History of the Principle of Interference of Light

I Interference historiography and physics.- I.1 The "mystery" of Young's theory.- I.2 New approach.- I.3 What is "Young's wave theory"?.- I.4 "Interference" or "superposition"?.- I.5 What is the "acceptance of a theory"?.- II Thomas Young and the problem of intersecting sounds.- Section I: Young.- Section II: Young's predecessors.- III Young on interference of mechanical waves.- III.1 Standing waves.- III.2 Tides.- III.3 Coherence of mechanical waves.- III.4 Response to the concept of interference of sound.- III.5 Summary.- IV Discovery of the principle of interference of light.- IV.1 Optical background.- IV.2 Transition from acoustics to optics.- IV.3 The problem of mathematical representation of light.- IV.4 What is the "law of interference"?.- IV.5 The principle of interference and the theory of interference.- V Young's theory of interference and its application.- Section I: Interference of reflected and refracted light.- Section II: Interference of diffracted light.- Section III: Young on coherence of light.- VI Response to the principle of interference (1801-1815).- VI.1 Early comments(1801-1805):generalsurvey.- VI.2 British reviews of Young's theory(1801-1805).- VI.3 Later response (1807-1815).- VI.4 Summary.- VII Fresnel and the principle of interference.- VII.1 First period(1815-1816).- VII.2 Second period (1816-1818).- VII.3 Third period (1819-1822).- VII.4 Summary.- VIII Response to Fresnel's principle of interference.- VIII.1 Arago.- VIII.2 Reception of Fresnel's first paper.- VIII.3 Contest on diffraction.- VIII.4 Response to Fresnel's prize-winning memoir.- VIII.5 Principle of interference and the wave theory.- VIII.6 Principle of interference and the emission theory.- VIII.7 Understanding of coherenceafter Fresnel.- VIII.8 Young's role after 1815.- VIII.9 Summary.- Conclusions.