An entertaining mathematical exploration of the heat equation and its
role in the triumphant development of the trans-Atlantic telegraph
cable
Heat, like gravity, shapes nearly every aspect of our world and
universe, from how milk dissolves in coffee to how molten planets cool.
The heat equation, a cornerstone of modern physics, demystifies such
processes, painting a mathematical picture of the way heat diffuses
through matter. Presenting the mathematics and history behind the heat
equation, Hot Molecules, Cold Electrons tells the remarkable story of
how this foundational idea brought about one of the greatest
technological advancements of the modern era.
Paul Nahin vividly recounts the heat equation's tremendous influence on
society, showing how French mathematical physicist Joseph Fourier
discovered, derived, and solved the equation in the early nineteenth
century. Nahin then follows Scottish physicist William Thomson, whose
further analysis of Fourier's explorations led to the pioneering
trans-Atlantic telegraph cable. This feat of engineering reduced the
time it took to send a message across the ocean from weeks to minutes.
Readers also learn that Thomson used Fourier's solutions to calculate
the age of the earth, and, in a bit of colorful lore, that writer
Charles Dickens relied on the trans-Atlantic cable to save himself from
a career-damaging scandal. The book's mathematical and scientific
explorations can be easily understood by anyone with a basic knowledge
of high school calculus and physics, and MATLAB code is included to aid
readers who would like to solve the heat equation themselves.
A testament to the intricate links between mathematics and physics, Hot
Molecules, Cold Electrons offers a fascinating glimpse into the
relationship between a formative equation and one of the most important
developments in the history of human communication.
