History of Vector Analysis

Josiah Willard Gibbs (February 11, 1839 - 28 April 1903) was a mathematical physicist who contributed much to the United States on the establishment of theoretical chemical thermodynamics. As a mathematician and physicist, he is the inventor of vector analysis. he was the first person in the United States who received a PhD in mechanical engineering (Yale). he is one of the theoretical physicists in the U.S. and perhaps one of the early theoretical chemist. Title Gibbs Professorship of Physics and Chemistry named after him.

Born and died in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University graduate, and studied in Paris, Berlin, and Heidelberg. He was offered a professorship in mathematical physics at the University of Yale, the first appointment in the United States, in a position without salary for 10 years.

In chemistry, he contributed significantly to the idea thermochemical. In 1873, Gibbs published a number of papers on the geometric representation of thermodynamics in 2 installments. Some important topics are included in other papers on heterogeneous equation including the concept of chemical potential and free energy; idea Gibbs ensemble (an establishment of statistical mechanics), and the Gibbs phase rule. This paper inspired James Maxwell made (by his own hand) reference casts illustrating the idea that Gibbs then sent to Gibbs.

Yale University is proud to have it until now. Between 1876 and 1878 serial Gibbs wrote a paper titled On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances, is now regarded as one of the greatest scientific achievements of the 19th century and the opening papers in chemical physics. In these papers Gibbs applied thermodynamics to interpret phenomena, successfully explaining and lodged beforehand what is the mass of isolated facts.

In mathematics, he contributed ideas vector analysis. In 1880, he developed the symbolic and algebraic vectors. In 1901, a full treatment of one of his students presented their ideas EB. Wilson, in a book entitled Analysis Vector.