On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Ludwig Boltzmann’s death in 1906Vienna’s prestigious scientific institutions were certainly an appropriate setting for a commemorative event dedicated to illustrate his legacy by presenting comments on his pioneering work and developments. Boltzmann has been a key figure in the development and eventual acceptance of atomism: although his insights into the structure of matter have certainly vindicated Democritus’ early intuitions it should be stressed that his work has been influential far beyond statistical mechanics. In physics on quantum mechanics [1], and on gas and plasma theories, for instance; in mathematics on dynamical systems and ergodic theory [2], and the analytic theory of.
