''Science and Hypothesis'' () is a book by French mathematician

Henri Poincaré Jules Henri Poincaré (, ; ; 29 April 185417 July 1912) was a French mathematician, Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist, engineer, and philosophy of science, philosopher of science. He is often described as a polymath, and in mathemati ...

, first published in 1902. Aimed at a non-specialist readership, it deals with mathematics,

space Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and nature. It puts forward the theses that absolute truth in science is unattainable, and that many commonly held beliefs of scientists are held as convenient conventions rather than because they are more valid than the alternatives. In this book, Poincaré describes open scientific questions regarding the photo-electric effect, Brownian motion, and the relativity of physical laws in space. Reading this book inspired

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...

's subsequent Annus Mirabilis papers published in 1905. A new translation was published in November 2017.Science and Hypothesis
bloomsbury.com File:Poincaré-12.jpg, ''Science and hypothesis'' (1905) File:Poincaré-14.jpg, Table of contents to ''Science and hypothesis'' (1905) File:Poincaré-15.jpg, Table of contents to ''Science and hypothesis'' (1905) File:Poincaré-16.jpg, First page of ''Science and hypothesis'' (1905)

References

1902 non-fiction books Popular science books Mathematics books French non-fiction books {{mathematics-lit-stub