Bibliography

L. Brillouin, Les statistiques Quantiques et leurs application. Les Presses universitaires de France, 1930, 2 vols., 404 pages. (125 fr.)

L. Brillouin, Die Quantenstatistik und ihre Anwendung auf die Elektronentheorie der Metalle. Translated by Rabinowitsch, Berlin, J. Springer, 1931, 530 pp. (42 marks)

L. Brillouin, Quantum Statistics and Its Applications.

In the 32 years of its existence, quantum statistics has developed into an independent chapter of theoretical physics, closely connected with the fundamental and most interesting problems of modern physics. Therefore the appearance of a book devoted exclusively to quantum statistics seems necessary even if it were only a simple compilatory survey of the available material. All the more reason, then, to welcome the appearance of Brillouin’s book, which possesses a number of valuable merits. One of its chief merits is the rare clarity of exposition, which makes it possible to recommend the book to any beginning physicist or physical chemist who wishes to become acquainted with one of the most interesting chapters of modern theoretical physics. The book may serve as a model of skillful exposition of complex theoretical problems. The author does not presuppose of the reader extensive knowledge of mathematics and theoretical physics, and provides all the necessary information either in appendices at the end of the book or along the way. In addition to the classical quantum theory of radiation, the author sets out the statistics of photons, gives a general survey of statistical methods, and discusses the newest modifications of quantum statistics proposed by Bose–Einstein and Fermi–Dirac. The applications of Fermi–Dirac statistics to the theory of metals and the theory of the atom are presented in detail; works that attempted to solve the problem of metallic electrical conductivity from the standpoint of wave mechanics are also discussed. Unfortunately, the connection between wave mechanics and quantum statistics is not brought out with sufficient completeness. This is one of the book’s shortcomings. Another shortcoming is the absence in the book of an account of the quantum theories of the heat capacities of solids and gases; nor is the work on the application of Fermi statistics to electrocapillary phenomena presented. Despite these omissions, the book gives such a coherent and well-founded account of quantum statistics that one can warmly wish for its appearance in the Russian language.

Bibliography

The German edition, which appeared a year and a half after the French one, has been thoroughly revised. Although the exposition has remained as clear as before, the German edition of Brillouin’s book requires greater preparation and attention from the reader than the French one. The third chapter has been considerably altered: paragraphs have been introduced containing an exposition of the basic concepts of wave mechanics. The seventh chapter, which expounds applications of Fermi–Dirac statistics to the theory of metals, has been supplemented with new paragraphs relating to the theory of Kapitza’s experiments, as well as to the theory of thermomagnetic phenomena. The eighth chapter, devoted to the theory of the electrical conductivity of metals from the standpoint of wave mechanics, has been written anew. Despite the difficulty of the subject, this chapter may serve as a model of clear exposition; from it one can learn not only theoretical physics, but also the art of expounding it—an art which, unfortunately, only very few possess. The German translation, made by E. Rabinowitsch, known to Russian readers for his book on the periodic system, is very precise and conveys well the language of the original, despite all the differences between the French and German styles. We think that Brillouin’s book represents in the scientific literature the same kind of phenomenon as Sommerfeld’s Atomic Structure, and that it will render a great service in disseminating and introducing the methods of the new theoretical physics.

V. Semenchenko