledge." Laplace's work on probability and statistics is discussed below with his mature work on the analytic theory of probabilities.
The asteroid 4628 Laplace is named for Laplace.
His name is one of the 72 names inscribed on the Eiffel Tower.
The tentative working name of the European Space Agency Europa Jupiter System Mission is the "Laplace" space probe.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 17, 2022
I have always found the night sky intriguing and calming, and as a result, I have even named my first daughter "night" in Arabic. But you can for only so long gaze up into the endless space and glittering stars before you begin to question, "What is it all?" and "How does it work?".
After more than 3,000 years of recorded astronomical observations, Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827) in The System of the World (1824) presents the final touches on his predecessor's works and on celestial mechanics (a term Laplace coined) as a whole. This is all prior to the introduction of the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and the modern view of cosmology that was set in motion at the turn of the 20th century.
Laplace's outstanding contributions to mathematics and astronomy earned him the status of a Nobleman and was often referred to as the French Newton. Besides just presenting his scientific findings, Laplace expresses his love for astronomy, his irritation with astrology, and Earth's and human's insignificance and position in the vastness of space. He introduces the readers to his nebular hypothesis and in the final part of the book, Laplace shares a well-balanced summary of the history of astronomy and its most prominent contributors. This was well-done.
With Laplace's final chapter, I will also temporarily pause my exploration of the original works of geometry, astronomy, and what can be considered now the classical view of physics. I wish to move on and read other books on this topic but from the 20th and 21st centuries. For those of you interested in exploring the development of heavenly mechanics these are the original works I would recommend:
1. Timaeus (360 BCE) by Plato
2. On the Heavens (350 BCE) by Aristotle
3. Physics (340 BCE) by Aristotle
4. On the Generation and Corruption (336 BCE) by Aristotle
5. Euclid's Elements (290 BCE) by Euclid of Alexandria
6. The Works of Archimedes (212 BCE) by Archimedes
7. The Conics: Books I-IV (200 BCE) by Apollonius of Perga
8. Almagest (150 CE) by Claudius Ptolemy
(I was not fortunate enough to find any translated books in English or my native language that were written by the ancient Arabs and Chinese astronomers)
9. On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres (1543) by Nicolas Copernicus
10. Astronomia Nova (1609) by Johannes Kepler
11. The Epitome of Copernican Astronomy: Books IV-V (1619) by Johannes Kepler
12. Harmonies of the World (1619) by Johannes Kepler
13. The World and Other Writings (1629-1632) by Rene Descartes
14. Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632) by Galileo Galilei
15. La Geometrie (1637) by Rene Descartes
16. Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1687) by Isaac Newton
17. Universal Natural History and the Theory of the Heavens (1755) by Immanuel Kant
18. Corpuscular Philosophy: Selected Works (1738-1765) by Mikhail Lomonosov
19. Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science (1786) by Immanuel Kant
20. The System of the World (1824) by Pierre-Simon Laplace
After more than 3,000 years of recorded astronomical observations, Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827) in The System of the World (1824) presents the final touches on his predecessor's works and on celestial mechanics (a term Laplace coined) as a whole. This is all prior to the introduction of the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and the modern view of cosmology that was set in motion at the turn of the 20th century.
Laplace's outstanding contributions to mathematics and astronomy earned him the status of a Nobleman and was often referred to as the French Newton. Besides just presenting his scientific findings, Laplace expresses his love for astronomy, his irritation with astrology, and Earth's and human's insignificance and position in the vastness of space. He introduces the readers to his nebular hypothesis and in the final part of the book, Laplace shares a well-balanced summary of the history of astronomy and its most prominent contributors. This was well-done.
With Laplace's final chapter, I will also temporarily pause my exploration of the original works of geometry, astronomy, and what can be considered now the classical view of physics. I wish to move on and read other books on this topic but from the 20th and 21st centuries. For those of you interested in exploring the development of heavenly mechanics these are the original works I would recommend:
1. Timaeus (360 BCE) by Plato
2. On the Heavens (350 BCE) by Aristotle
3. Physics (340 BCE) by Aristotle
4. On the Generation and Corruption (336 BCE) by Aristotle
5. Euclid's Elements (290 BCE) by Euclid of Alexandria
6. The Works of Archimedes (212 BCE) by Archimedes
7. The Conics: Books I-IV (200 BCE) by Apollonius of Perga
8. Almagest (150 CE) by Claudius Ptolemy
(I was not fortunate enough to find any translated books in English or my native language that were written by the ancient Arabs and Chinese astronomers)
9. On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres (1543) by Nicolas Copernicus
10. Astronomia Nova (1609) by Johannes Kepler
11. The Epitome of Copernican Astronomy: Books IV-V (1619) by Johannes Kepler
12. Harmonies of the World (1619) by Johannes Kepler
13. The World and Other Writings (1629-1632) by Rene Descartes
14. Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632) by Galileo Galilei
15. La Geometrie (1637) by Rene Descartes
16. Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1687) by Isaac Newton
17. Universal Natural History and the Theory of the Heavens (1755) by Immanuel Kant
18. Corpuscular Philosophy: Selected Works (1738-1765) by Mikhail Lomonosov
19. Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science (1786) by Immanuel Kant
20. The System of the World (1824) by Pierre-Simon Laplace
September 25, 2014
Your average author more or less bullshits, more or less all the time. (I am no exception, in case you wonder). It is thus interesting and remarkable to come across someone who actually knows what they're talking about. Laplace is one of these rare people, and his book kind of blew me away. Unfortunately, I'm reading it 180 years late; but what the hell, it's still amazing.
The rest of this review is available elsewhere (the location cannot be given for Goodreads policy reasons)
The rest of this review is available elsewhere (the location cannot be given for Goodreads policy reasons)
May 18, 2017
Уверенности в устройстве Вселенной у человека может никогда и не появиться. Вращается ли мир вкруг Земли или Солнце вращается вкруг Земли, а прочие планеты вкруг Солнца? Казалось бы, доказано явное: Земля — это есть песчинка в космическом пространстве, вращающаяся вкруг себя и совместно с другими планетами Солнечной системы вкруг Солнца, которое вращается вкруг себя, но неизвестно, вращается ли оно вкруг до сих пор неустановленного небесного тела. Применяя принцип движения, понимаемый соотношением положения наблюдаемых объектов, Земля вполне может оказаться неподвижной относительно прочих объектов, если её рассматривать именно под таким углом. Как же установить истину? Например, Лаплас стал исходить от утвердившейся среди астрономов гео-гелиоцентрической теории Тихо Браге, сделав её исходной точкой своих размышлений. О том он популярно сообщил в первой книге «Изложения системы мира».
(c) Trounin
(c) Trounin
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews