Lectures on Stellar Statistics

Carl Vilhelm Ludwig CharlierProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 125K words
Chapters: 13

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Lectures on Stellar Statistics by C. V. L. CharlierAuthor: Charlier, C. V. L. (Carl Vilhelm Ludwig), 1862-1934,Language: English, Class: QB: Science: Astronomy, Release Date: Jul 27, 2007

Editor's review

This book comprises Swedish astronomer Charlier's lectures on stellar statistics, systematically discussing how to treat stellar observational data with statistical methods, touching on the fundamentals of stellar distribution, counting, and astronomical data analysis. As a lecture course from the early twentieth century in this field, it preserves the problem consciousness and methodological framework of the discipline's formative stage and holds documentary value for understanding the early development of stellar statistics. The text unfolds in a lecture tone, giving weight to both reasoning and data, and suits readers interested in the history of astronomy or in the application of statistical methods in astronomy. It is best read alongside modern textbooks on stellar statistics: one can then see clearly where the methods originated and appreciate how the discipline has evolved.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers and graduate students in the history of astronomy and the history of astrophysics
Readers interested in the application of statistical methods to astronomical observation
Instructors who need the original early lectures on stellar statistics for courses
Astronomy enthusiasts who collect public-domain scientific classics

Not a good fit for

Beginners with no background who wish to study modern astronomy systematically
General readers expecting light popular-science reading
Researchers who need the latest stellar observational data and contemporary methods

Reading tips

Begin by understanding the basic problems of early twentieth-century stellar astronomy, then read the main text of the lectures.
Read alongside a modern textbook on stellar statistics, noting where methods are continued and where they differ.
Focus on the chapters in which the author handles observational data, and sense how the statistical approach took shape.
Take notes outlining the structure of the lectures for later reference to specific topics.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Does the content of this book still have reference value today?

It has reference value as a document in the history of the discipline. It presents the problems and methods of the formative stage of stellar statistics, but the specific data and some conclusions have been superseded by later research; it should be used as historical material rather than as a contemporary textbook.

What mathematical background is needed to read this book?

Basic statistical concepts and a general familiarity with astronomical observation are needed, as the lectures involve data processing and discussion of distributions. With university-level introductory statistics and general astronomy, the reading will be fairly smooth.

Is this book suitable for astronomy enthusiasts as an introduction?

Not very suitable as an introduction. It is a professional lecture course discussing stellar observation through statistical methods and lacks popular-science groundwork. Enthusiasts interested in the history of the discipline may first read general works on the history of astronomy and then attempt it.

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About the author

Carl Vilhelm Ludwig Charlier Author · Swedish · 1862–1934

Carl Vilhelm Ludwig Charlier (1862–1934) was a Swedish astronomer who made important contributions to stellar statistics and celestial mechanics. One work by him is held in the collection, Lectures on Stellar Statistics, which takes stellar statistics as its subject and applies statistical methods to the study of the distribution and motions of stars, showing his characteristic approach of turning observational material into systematic exposition. Publicly available information on the details of his life is limited, so no further biographical detail is given here; from what is available, his work was addressed mainly to specialist readers and has had a certain influence in its field, and his lectures can still serve as a reference for understanding early research in stellar statistics.