Treatise on Light
The Treatise on Light is a 1690 book written by the Dutch polymath Christiaan Huygens on his wave theory of light. Huygens' starting point was Descartes' theory, as presented in the Dioptrique,
which Huygens aimed to supplant. Huygens' theory is also seen as the historical rival of Newton's theory, which was presented in the Opticks.
A basic principle of Huygens is that the speed of light is finite, a point which had been the subject of an experimental demonstration by Olaus Roemer (1679 at the Paris Observatory), but which Huygens is presumed to
have believed already. The theory is kinematic and its scope largely restricted to geometric optics. It covers little of what would now be termed physical optics. It deals with wave fronts and their normal rays,
with propagation conceived by means of spherical waves emitted along the wave front. It was justified as an ether theory, involving transmission via perfectly elastic particles, a revision of the view of Descartes.
The nature of light was therefore a longitudinal wave. (from wikipedia.org)
| Christiaan Huygens' Treatise on Light |
| Related Links |
| Christiaan Huygens - wikipedia Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) was a prominent Dutch mathematician and scientist. He is known particularly as an astronomer, physicist, probabilist and horologist. |
| e-Books |
| Treatise on Light The Project Gutenberg eBook, Treatise on Light, by Christiaan Huygens, Translated by Silvanus P. Thompson. Download This eBook. Read this book online. HTML. EPUB. Kindle. Plain Text. |
| Treatise on Light By Christiaan Huygens. Translated by Silvanus P. Thompson. The text of this work is in the "Public Domain" in Australia. Table of Contents. Preface. Note by the Translator. ... |
| Treatise on Light Author: Christiaan Huygens, 1629-1695. Topics: Physics; Optics. Publisher: Macmillan And Company., Limited. Book Contributor: Osmania University. |
| The Wave Theory of Light Author: Henry Crew, 1859-1953; Christiaan Huygens, 1629-1695; Thomas Young, 1773-1829, et al. Publisher: New York, Cincinnati American Book Company. Book Contributor: University of California Libraries. |
| Christiaan Huygens and the Development of Science in the 17th Century Author: A. E. Bell. Topics: Natural Sciences. Publisher: Edward Arnold And Company. Language: English. Book Contributor: Osmania University. |
| Audio Books |
| Treatise on Light LibriVox recording of Treatise on Light, by Christiaan Huygens. Read by Availle. Treatise on Light was published in 1690 and is probably the largest scientific volume on light published before Newton's Opticks. |