Josiah Willard Gibbs

From The Gibbs Yale Lecture February 1949 by Alfred Korzybski

    I feel that I am honored to be here at Yale and I wish that I might have been an alumnus of Yale if for no other reason than to have had the privilege to study under your great pioneer, Professor J. Willard Gibbs.  He was without doubt one of the greatest scientists this country has ever produced.  I did not know professor Gibbs personally ; he was forty years my senior.  But I do know his work and his brilliant student and colleague, E. B. Wilson, also one of your former professors, who is living and doing creative work.  While he was still practically a youngster Wilson wrote up Gibbs' modernization of the vector calculus.  It is no exaggeration to say that without Gibbs and Wilson there would be no simplified and workable vector calculus.  Without Gibbs, mathematical physics and modern physical chemistry, that has produced so much, would be greatly handicapped.

    Wilson and I . . . were born in the same year 1879.  It was a very fortunate scientific period to be born into, for in the nineteenth century began the most scientifically revolutionary epoch the world has ever known, and that revolution is still going on in the twentieth century.  Some of the most radical new work in physics and in mathematics had just been done or was being done.  The new developments from which we are only now beginning to reap the results in technological advances, including the release of nuclear energies, etc., were all in the air.  It was inevitable that we who were born at that time should absorb them, and that our work should become a part of them.

    Of Professor Gibbs I shall speak especially warmly since it is from achievements such as his that I was able to produce my own work.  You will recall that Gibbs studied on the continent and he was influenced both by American and by continental mathematical and physical outlooks.  At that time attention on the continent was mostly on so-called 'pure' mathematics.  In America it was predominantly on applied mathematics.  It is not surprising then that what Gibbs produced was a synthesis of the two.  As Professor Wilson points out, Gibbs refused to go flying off into endless theorizing until it was warranted by the 'facts'.  While developing his theories he kept his feet on the ground, which accounts ultimately for the great value and importance of his work to us.

General Semantics Bulletin Winter-Spring 1954 (Numbers 14 & 15)
Lakeville, Connecticut : Institute of General Semantics 1954, pp. 57 - 58.

Bibliographic : University of California :

Author Ostwald, Wilhelm, 1853-1932. Title Aus dem wissenschaftlichen Briefwechsel Wilhelm Ostwalds. Hrsg. von Hans-Guenther Koerber unter Mitwirkung von Grete Ostwald. Publisher Berlin : Akademie-Verlag, 1961-69. Description 2 v. facsims., port. 25 cm. Language German Note Includes bibliographical references. Contents 1.T. Briefwechsel mit L. Boltzmann, M. Planck, G. Helm und J. W. Gibbs.--2.T. Briefwechsel mit S. Arrhenius und J.H. van't Hoff. Format Book Library SRLF UCB 18

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903 Title Elementary principles in statistical mechanics, developed with especial reference to the rational foundation of thermodynamics Publisher New York, Dover Publications [1960] Format Book Library UCI 3

Conference Gibbs Symposium (1989 : Yale University) Title Proceedings of the Gibbs Symposium : Yale University, May 15-17, 1989 / D.G. Caldi, G.D. Mostow, editors Publisher Providence, RI : American Mathematical Society, c1990 Format Conference Book Library UCB UCD UCI UCLA 4

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Uniform Title [ Thermodynamics. Russian.] Title Termodinamika ; Statisticheskai︠a︡ mekhanika / Dzhozaĭi︠a︡ Villarda Gibbs. Publisher Moskva : Nauka, 1982. Series Klassiki nauki Format Book Library CRL NRLF 5

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Elementary principles in statistical mechanics : developed with especial reference to the rational foundation of thermodynamics / J Willard Gibbs. Publisher Woodbridge, Conn. : Ox Bow Press, 1981. Format Book Library LBL UCSC 6

Title The Modern theory of capillarity : to the centennial of Gibbs' theory of capillarity = Moderne Kapillarit�tstheorie / herausgegeben von F.C. Goodrich und A.I. Rusanov unter Mitwirkung von H. Sonntag und M. B�low. Publisher Berlin : Akademie-Verlag, 1981. Format Book Library UCSD UCLA UCD UCI NRLF UCSB 7

Author Seeger, Raymond John, 1906- Title J. Willard Gibbs, American mathematical physicist par excellence [by] Raymond J. Seeger. Publisher Oxford, New York : Pergamon Press, [1974] Series Men of physics Series Selected readings in physics Format Book Library UCLA UCB UCR UCD UCSD 8

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903 Title The scientific papers of J. Willard Gibbs [microform] Publisher London ; New York, Longmans, Green and Co., 1906 Format Book Library UCSD 9

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903 Title Elementary principles in statistical mechanics [microform] : developed with especial reference to the rational foundation of thermodynamics Publisher New York : C. Scribner's Sons, 1902 Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library UCSD NRLF 10

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903 Title Elementary principles in statistical mechanics [microform] : developed with especial reference to the rational foundation of thermodynamics / by J. Willard Gibbs Publisher New York : C. Scribner, 1902 Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library NRLF UCSD 11

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903 Title Scientific papers of J. Willard Gibbs [microform.] Publisher London : Longmans, Green, 1906 Format Book Library UCSD 12

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903 Title On the equilibrium of heterogeneous substances [microform] / by J. Willard Gibbs Publisher [New Haven : The Academy, 1874-1877] Format Book Library UCSD 13

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Uniform Title [ Works. 1961] Title Scientific papers. Publisher New York, Dover Publications [1961] Format Book Library UCSD UCI UCSB UCD 14

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title The scientific papers of J. Willard Gibbs. Publisher New York : Dover Publications, 1961. Format Book Library UCR 15

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Elementary principles on statistical mechanics, developed with especial references to the rational foundation of thermodynamics. Publisher New York, Dover Publications 1960. Format Book Library UCSC 16

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Vector analysis: a text-book for the use of students of mathematics and physics, founded upon the lectures of J. Willard Gibbs by Edwin Bidwell Wilson. Publisher New York, Dover Publications [1960] Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library UCR UCLA UCB 17

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Elementary principles in statistical mechanics, developed with especial reference to the rational foundation of thermodynamics. Publisher New York, Dover Publications [1960] Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library UCR UCSD UCB SRLF UCLA UCSB 18

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Vector analysis; a text-book for the use of students of mathematics and physics, founded upon the lectures of J. Willard Gibbs by Edwin Bidwell Wilson. Publisher New Haven, Yale University Press [c1901] Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library UCD 19

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903 Title The collected works of J. Willard Gibbs Publisher New Haven, Yale University Press, [1957, c1948] Format Book Library UCSC UCI 20

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903 Title The collected works of J. Willard Gibbs Publisher New Haven, Yale University Press, [1957, c1948]

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Vector analysis, a text-book for the use of students of mathematics and physics, founded upon the lectures of J. Willard Gibbs, by Edwin Bidwell Wilson. Publisher New Haven, Yale University Press [1948, c1929] Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library UCB 22

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title The collected works of J. Willard Gibbs ... Publisher New Haven, Yale Univ. Press [etc., etc., 1948] Format Book Library UCR CSL UCSB UCD 23

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title The early work of Willard Gibbs in applied mechanics, comprising the text of his hitherto unpublished Ph.D. thesis and accounts of his mechanical inventions; assembled by Lynde Phelps Wheeler, Everett Oyler Waters & Samuel William Dudley. Publisher New York, H. Schuman [1947] Series Publication (Yale Medical Library. Historical Library)no. 17 Format Book Library UCR UCSF SRLF UCLA UCB NRLF UCSD 24

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Osnovnye print︠s︡ipy statisticheskoĭ mekhaniki. Perevod s angliĭskogo K.V. Nikol'skogo. Publisher Moska [etc.] 1946. Format Book Library CRL 25

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Osnovnye print︠s︡ipy statisticheskoĭ mekhaniki. Perevod s angliĭskogo K.V. Nikolʹskogo. Publisher Moskva, Ogiz, Gos. Izd-vo Tekhniko-Teoreticheskoĭ Literatury, 1946. Format Book Library NRLF 26

Author Crowther, J. G. (James Gerald), 1899- Title Famous American men of science, by J. G. Crowther. Publisher New York, Penguin Books [c1944] Format Book Library UCSF SRLF 27

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title The collected works of J. Willard Gibbs. Publisher New York : Longmans, Green, 1931 [c1902] Format Book Library SRLF 28

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Vector analysis, a text-book for the use of students of mathematics and physics, founded upon the lectures of J. Willard Gibbs, by Edwin Bidwell Wilson. Publisher New Haven, Yale University Press [c1929] Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library UCSC SRLF UCSB 29

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Uniform Title [ Works. 1928] Title The collected works of J. Willard Gibbs ... Publisher New York [etc.] Longmans, Green and Co., 1928. Format Book Library UCLA UCI UCB UCSD 30

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Vector analysis; a text-book for the use of students of mathematics and physics, founded upon the lectures of J. Willard Gibbs ... by Edwin Bidwell Wilson. Publisher New Haven, 1925. Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library UCB 31

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Elementary principles in statistical mechanics: developed with especial reference to the rational foundation of thermodynamics, by J. Willard Gibbs. Publisher New Haven : Yale University Press, c1902, t.p. 1914. Series Yale bicentennial publications. Format Book Library UCLA 32

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Vector analysis; a text-book for the use of students of mathematics and physics, founded upon the lectures of J. Willard Gibbs ... by Edwin Bidwell Wilson. Publisher New Haven, 1913. Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library UCSD UCB 33

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Uniform Title [ Works. 1961] Title Scientific papers of J. Willard Gibbs ... Publisher London, New York and Bombay, Longmans, Green and co. 1906. Format Book Library UCLA UCB UCD 34

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Diagrammes et surfaces thermodynamiques par J.W. Gibbs. Traduction de M.G. Roy ... avec une introduction de M.B. Brunhes ... Publisher [Paris, C. Naud] 1903. Series Scientia. S�rie physico-math�matique.no 22 Format Book Library NRLF 35

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Elementary principles in statistical mechanics [microform] : developed with especial reference to the rational foundation of thermodynamics / by J. Willard Gibbs. Publisher New York : C. Scribner, 1902. Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library CSL UCLA SRLF NRLF UCD 36

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903 Title Vector analysis; a text-book for the use of students of mathematics and physics, founded upon the lectures of J. Willard Gibbs by Edwin Bidwell Wilson Publisher New York, C. Scribner's sons, 1901 Series Yale bicentennial publications Format Book Library UCSD CSL SRLF UCSB 37

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title Eq�uilibre des syst�mes chimiques ... Traduit par Henry Le Chatelier. Publisher Paris, G. Carr� & C. Naud, 1899. Format Book Library NRLF 38

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title On the determination of elliptic orbits from three complete observations / by J. Willard Gibbs. Publisher [Washington : National Academy of Sciences : Government Printing Office, 1889] Series Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences ;v. 4, 8th memoir Format Book Library UCSC NRLF 39

Author Gibbs, J. Willard (Josiah Willard), 1839-1903. Title On the equilibrium of heterogeneous substances [microform] / by J. Willard Gibbs. Publisher [New Haven : The Academy, 1874-1877]