Mathematical and Physical Papers Volume 2

Sir George Stokes (1819–1903) established the science of hydrodynamics with his law of viscosity describing the velocity of a small sphere through a viscous fluid. He published no books, but was a prolific lecturer and writer of papers for the Royal Society, the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the Victoria Institute and other mathematical and scientific institutions. These collected papers (issued between 1880 and 1905) are therefore the only readily available record of the work of an outstanding and influential mathematician, who was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics in Cambridge for over fifty years, Master of Pembroke College, President of the Royal Society (1885–1890), Associate Secretary of the Royal Commission on the University of Cambridge and a Member of Parliament for the University.

1. Notes on hydrodynamics, III; 2. On the constitution of the luminiferous ether; 3. On the theory of certain bands seen in the spectrum; 4. Notes on hydrodynamics, IV; 5. On a difficulty in the theory of sound; 6. On the formation of the central spot of Newton's Rings beyond the critical angle; 7. On some points in the received theory of sound; 8. On the perfect blackness of the central spot of Newton's Rings, and on the verification of Fresnel's formulae for the intensities of reflected and refracted rays; 9. On attractions, and on Clairaut's theorem; 10. On the variation of gravity at the surface of the Earth; 11. On a mode of measuring the astigmatism of a defective eye; 12. On the determination of the wave length corresponding with any point of the spectrum; 13. Discussion of a differential equation relating to the breaking of railway bridges; 14. Notes on hydrodynamics, VI; 14. On the dynamical theory of diffraction; 15. On the numerical calculation of a class of definite integrals and infinite series; 16. On the mode of disappearance of Newton's Rings in passing the angle of total internal reflection; 17. On metallic reflection; 18. On a fictitious displacement of fringes of interference; 19. On Haidinger's Brushes; Index.

Sir George Stokes established the science of hydrodynamics with his law of viscosity describing the velocity of a small sphere through a viscous fluid. He published no books, and these collected papers (issued between 1880 and 1905) constitute the main surviving record of the work of this outstanding mathematician.