The Mathematical Theory of the Top

by Felix Klein

This collection of essays by a distinguished mathematician and teacher examines important issues of dynamics from the viewpoint of the theory of functions of the complex variable. Based on a series of lectures delivered by Felix Klein in conjunction with Princeton University’s 150th anniversary, these presentations center on the problem inherent in the motion of a top—that is, a rigid body rotating about an axis—when a single point in this axis other than the center of gravity is fixed in position. The contents of this volume render discussions of dynamics-related issues simpler, more attractive, and relevant not only to mathematicians but also to engineers, physicists, and astronomers. Unabridged republication of the classic 1897 edition.

80 pages, Hardcover

Published June 10, 2004