Buy einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics. Nov 25, 2015 einsteins theory of special relativity describes the speed of light as the only constant in the universe, while also saying that the laws of motion are always the same, regardless of how fast. Special relativity simple english wikipedia, the free. In the special theory of relativity, einstein states that space and time are not fixed properties, that they are intimately connected to each other hence, spacetime, st, that time and space are shorter and slower as an object moves closer to the speed of light, and that mass increases with the. Lieber drawings by hugh gray lieber holt, rinehart and winston new york chicago san francisco to franklin delano roosevelt who saved the world from those forces of evil which sought to destroy art and science and the very dignity of man. In albert einstein s original pedagogical treatment, it is based on two postulates. The transverse doppler effect is one of the main novel predictions of the special theory of relativity.
The reader is assumed to have but little mathematical knowledge. Special relativity or the special theory of relativity is a theory in physics that was developed and explained by albert einstein in 1905. One of its most famous aspects concerns objects moving. The einstein theory of relativity 1923 is a silent short film directed by dave fleischer and released by fleischer studios history. This book quickly gets to the issue of why there even needs to be a theory of special relativity. Newtonian physics and special relativity 1 1 relativity principles and gravitation 3. The new book by jeffrey bennett introduces einsteins theory of relativity to a lay audience, explaining why black holes dont suck and other. He argued that altering our understanding of the behavior of space and time could resolve certain problems in electrodynamics.
In august 1922, scientific american published an article explaining their position that a silent film would be unsuccessful in presenting the theory of relativity to the general public, arguing that only as part of a broader educational package including. After reading it, i must admit that i understood very little of what was in this book. In this book einstein explains, using the minimum of mathematical terms, the basic ideas and principles of the theory which has shaped the world we live. Geometry and cosmology, the fundamental laws of classical mechanics, the newtonian worldsystem, the fundamental laws of optics, the fundamental laws of electrodynamics and einstein s special principle of relativity. Please continue to improve it and thanks for the great work so far. The theory of special relativity was introduced first and was later considered to be a special case of the more comprehensive theory of general relativity. With a new foreword by basil hiley, a close colleague of david bohm s, the special theory of relativity is an indispensable addition to the work of one of greatest physicists and. An introduction to the mathematics of the special theory of relativity. Apr 22, 2014 the new book by jeffrey bennett introduces einsteins theory of relativity to a lay audience, explaining why black holes dont suck and other phenomena. My failure to grasp the complexity of einstein s special and general theory of relativity is a result of my inexperience in the field of physics. His theory of relativity is the most important scientific idea of the modern era. Geometry and cosmology, the fundamental laws of classical mechanics, the newtonian worldsystem, the fundamental laws of optics, the fundamental laws of electrodynamics and einsteins special principle of relativity.
It applies to the cosmological and astrophysical realm, including astronomy. The first edition of this novel was published in 1916, and was written by albert einstein. The new book by jeffrey bennett introduces einsteins theory of relativity to a lay audience, explaining why black holes dont suck and other phenomena. I bought this book because i wanted to understand einstein s theory of relativity. It is certainly one of the most remarkable achievements of science to date, it was developed by einstein with little or no experimental motivation but driven instead by philosophical questions. On the 100 th anniversary of albert einstein s general theory of relativity, bennetts book seeks to explain both special and general relativity in a form that a nonexpert could understand. There are a great number of really excellent books on relativity, but no particular book is good for everyone. The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated theories by albert einstein. With the publication of albert einsteins special and general theories of relativity, however, traditional approaches to solving the riddles of space and time. General relativity explains the law of gravitation and its relation to other forces of nature. Referred to a system of coordinates, the scene of any event will be determined for the main part by the specification of the lengths of the three perpendiculars or coordinates x, y, z which can be dropped from the scene of the event to those three plane surfaces. Einsteins general theory of relativity oyvind grln and sigbjlrn hervik. Buy einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics revised edition by born, max isbn.
In this short book einstein explains, using the minimum of mathematical terms, the basic ideas and principles of the theory which has shaped the world we live in today. By 1916, albert einstein was a worldfamous professor of physics at the university of berlin, and he had seen several scientists and popularizers write books about his special theory of relativity. Einsteins theory of special relativity shows that both of these parameters can vary according to perspective. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Albert einstein is the unquestioned founder of modern physics. To do so it employs the known reciprocity principle. Starting with the special theory and its limited applicability and the later development of the more universal general theory, aimed at covering the deficiencies of the former. List of books and articles about theory of relativity.
General relativity is a theory of gravitation that albert einstein developed between 1907 and 1915, with contributions from many others after 1915. The special and the general theory by albert einstein. This book analyzes one of the three great papers einstein published in 1905, each of which would alter forever the field it dealt with. What is the best book for selflearning special and general. The special and the general theory began as a short paper and was eventually published as a book written by albert einstein with the aim of giving. I bought this book because i wanted to understand einsteins theory of relativity. The book then presents a definition of simultaneity for the other inertial frames without using the velocity of light. Albert einstein theory of general relativity full audiobook greatest audiobooks s p e c i a l o f f e r try audiobooks. Special relativity applies to all physical phenomena in the absence of gravity. While this book is not for the lay person, and though i barely glanced over all of the equations, i did get some value out of it. The theory of special relativity explains how space and time are linked for objects that are moving at a consistent speed in a straight line. Einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics. The special theory of relativity the validity of the classical concepts of absolute and independent time and space was challenged by h. The universe can be viewed as having three space dimensions updown, leftright, forwardbackward and one time dimension.
The einstein theory of relativity text by lillian r. If two people who are moving in different directions both measure the speed of light to be the same, then either of the two properties that speed relies on time or distance must differ between observers. Along with quantum mechanics, relativity is central to modern physics. In simplest terms, the theory of relativity is an approach to the measurement and study of space and time. The null result of this measurement caused great confusion among physicists, who made various unsuccessful attempts to explain the result within the context of classical theory. Buy einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics book online at best prices in india on. To celebrate, well explain 4 of his most groundbreaking papers from 1905, when he. Nov 20, 2012 albert einstein theory of general relativity full audiobook greatest audiobooks s p e c i a l o f f e r try audiobooks. It is in no sense a provisional theory and is largely compatible with quantum theory. Special relativity is now one of the foundation blocks of physics. Frey leads readers on a fascinating journey in this book that seeks to prove that albert einsteins theory of special relativity is all wrong. Dec 23, 2011 the book walks the reader through the development of the special and general theories of relativity and the supporting theories they were built upon. Preface in this book on the einstein theory of relativity.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Its now been converted to adobes portable document format. Einsteins theory of special relativity created a fundamental link between space and time. The theory einstein described is now known as the special theory of relativity. Albert einstein 5 preface december, 1916 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. Please continue to improve it and thanks for the great work.
My opinion is that they are no more correct than was michelson. This is an introduction to einsteins spacebending, timestretching theory of relativity, written by the master himself. In 1905, albert einstein published the theory of special relativity, which explains how to interpret motion between different inertial frames of reference that is, places that are moving at constant speeds relative to each other. He begins by sharing an overview of special relativity, including its history, principles, and.
The special theory of relativity einsteins world in new. The aim of this book is to introduce people without a strong physics or even scientific background to the special and general theories of relativity and now i want to read other similar scientific books. The book walks the reader through the development of the special and general theories of relativity and the supporting theories they were built upon. Scientists such as austrian physicist ernst mach and. Tvs, radar guns and other technologies linked to einsteins. Special relativity wikibooks, open books for an open world. The special and general theory by albert einstein free ebook project gutenberg. Einstein and the special theory of relativity youtube. In physics, special relativity also known as the special theory of relativity is the generally accepted and experimentally confirmed physical theory regarding the relationship between space and time. Special relativity, part of the wideranging physical theory of relativity formed by the germanborn physicist albert einstein. Relativity special general by einstein, first edition abebooks. Einstein explained that when two objects are moving at a constant speed as the relative motion between the two.
With a new foreword by basil hiley, a close colleague of david bohms, the special theory of relativity is an indispensable addition to the work of one of greatest physicists and. With clarity and grace, he also reveals the limited truth of some of the common sense assumptions which make it difficult for us to appreciate its full implications. In physics, special relativity is the generally accepted and experimentally confirmed physical. One of the most interesting of dingles arguments appeared in the september 8, 1962 issue of nature under the title special theory of relativity1. The general theory of relativity christopher monroe. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The special and general theory dover books on physics. Mar 30, 2017 the theory of special relativity explains how space and time are linked for objects that are moving at a consistent speed in a straight line. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. It applies to all physical phenomena, so long as gravitation is not significant.
Unsurpassed by any subsequent books on relativity, this remains the most popular and useful exposition of einstein s immense contribution to human knowledge. Along with quantum mechanics in the 1920s, einstein s special theory of relativity 1905 and general theory of relativity 1916 stand as the supreme achievements of twentiethcentury physics. What is the best book for selflearning special and. Relativity special general by einstein, first edition. As we shall see, the experiment played a part in the development of the special theory of relativity, a profound advance. I am slowly expanding my knowledge, and while i started off with a basic understanding of special and general relativity, this book has been a gem in the pool of information. Special relativity is a theory of exceptional elegance. The general theory of relativity the general theory of relativity is, as the name indicates, a generalization of the special theory of relativity. To be honest i imagine that selflearning relativity to be quite difficult. Times man of the century, albert einstein is the unquestioned founder of modern physics. Special relativity is a featured book on wikibooks because it contains substantial content, it is wellformatted, and the wikibooks community has decided to feature it on the main page or in other places. Special and general relativity explain the structure of space time and provide a theory of gravitation, respectively.
It clearly explains what postulates are unwavering and why and then proceeds to show how the other generally accepted physics concepts, which appear at first to be at odds with each other, can in fact coexist. The special and the general theory by albert einstein book free download pages free download or read online relativity. Special relativity applies to minkowski space, or flat spacetime phenomena which are not influenced by gravitation. Special relativity applies to minkowski space, or flat spacetime phenomena which are not influenced by gravitation einstein knew that some weaknesses had been. Einsteins theory of special relativity describes the speed of light as the only constant in the universe, while also saying that the laws of motion are always the same, regardless of how fast. Einsteins theory of relativity and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Theory of relativity, theories of science, books barnes. Albert einstein 5 preface december, 1916 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. This 4dimensional space is referred to as the spacetime continuum. This is a series of articles that looks into herbert dingles claim that einsteins special relativity is inconsistent. Starting with the special theory and its limited applicability and the later development of the more universal general theory. Oct 01, 2009 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Recently some people, especially john horgan in his book the end of science 1996, have been making similar claims about how the enterprise of science is complete.
Beginning with the behaviour of light and all other electromagnetic radiation, the theory of special relativity draws conclusions that are. Tvs, radar guns and other technologies linked to einstein. In albert einsteins original pedagogical treatment, it is based on two postulates. Special relativity is limited to objects that are moving with respect to inertial frames of referencei. The theory is special in that it only applies in the special case where the spacetime is flat, that is, the curvature of spacetime. The special and the general theory, einstein describes the theories that made him famous, illuminating his case with numerous examples and a smattering of math nothing more complex than highschool algebra.
355 270 264 262 1405 725 885 1059 890 737 866 213 1528 544 1335 1100 1385 529 1311 36 367 1486 427 899 1391 1374 1550 1455 167 1237 1415 355 137 1351 1137 1396 573 839 974 1440 303