Front Matter

In this work, The Theory and Properties of Thermocouple Elements, Professor Pollock has written a singularly useful monograph which should appeal to a wide variety of readers, ranging from the advanced under-graduate or graduate student who is just beginning to get his feet wet in this area to the sophisticated specialist who wants to brush up on his fundamentals. More particularly, the work provides a worthwhile gathering of information of a theoretical nature on metallic thermocouples. Consider only the topics included: here, under one cover, we find the history, thermodynamics, mathematics, quantum mechanics, and physics of thermoelectricity, all neatly compiled and stored for us. A careful perusal of this material is bound to lead to a greater understanding of the behavior of thermoelectric metals in terms of the solid state physics involved.