Mathematical and Physical Papers

William Thomson, first Baron Kelvin (1824–1907), is best known for devising the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature and for his work on the first and second laws of thermodynamics, though throughout his 53-year career as a mathematical physicist and engineer at the University of Glasgow he investigated a wide range of scientific questions in areas ranging from geology to transatlantic telegraph cables. The extent of his work is revealed in the six volumes of his Mathematical and Physical Papers, published from 1882 until 1911, consisting of articles that appeared in scientific periodicals from 1841 onwards. Volume 3, published in 1890, includes articles from the period 1858–1890, the majority of which relate to questions around elasticity and heat, and are accompanied by extensive appendices.

92. Elasticity and heat; 93. On the reduction of observations of underground temperatures, with application to Professor Forbes' Edinburgh observations, and the continued Calton Hill series; 94. On the secular cooling of the earth; 95. On the rigidity of the earth, shiftings of the earth's instantaneous axis of rotation, and irregularities of the earth as a timekeeper; 96. Dynamical problems regarding elastic spheroidal shells and spheroids of incompressible liquid; 97. Molecular constitution of matter; 98. Five applications of Fourier's law of diffusion, illustrated by a diagram of curves with absolute numerical values; 99. Motion of a viscous liquid. Equilibrium or motion of an elastic solid. Equilibrium or motion of an ideal substance called for brevity ether. Mechanical representation for magnetic force; 100. On an accidental illustration of the shallowness of a transient electric current in an iron bar; 102. Ether, electricity, and ponderable matter; 103. Professor Tait's experimental results regarding the compressibility of fresh water and sea water at different temperatures. Compressibilities at single temperatures of mercury, of glass, and of water with different proportions of common salt in solution. Being an extract from his contribution to the report on the scientific results of the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger, Vol. II. Physics and chemistry, Part IV; 104. Velocities of waves of different character, and corresponding moduluses in cases of waves due to elasticity, being appendix to Art. XCII sect. 51.

This collection brings together in six volumes the published articles of the eminent mathematical physicist and engineer William Thomson, first Baron Kelvin (1824-1907). Topics covered include heat, electricity, magnetism and electrotelegraphy, hydrodynamics, tidal theory and navigation.