Relativity: The Special and the General Theory

by Albert Einstein, Robert W Lawson

Overview

In this famous short book Einstein explains clearly, using the minimum amount of mathematical terms, the basic ideas and principles of the theory which has shaped the world we live in today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781936690015
Publisher:	Ancient Wisdom Publications
Publication date:	12/17/2010
Pages:	74
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.31(d)

About the Author

Albert Einstein (1879–1955), one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century, was born in Ulm, Germany, to German-Jewish parents. He published his first great theories in Switzerland in the early 1900s while working as a patent clerk.

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
Part I	The Special Theory of Relativity
1	Physical Meaning of Geometrical Propositions	3
2	The System of Co-ordinates	6
3	Space and Time in Classical Mechanics	10
4	The Galileian System of Co-ordinates	12
5	The Principle of Relativity (in the Restricted Sense)	14
6	The Theorem of the Addition of Velocities Employed in Classical Mechanics	18
7	The Apparent Incompatibility of the Law of Propagation of Light with the Principle of Relativity	20
8	On the Idea of Time in Physics	23
9	The Relativity of Simultaneity	27
10	On the Relativity of the Conception of Distance	30
11	The Lorentz Transformation	32
12	The Behaviour of Measuring-Rods and Clocks in Motion	37
13	Theorem of the Addition of Velocities. The Experiment of Fizeau	40
14	The Heuristic Value of the Theory of Relativity	44
15	General Results of the Theory	46
16	Experience and the Special Theory of Relativity	51
17	Minkowski's Four-dimensional Space	56
Part II	The General Theory of Relativity
18	Special and General Principle of Relativity	61
19	The Gravitational Field	65
20	The Equality of Inertial and Gravitational Mass as an Argument for the General Postulate of Relativity	68
21	In what Respects are the Foundations of Classical Mechanics and of the Special Theory of Relativity Unsatisfactory?	72
22	A Few Inferences from the General Principle of Relativity	75
23	Behaviour of Clocks and Measuring-Rods on a Rotating Body of Reference	79
24	Euclidean and non-Euclidean Continuum	83
25	Gaussian Co-ordinates	87
26	The Space-Time Continuum of the Special Theory of Relativity Considered as a Euclidean Continuum	91
27	The Space-Time Continuum of the General Theory of Relativity is not a Euclidean Continuum	94
28	Exact Formulation of the General Principle of Relativity	97
29	The Solution of the Problem of Gravitation on the Basis of the General Principle of Relativity	100
Part III	Considerations on the Universe as a Whole
30	Cosmological Difficulties of Newton's Theory	107
31	The Possibility of a "Finite" and yet "Unbounded" Universe	110
32	The Structure of Space according to the General Theory of Relativity	115
	Appendices
1	Simple Derivation of the Lorentz Transformation [Supplementary to Section 11]	117
2	Minkowski's Four-dimensional Space ("World") [Supplementary to Section 17]	124
3	The Experimental Confirmation of the General Theory of Relativity	126
(a)	Motion of the Perihelion of Mercury	127
(b)	Deflection of Light by a Gravitational Field	129
(c)	Displacement of Spectral Lines towards the Red	132
4	The Structure of Space according to the General Theory of Relativity [Supplementary to Section 32]	136
5	Relativity and the Problem of Space	139
	Bibliography	159
	Index	161

Introduction

Preface

The present book is intended, as far as possible, to give an exact insight into the theory of Relativity to those readers who, from a general scientific and philosophical point of view, are interested in the theory, but who are not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics. The work presumes a standard of education corresponding to that of a university matriculation examination, and, despite the shortness of the book, a fair amount of patience and force of will on the part of the reader. The author has spared himself no pains in his endeavour to present the main ideas in the simplest and most intelligible form, and on the whole, in the sequence and connection in which they actually originated. In the interest of clearness, it appeared to me inevitable that I should repeat myself frequently, without paying the slightest attention to the elegance of the presentation. I adhered scrupulously to the precept of that brilliant theoretical physicist, L. Boltzmann, according to whom matters of elegance ought to be left to the tailor and to the cobbler. I make no pretence of having with-held from the reader difficulties which are inherent to the subject. On the other hand, I have purposely treated the empirical physical foundations of the theory in a "step-motherly" fashion, so that readers unfamiliar with physics may not feel like the wanderer who was unable to see the forest for trees. May the book bring some one a few happy hours of suggestive thought!

A. EINSTEIN

December, 1916

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Editorial Reviews

He was unfathomably profound - the genius among geniuses who discovered, merely by thinking about it, that the universe was not as it seemed.

Time

'He was unfathomably profound - the genius among geniuses who discovered, merely by thinking about it, that the universe was not as it seemed.' - Time

'Much of the book is a delight.' - Stephen Battersby, New Scientist

'[Einstein] is a far better populariser of science than Stephen Hawking ... you'll feel as though you have a ringside seat at a revolution in human understanding.' - Guardian

From the Publisher