IVORY, JAMES. - THE INTRODUCTION OF IVORY'S THEOREM.

On the Attraction of homogenous Ellipsoides. Read June 15, 1809.

(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1809). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from "Philosophical Transactions" 1809 - Part II. Pp. 345-372. Clean and fine.

First printing this importent paper in which Ivory introduces his well-known theorem which bears his name. It states that the attraction of an ellipsoid upon a point exterior to it is dependent upon the attraction of another ellipsoid upon a point interior to it.

"In 1809 J. Ivory proved the three-dimensional version of this theorem by straightforward calculation and by using an appropriate parametrization. This theorem holds in the n-dimensional Euclidean space (n > 1). It has been shown that it is also true in the pseudo-Euclidean plane (Minkowski)" (H. Stachel).

"Ivory's scientific reputation, for which he was awarded many honours during his lifetime, including knighthood of the Order of the Guelphs, Civil Division (1831), was founded on the ability to understand and comment the work of the French analysts rather than any great originality of his own...Ivory's work, conducted with great industry over a long period, helped to foster in England a new interest in the application of analysis to physical problems." (DSB VII. p. 37).

Order-nr.: 42620