Abstract
In 1864 Maxwell conjectured from his famous equations that light is a transverse electromagnetic wave. Maxwell's conjecture does not imply that he believed light could be generated electromagnetically; in fact, he was silent about electromagnetic waves and their generation and detection. It took almost a quarter of a century before Hertz discovered electromagnetic waves and his brilliant experiments confirmed Maxwell's theory. Maxwell's ideas and equations were expanded, modified and made understandable by the efforts of Hertz, FitzGerald, Lodge and Heaviside, the last three being referred to as the Maxwellians. It is found that historical facts do not support the views proposed by some in the past that Hertz's epoch making findings and contributions were "significantly influenced by the Maxwellians".
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 14-17 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society, AP-S International Symposium (Digest) |
| Volume | 1 |
| State | Published - 2001 |
| Event | 2001 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium- Historical Overview of Development of Wireless- - Boston, MA, United States Duration: Jul 8 2001 → Jul 13 2001 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering