Elements of the Mathematical Theory of Electricity and Magnetism

The British physicist Sir Joseph John Thomson, the discoverer of the electron, published the first edition of his Elements of the Mathematical Theory of Electricity and Magnetism in 1895; this fourth edition was issued in 1909, three years after he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his theoretical and experimental investigations on the conduction of electricity by gases. In this book for students his intention is to give ‘an account of the fundamental principles of the mathematical theory of electricity and magnetism and their more important applications, using only simple mathematics.’ Starting at the basic level of describing electrical phenomena such as rubbing a stick of sealing wax with cloth to produce a charge, he guides the reader through electrostatics, induction, magnetism, thermoelectric currents and the theory of light. This textbook, by one of the greatest scientists of his day, is still a fascinating introduction to the topic.