Climate Change pp 131-139 | Cite as

Canon of Eccentricity: How Milanković Built a General Mathematical Theory of Insolation

Conference paper
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Abstract

Milutin Milanković is considered to be the founder of the modern astronomical theory of climate change. In 1912, in an article entitled “On the Mathematical Theory of Climate,” he began to mathematically demonstrate the interrelation of celestial mechanics and the Earth sciences. At the intersection of a number of scientific fields, including spherical astronomy, celestial mechanics, and mathematical physics, he developed climatology as an integrated cosmic science that could be applied to specific problems of the Earth sciences, including the problem of the Pleistocene ice ages. Milanković’s achievement was facilitated by his position as Chair of Applied Mathematics at the University of Belgrade where a nonspecialized, holistic culture of education was prevalent. The ultimate educational aim of the University, “acquiring unity among the sciences,” was in dissonance with a specialization-driven scientific culture of that time, but without that cultural eccentricity the problems that Milanković solved would probably not even have been posed.

Keywords

Earth Science Celestial Mechanic Orbital Geometry Erratic Boulder Astronomical Theory 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Wien 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.University of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia

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