Relativity and Geometry : Foundations and Philosophy of Science and Technology Series

This high-level study discusses Newtonian principles and 19th-century views on electrodynamics and the aether. Additional topics include Einstein's electrodynamics of moving bodies, Minkowski spacetime, gravitational geometry, time and causality, and other subjects. Highlights include a rich exposition of the elements of the special and general theories of relativity. 1983 edition. Relativity and Geometry aims to elucidate the motivation and significance of the changes in physical geometry brought about by Einstein, in both the first and the second phases of relativity. The book contains seven chapters and a mathematical appendix. The first two chapters review a historical background of relativity. Chapter 3 centers on Einstein's first Relativity paper of 1905. Subsequent chapter presents the Minkowskian formulation of special relativity. Chapters 5 and 6 deal with Einstein's search for general relativity from 1907 to 1915, as well as some aspects and subsequent developments of the theory. The last chapter explores the concept of simultaneity, geometric conventionalism, and a few other questions concerning space time structure, causality, and time. High-level study examines Einstein's electrodynamics of moving bodies, Minkowski spacetime, gravitational geometry and other topics.

High-level study discusses Newtonian principles and 19th-century views on electrodynamics and the aether, covers Einstein's electrodynamics of moving bodies, Minkowski geometry and other topics. A rich exposition of the elements of the Special and General Theory of Relativity.