Marian Smoluchowski Selected Scientific Works

In 2017, we commemorate the centenary of the passing of Marian Smoluchowski, a distinguished Polish physicist renowned for pioneering work in what we now call statistical physics. To honor his immense contributions, we have released a comprehensive volume that delves into both his life and scientific legacy. This book includes a selection of essays exploring Smoluchowski’s influence on science, alongside English translations of his pivotal papers initially published in German, French, and Polish.

One of the innovative studies featured is "A Contribution to the Theory of Electric Endosmosis and a Few Related Phenomena," where Smoluchowski presented significant findings in 1903. He demonstrated that fluid flow in specific phenomena remains unaffected by the shape of boundaries when considering the thin double layer model. Another seminal work is "On the Kinetic Theory of the Brownian Molecular Motion and of Suspensions," which played a crucial role in persuading the scientific community of the kinetic theory's validity. Originally published in 1906 in German, this work has been translated into English by Rudolf Schmitz from RWTH Aachen and Robert Jones from Queen Mary College, University of London.

Additionally, the collection includes the translation of "Molecular-Kinetic Theory of the Opalescence of Gases in the Critical State and a Few Related Phenomena," a paper addressing the enigmatic phenomenon of critical opalescence. This work, appearing in 1908, was a groundbreaking attempt to solve a major scientific puzzle from the late 19th century.

Smoluchowski's research made substantial contributions to our understanding of statistical fluctuations in particle assemblies, highlighting their role in phenomena like Brownian motion and opalescence. His focus on statistical deviations and second moments in data provided further validation for the kinetic model of matter.

This publication serves not only as a tribute to Smoluchowski’s work but also as a resource for those interested in the foundations of statistical physics, Brownian molecular motion, and the kinetic theory of matter.