Where can I find classic papers in physics?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around locating classic papers in physics, specifically Lorentz's 1899 paper on Lorentz transformations and Schrödinger's original papers in quantum mechanics. Participants share resources and links, as well as address copyright concerns related to these historical documents.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks assistance in finding Lorentz's 1899 paper and Schrödinger's original papers in quantum mechanics, mentioning they have one of Schrödinger's papers but are looking for the others.
  • Another participant provides a link to Lorentz's 1904 publication of the Lorentz transformations, expressing uncertainty about the availability of other papers.
  • A participant mentions having the 1904 paper in a Dover book and expresses the desire for an electronic copy for discussions.
  • Links to a collection of classic physics papers are shared, including a specific reference to Lorentz's 1899 paper in French.
  • Concerns about copyright ownership of these old papers are raised, with one participant stating that the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW) owns the copyright and publishes the papers in the public domain.
  • Another participant suggests contacting the Library of Congress for further assistance in locating the papers.
  • There is mention of a past link regarding the centennial of The Physical Review, which featured important papers, but uncertainty exists about the current availability of that resource.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the difficulty of locating specific classic papers and the relevance of copyright issues, but there is no consensus on the best methods for finding these papers or the status of the mentioned resources.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the copyright duration and the applicability of EU copyright law to these historical papers. The discussion also highlights the potential limitations of online resources for accessing classic physics papers.

quantumdude
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Hello,

I am looking for some assistance finding classic papers in physics. Specifically I am trying to track down Lorentz' paper of 1899 in which he first published the Lorentz transformations, and I am also trying to find Schrödinger's original papers in QM. I have An undulatory theory of the mechanics of atoms and molecules, and I'm looking for the other 3. If they aren't on the web anywhere, then I would like to know if they are in books of collected papers that I can order.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Thanks. I have that paper in the Dover book called "The Principle of Relativity". But it's always nice to have an electronic copy for those occaisions when you are discussing the paper with someone who doesn't have it.
 
Classic physics papers reference here

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/c.html

Specifically several by Hendrick Lorentz, including -
[26] H. A. Lorentz, "Théorie simplifiée des phenomènes electriques et optiques dans des corps en mouvement", Proc. Roy. Acad. Amsterdam I 427 (1899) in French.

From FAQ's in Physics
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/

======================================

Jackpot! Eureka!

Lorentz, H.A., Simplified Theory of Electrical and Optical Phenomena in Moving Systems, in: KNAW, Proceedings, 1, 1898-1899, Amsterdam, 1899, pp. 427-442
http://www.knaw.nl/cfdata/digital_library/output/proceedings/search/detail.cfm?pubid=209&view=image&startrow=1

---------------------------

This place is a gold mine!
http://www.knaw.nl/cfdata/digital_library/output/proceedings/proc_browse.cfm?procid=150

http://www.knaw.nl/cfdata/digital_library/output/proceedings/index.cfm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just curious how copyright affects these old papers.
 
In the case of these papers, it is Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW), who would own the copyright, and they are publishing the papers in the public domain.

One would have to find the copyright law then to determine the duration. I would expect EU copyright law covers current papers.
 
I suggest contacting the library of congress if all else fails.
 
When the holder of the copyright publishes the papers to the web, then there's no problem. Anywho, thanks Astronuc for tracking down that paper for me.

There was a link that ZapperZ posted a while back regarding (I think) the centennial of The Physical Review. They posted to the web something like the 100 most important papers in the history of the Journal. Does anyone know about that?
 
Tom Mattson said:
When the holder of the copyright publishes the papers to the web, then there's no problem. Anywho, thanks Astronuc for tracking down that paper for me.

There was a link that ZapperZ posted a while back regarding (I think) the centennial of The Physical Review. They posted to the web something like the 100 most important papers in the history of the Journal. Does anyone know about that?

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, that site is no longer in operation.

Should have sucked in those papers while they were available. :)

Zz.
 
  • #10
Astronuc said:
In the case of these papers, it is Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW), who would own the copyright, and they are publishing the papers in the public domain.

One would have to find the copyright law then to determine the duration. I would expect EU copyright law covers current papers.

Thanks for the info.
 

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