Collective Electrodynamics: Quantum Foundations of Electromagnetism

Rating:
Summary: Food for thought
Review: This is a fascinating book. Dr. Mead attempts to rethink electrodynamics, assuming that fields have no existence independent of the particles that generate them -- thus, electromagnetic effects act "at a distance" along lines of zero interval in 4-space. One of the most interesting tidbits is the treatment of a "quantum transition" as the nonlinear interaction of two dipoles. It is difficult to put aside a lifetime's training in picturing electric and magnetic fields, and I'm divided on whether the approach is really superior to the conventional method, but it's certainly fun to think about.

Rating:
Summary: Food for thought
Review: This is a fascinating book. Dr. Mead attempts to rethink electrodynamics, assuming that fields have no existence independent of the particles that generate them -- thus, electromagnetic effects act "at a distance" along lines of zero interval in 4-space. One of the most interesting tidbits is the treatment of a "quantum transition" as the nonlinear interaction of two dipoles. It is difficult to put aside a lifetime's training in picturing electric and magnetic fields, and I'm divided on whether the approach is really superior to the conventional method, but it's certainly fun to think about.