Product Description
It is the intention of this book to provide an introduction to the special theory of relativity that is mathematically rigorous and yet spells out in considerable detail the physical significance of the mathematics. In addition to the material on kinematics, particle dynamics and electromagnetic fields that one would expect to find in any introduction to special relativity, the book contains careful treatment of many topics not ordinarily discussed at the elementary level. These include the Reversed Triangle Inequality, Zeeman's Theorem characterizing causal automorphisms as compositions of translations, dilations and orthochronous orthogonal transformations, Penrose's Theorem on the apparent shape of a relativistically moving sphere, the purely algebraic characterization of null and regular electromagnetic fields and an elementary introduction to the theory of spinors. The only prerequisite for this material is a solid course in linear algebra. This book offers a presentation of the special theory of relativity that is mathematically rigorous and treats, in addition to the menu of topics one is accustomed to finding in introductions to special relativity, a wide variety of results of more contemporary origin. The treatment presumes only a knowledge of linear algebra and, in two appendices, elementary point-set topology. This new edition includes a chapter on the de Sitter Universe as well as minor updates throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very good on electromagtisim in Relativity Theory
Better as a textbook than an after dinner reading book,
because of the numerous exercises which contain many
of the key points.More worked out examples would
make it more informative to read (without pencil and
paper at hand) as on buses or airplanes.

Special Relativity for the graduate student.
This book is NOT for the pop science buff or the novice with little understanding of Special Relativity.

This book is designed for graduate level students in mathematics or physics who want a deeper understanding of Minkowski space. It presupposes a solid foundation in SR.

Having said this, the book is phenomenal. It brings out startling relationship between mathematics and physics explaining esoteric phenomena in SR.

For example:

1) The author shows how Lorentz transformations can be realized as fractional linear transformations of the Riemann sphere. By doing so we can use the full power of complex analysis to derive far reaching results. One property of such tranforms is that they map circles to circles thus explaining why an observer at rest who sees a circle ( say lit by lights ) will also see a circle, NOT ellipse from length contraction, when he moves relative to the circle.

2) Using a simple example ( scissors, chair and rubber band ) the author shows how a 360 degree rotation may not leave a system in the same state requiring the need of a new mathematical object ( spinor ) to describe this transformation.

3) The author clearly develops the mathematics of spinors. In fact this is the best introduction to spinors I have read. He develops the notion of spin vectors and realizes spinors as multi-linear functionals with inputs as spin vectors, their duals, their conjugate, and the conjugate duals. He then lays out the transformation properties of the spinors and shows that certain spinors have exactly the transformation properties needed to model particles with spin.

4) There is a great section on the relationship of SL (2,C) to the lorentz group. The author shows how Minkowski space can be represented by certain combinations of 2x2 complex matrices and shows how SL ( 2,C) can then operate on these. This operation is actually equivalent to a lorentz transformation thus giving a mapping between the two groups. He then shows that we can easily analyze SL (2,C) by breaking it down into irreducible representations ( which are known ) and that to each of these representations there exist a unique representation of the Lorentz group ( provided certain conditions are imposed ). If that condition is not met the representation leads to the all familiar 2-valued representation of the Lorentz group one hears so much about. Thus by studying SL ( 2,C ) which we know alot about we can represent the Lorentz group which is generally harder to study but of the most relevance in physics.

The books is filled with such insights and I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to understand particle physics or relativity.

Fascinating but not for the general reader
Starting with a quick overview of certain structures from linear algebra (bilinear forms) the book moves to discussing Minkowski spacetime.Unfortunately for many, the text is highly esoteric without even a single descriptive section that doesn't make use of some fairly advanced mathematics.

The level of mathematical maturity required is comparable to a fourth year mathematics major at any decent university.The relationship between the mathematics involved and the special theory of relativity is fully explained.

A solid introduction to special relativity for the earnest mathematician. ... Read more

Product Description
This book introduces the modern field of 3+1 numerical relativity. The book has been written in a way as to be as self-contained as possible, and only assumes a basic knowledge of special relativity. Starting from a brief introduction to general relativity, it discusses the different concepts and tools necessary for the fully consistent numerical simulation of relativistic astrophysical systems, with strong and dynamical gravitational fields. Among the topics discussed in detail are the following; the initial data problem, hyperbolic reductions of the field equations, guage conditions, the evolution of black hole space-times, relativistic hydrodynamics, gravitational wave extraction and numerical methods. There is also a final chapter with examples of some simple numerical space-times. The book is aimed at both graduate students and researchers in physics and astrophysics, and at those interested in relativistic astrophysics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

nice!
This is an excellent graduate level textbook on numerical (classical) gravity dynamics. Its main features are clarity and pedagogy.

The author starts with a review of general relativity. Although he says
this is not intended to be a substitute for a full course on the subject,
I found that in this chapter his exposition is more clear, motivated
and pedagogical than many other more specifically targeted books I know.
His text is structured, from simpler to more advanced concepts and
has a smooth transition from geometry to physics. Definitely recommended
reading.

Subsequently, he commits himself to 3+1 formalism which is the most practical choice
once one decides to abandon the natural, timeless formulation of the theory. He covers,
all important points: initial data, gauge conditions, particle systems
(black holes) and continuum systems (fluids). The author managed to
condense all practically needed knowledge in a relatively small book quite
successfully.

Extra-information is also available on numerical analysis of conservation
laws in the framework of powerful high resolution schemes that where originally
developed in non-relativistic high speed flow and found nice applications in gravodynamics.

Overall, the book is an excellent place to start Numerical Gravity
studies. ... Read more

Product Description
Modern science has changed every aspect of life in ways that cannot be compared to developments of previous eras. This four-volume set presents key developments within modern physical science and the effects of these discoveries on modern global life. The first two volumes explore the history of the concept of relativity, the cultural roots of science, the concept of time and gravity before, during, and after Einstein's theory, and the cultural reception of relativity. Volume 3 explores the impact of modern science upon global politics and the creation of a new kind of war, and Volume 4 details the old and new efforts surrounding the elucidation of the quantum world, as well as the cultural impact of particle physics. This reprint collection pools the best scholarship available, collected from a large array of difficult to acquire books, journals, and pamphlets. Each volume begins with an introductory essay, written by one of the top scholars in the history of science. Students and scholars of modern culture, science, and society will find these volumes a veritable research gold mine. ... Read more

Product Description
The larger project of which this volume forms part is anattempt to craft a coherent doctrine of divine eternity and God'srelationship to time. Central to this project is the integration ofthe concerns of theology with the concept of time in relativitytheory. Unfortunately, theologians and philosophers of religion do notin general understand Einstein's theories, whereas physicists andphilosophers of science, under the influence of verificationism, havelargely focused philosophical reflection on spatiotemporal conceptsgiven by physics. There is thus a paucity of integrative literaturedealing with God and relativity theory. The collapse of positivism andthe rejuvenation of metaphysics have led to a renewed scrutiny of themetaphysical foundations of relativity theory and the concept(s) timefound therein. This volume provides an accessible and philosophicallyinformed examination of the concept of time in relativity, theultimate aim being the achievement of a tenable theological synthesis. ... Read more

Product Description

Einstein, Relativity and Absolute Simultaneity is an anthology of original essays by an international team of leading philosophers and physicists who have come together to reassess the contemporary paradigm of the relativistic concept of time. A great deal has changed since 1905 when Einstein proposed his Special Theory of Relativity, and this book offers a fresh reassessment of Special Relativity’s relativistic concept of time in terms of epistemology, metaphysics, and physics.

Customer Reviews (1)

Contents ofEinstein, Relativity, and Absolute Simultaneity
This book presents the recent experimental evidence and theoretical considerations that support the existence of absolute simultaneity or a preferred frame. Chapters discuss Einstein's Special and General Relativity, Aspects' and others experiments on the EPR correlations, Bohm-deBroglie quantum physics, Lorentzian interpretations of relativity, a means of defining absolute similtaneity in terms of a conservation principle for spacetime, the notion of absolute simultaneity in a universe with a Robertson-Walker line element, and related topics. It has an Introduction by Craig and Smith and chapters by William Lane Craig, Craig Callender, Quentin Smith, Anthony Valentini, Tim Maudlin, Franco Selleri, Tom Van Flandern, Michael Tooley, Richard Swinburne,, Thomas Crisp, and John Lucas. It should interest physicists and philosophers of physics. ... Read more

Product Description
Recent years haveseen an explosion in the number and quality of works on the history of gravitation and general relativity. This book, based on the 4th International Conference on the History of General Relativity, welcomes a number of young researchers as well as prominent, established scholars in a collection of important explorations of four themes at the forefront of work in the field.

-Major themes of the volume:

-New perspectives on the creative work of Minkowski, Einstein, and others based on recent manuscript sources-research that has led to new and challenging views of the development of the two relativity theories.

-Detailed analyses of historical attempts to expand generalrelativity beyond its classical centers of interest, exploring impassioned debates over what the theory really had to say in areas such as radiation and singularities.

-Current research on the history of cosmology from Newtoniantheories to Weyl's cosmological principle to the steady-state debate.

-A concluding section which examines the conceptual debatescentered around the perceived limits of general relativity that have sparked a number of attempts to refute or transcend the theory.

-Historians and philosophers of science as well as workingrelativists and cosmologists, mathematicians, physicists, and general readers interested in the field will profit from this collection of up-to-date contributions to a fascinating and intriguing topic in the history of science. The volume presents a broad and accurate status report of a most lively and expanding field of historical and philosophical research. ... Read more

Product Description
This textbook attempts to bridge the gap that exists between the two levels on which relativistic symmetry is usually presented - the level of introductory courses on mechanics and electrodynamics and the level of application in high energy physics and quantum field theory: in both cases, too many other topics are more important and hardly leave time for a deepening of the idea of relativistic symmetry. So after explaining the postulates that lead to the Lorentz transformation and after going through the main points special relativity has to make in classical mechanics and electrodynamics, the authors gradually lead the reader up to a more abstract point of view on relativistic symmetry - always illustrating it by physical examples - until finally motivating and developing Wigner's classification of the unitary irreducible representations of the inhomogeneous Lorentz group. Numerous historical and mathematical asides contribute to conceptual clarification. ... Read more

Product Description
How does it come about that alongside of the idea of ponderable matter, which is derived by abstraction from everyday life, the physicists set the idea of the existence of another kind of matter, the ether? The explanation is probably to be sought in those phenomena which have given rise to the theory of action at a distance, and in the properties of light which have led to the undulatory theory. Let us devote a little while to the consideration of these two subjects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Amazing clarity
Clear and important essay on the relationship between geometry and physics and our prejudices about it.Similar essay on the history of the ether and how it evolved to fit data.An unmatched depth of understanding presented succinctly and clearly.Good read for both those with passing understanding of relativity and those with deeper understanding who want to see Einstein's clear thinking on paper.

Two Fascinating Lectures - Will Appeal to Physics Students
This 56-page Dover edition offers two lectures by Albert Einstein, "Ether and the Theory of Relativity" and "Geometry and Experience". The lectures are described as "devoid of complicated equations and abstruse terminology". Nonetheless, while the reader does benefit from Einstein's clarity of thought, these lectures do require careful attention. The first lecture presumes familiarity with physics; the second is largely a discussion of non-Euclidian geometry and is easier reading.

Ether and the Theory of Relativity, an address delivered on May 5, 1920 at University of Leyden:

Einstein recounts how the concept of ether originated and subsequently evolved. After some discussion of work by Hertz, Maxwell, Lorentz, and Mach, he notes that it became possible to take a position that ether does not exist. However, using an analogy of water waves, he explains that although the special theory of relativity does forbid us to assume ether consists of particles observable through time, the hypothesis of ether in itself is not in conflict with the special theory of relativity. Only we must give up ascribing a motion to it.

While it may seem superfluous to postulate a homogeneous, isotropic, ether-medium, Einstein contends that to deny the ether is ultimately to assume that empty space has no physical qualities at all. He then argues that according to his General Theory of Relativity "empty space" in its physical relation is neither homogeneous nor isotropic, compelling us to describe its state by ten functions (the gravitational potentials). There can be no space or part of space without gravitational potentials.

After noting that elementary particles may be considered condensations of electromagnetic fields, he concludes that our current view of the universe presents two realties which are completely separated from each other conceptually, although connected casually, namely gravitational ether and electromagnetic field, or as they might be called, space and matter.

Geometry and Experience - an expanded form of an address to the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin on January 27, 1921:

Einstein begins by posing and answering why mathematics, a product of human thought, is so admirably appropriate to describing reality. In exploring limitations associated with applying Euclidian geometry to relations between rigid bodies, Einstein introduces other axiomatic systems, including Riemann's geometry. He argues that there are difficulties in applying geometry on the sub-molecular level, but it is less problematical to extend the ideas of geometry to cosmic orders of magnitude.

After some clarification of the meaning of a finite universe and an infinite universe, he devotes several pages to illustrating how to visualize a finite, three dimensional universe that is unbounded. Einstein concludes this lecture with an enthusiastic comment: "My only aim today has to show that the human faculty of visualization is by no means bound to capitulate to non-Euclidian geometry."

Experience vs Hypothesis
This is the first book of I have read in which Einstein wrote directly rather than the many reiterations of his works. Sidelights on Relativity is a two part book of lectures in which he gave in 1920 and 1921. The firsttitled "Ether and the Theory of Relativity." Einstein exploresthe concepts given by Newton, Maxwell and Lorentz of the ether arguing theuniverse is not mechanical in nature. The other argument is the purelyphysical aspect in which the mechanical perspective seems to propose whatis seen is that exists, and/or can be measured and proven to exist. That"space without ether is unthinkable," that is, the effects ofspce/time gives credence to ethers existence just as "the undulatorysurface forming the boundary between water and air alters the course oftime." This, then, creates the contradiction. The second lecture istitled "Geometry and Experience" in which Einstein arguesEuclidean geometry by noting the difference of experiencing and proposinglaws of earth-measurement. He demonstrates this through the plane and theglobe asking the reader to imagine the globe and a plane. While the planeis infinite in all directions, similarly one can fill the plane upinfinately. This is not an all together accurate picture of our universe.Rather if we imagine a sphere and fill that up, we realize only a finiteamount can fill up the space.

At this point, I will say that myunderstanding stands at a finite point in which it would be only arrogantfor me to claim I understood the entirety of the book. Nonetheless, I foundthis book completely readable, mostly due to the fact that there are noformulas to follow. My knowledge of relativity is limited and I have givenyou what I believe I understand. Its a short book with the writing clearand concise and logical; which surprised me hearing stories about Einsteinsgenius in which he is unable to explain in laymans terms. Highlyreccomended!

Professor Einstein
I read This book and I would like to buy it. However I do not use Credit cards, only Debit cards, Best Regards, Professor Gerardo Paredes F ... Read more

Product Description
Following the Michelson-Morley experiment many othertests were devised to detect some mechanical or electromagnetic effectas a result of the Earth's motion through the ether.Experiments suchas those of Rayleigh and Brace, Trouton and Noble, as well as themultiple variations of the M-M experiment, including those of the BellLaboratories, Cantor, and Cialdea were all designed to detect somepossible effect of the Earth's translation on mechanical or opticalsystems affixed to the Earth's frame of reference.

All such experiments have led to null results, verifying, among otherthings, that Maxwell's equations are invariant on transformation tosystems in uniform rectilinear motion relative to each other.Themodifications of Lorentz's equations and of Maxwell's equations thatare presented in this monograph lead to exactly the same result as faras the ability to detect an effect due to the translation of thereference system conducting the test.This was a necessaryprerequisite to the presentation; that is, no experiment conducted onany reference frame could ever demonstrate an effect on any materialbody within that frame of reference as a result of a change inorientation of that body.What this monograph suggests is thatexperiments be done to measure the time it takes a ray of light totravel from A to B without undergoing reflection, interference,refraction or any other internal rearrangement, and to similarlymeasure the time from B to A.In order to entertain the possibilityof a difference in the transit times between AB and BA it is necessaryto propose or suggest what change would be required in the Lorentztransformation equations and in the transformation of Maxwell'squations.The monograph was designed to meet this goal.It was alsodesigned to thrust into the arena of discussion the axiom definingtime as presented in the Special Theory of Relativity. ... Read more

Product Description
This book, written for non-specialists, discuses the apparent conflict between relativity and quantum mechanics, concentrating particularly on what Einstein called "spooky interactions at a distance." The author proposes a resolution based on a causal interpretation introduced by Louis deBroglie and elaborated by David Bohm. He shows that one can introduce a "medium" or "æther" in a manner consistent with both relativity and quantum theory, and which allows one to unify the two theories via the identification of circularly causal processes at their core. The mathematics is kept simple, making the discussion accessible to a wide audience. Several crucial experiments are discussed in detail. ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook contains Albert Einstein's RELATIVITY, a fundamental treatise on Einstein's theory of the nature of gravity, space-time, and physics.A refugee from Nazism, Einstein (1879-1955) revolutionized physics and other fields, with his theories of General and Special Relativity gaining wide acceptance in the 20th century.

This work also contains two supplemental essays, "Ether and the Theory of Relativity," and "Geometry and Experience" originally published separately from Einstein's RELATIVITY.

This ebook contains an active table of contents for easy navigation.

RELATIVITY: THE SPECIAL AND GENERAL THEORY
Preface
Part I: The Special Theory of Relativity
Part II: The General Theory of Relativity
Part III: Considerations on the Universe as a Whole
Appendices

SIDELIGHTS ON RELATIVITY
Ether and the Theory of Relativity
Geometry and Experience
... Read more

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Albert Einstein's classic work with an active table of contents. Does not contain illustrations ... Read more

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Initiates the reader into Einstein's theory of Special Relativity. ... Read more