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With his critically acclaimed best-sellers, The Mathematical
Tourist and Islands of Truth, Ivars Peterson took readers to the frontiers
of modern mathematics. His new book provides an up-do-date look at one of science's
greatest detective stories, the search for order in the workings of the solar
system. In the late 1600s, Sir Isaac Newton provided
what astronomers had long sought: a seemingly reliable way of calculating planetary
orbits and positions. Newton's laws of motion and his coherent mathematical view
of the universe dominated scientific discourse for centuries. At the same time,
observers recorded subtle, unexplained movements of the planets and other bodies,
suggesting that the solar system is not so placid and predictable as its venerable
clockwork image suggests. Today, scientists can go beyond
the hand calculations, mathematical tables, and massive observational logs that
limited the explorations of Newton, Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Tycho Brahe,
and others. Using supercomputers to simulate the dynamics of the solar system,
modern astronomers are learning more about the motions they observe and uncovering
some astonishing examples of chaotic behavior in the heavens. Nonetheless, the
long-term stability of the solar system remains a perplexing, unsolved issue,
with each step toward its resolution exposing additional uncertainties and deeper
mysteries. To show how our view of the solar system has
changed from clockwise precision to chaos and complexity, Newton's Clock
describes the development of celestial mechanics through the ages -- from the
star charts of the ancient navigators to the seminal discoveries of the 17th century;
from the crucial work of Poincare to the startling, sometimes controversial findings
and theories made possible by modern mathematics and computer simulations. The
result makes for entertaining and provocative reading, equal parts science, history,
and intellectual adventure. Ivars Peterson is the
author of The Mathematical Tourist (1988) and Islands of Truth (1990)
-- both published by W. H. Freeman and Company. For the past ten years he has
reported on developments in astronomy, physics, and mathematics for Science
News. In recognition of his accomplishments as a science journalist and author,
Peterson received the 1991 Communications Award from the Joint Policy Board for
Mathematics. |
