Mathematical Treasure: Heaviside's Electromagnetic Theory

Oliver Heaviside (1850–1925) was a self-trained English physicist and applied mathematician. Much of his research and publications focused on an understanding of the wave theory of electromagnetism. He is known for expanding solution methods for differential equations, largely through introducing operational calculus and utilizing vector analysis. Heaviside’s collected papers were published in three volumes entitled Electromagnetic Theory (1893–1912). The first volume of this series is examined here.

The table of contents testifies to the author’s scope of mathematical activity:

Of particular interest are Heaviside’s comments on the value of mathematical knowledge, found on pages 6–8.

The full text can be read online in the Hathi Trust Digital Library; volume I and volume II can also be found in the Internet Archive.

Index to Mathematical Treasures