Einstein's Pathway to the Special Theory of Relativity

Einstein's Pathway to the Special Theory of Relativity
Author: Galina Weinstein
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 360
Release: 2015-06-18
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1443878898

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This book pieces together the jigsaw puzzle of Einstein’s journey to discovering the special theory of relativity. Between 1902 and 1905, Einstein sat in the Patent Office and may have made calculations on old pieces of paper that were once patent drafts. One can imagine Einstein trying to hide from his boss, writing notes on small sheets of paper, and, according to reports, seeing to it that the small sheets of paper on which he was writing would vanish into his desk-drawer as soon as he heard footsteps approaching his door. He probably discarded many pieces of papers and calculations and flung them in the waste paper basket in the Patent Office. The end result was that Einstein published nothing regarding the special theory of relativity prior to 1905. For many years before 1905, he had been intensely concerned with the topic; in fact, he was busily working on the problem for seven or eight years prior to 1905. Unfortunately, there are no surviving notebooks and manuscripts, no notes and papers or other primary sources from this critical period to provide any information about the crucial steps that led Einstein to his great discovery. In May 1905, Henri Poincaré sent three letters to Hendrik Lorentz at the same time that Einstein wrote his famous May 1905 letter to Conrad Habicht, promising him four works, of which the fourth one, Relativity, was a rough draft at that point. In the May 1905 letters to Lorentz, Poincaré presented the basic equations of his 1905 “Dynamics of the Electron”, meaning that, at this point, Poincaré and Einstein both had drafts of papers relating to the principle of relativity. The book discusses Einstein’s and Poincaré’s creativity and the process by which their ideas developed. The book also explores the misunderstandings and paradoxes apparent in the theory of relativity, and unravels the subtleties and creativity of Einstein.

Einstein's Pathway to the Special Theory of Relativity

Einstein's Pathway to the Special Theory of Relativity
Author: Galina Weinstein
Publisher:
Total Pages: 642
Release: 2017-08
Genre: Michelson-Morley experiment
ISBN: 9781443895125

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"This book is a comprehensive monograph on Albert Einstein's Odyssey to Special and General Relativity. This second edition brings together the most recent studies regarding the discovery of Special Relativity between 1895 and 1905 and pertaining to the genesis of General Relativity between 1905 and 1918. The book encompasses an in-depth historiographical analysis of Einstein's theory of relativity and Einstein's own derivations and philosophical perspectives of his work. The first chapter provides a narrative of Einstein's early life until 1914 without resorting to hagiography. The second chapter discusses Fin de si�cle physics; the third deals with Einstein's path to the Special Theory of Relativity and Henri Poincar�'s Dynamics of the Electron; the fourth focuses on the genesis of the General Theory of Relativity; the fifth chapter centralizes on Einstein's methodology and creativity, and on Poincar�'s philosophy; and the final section analyses the sources used in compiling this book."

The Road to Relativity

The Road to Relativity
Author: Hanoch Gutfreund
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2015-06-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 140086576X

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An annotated facsimile edition of Einstein's handwritten manuscript on the foundations of general relativity This richly annotated facsimile edition of "The Foundation of General Relativity" introduces a new generation of readers to Albert Einstein's theory of gravitation. Written in 1915, this remarkable document is a watershed in the history of physics and an enduring testament to the elegance and precision of Einstein's thought. Presented here is a beautiful facsimile of Einstein's original handwritten manuscript, along with its English translation and an insightful page-by-page commentary that places the work in historical and scientific context. Hanoch Gutfreund and Jürgen Renn's concise introduction traces Einstein's intellectual odyssey from special to general relativity, and their essay "The Charm of a Manuscript" provides a delightful meditation on the varied afterlife of Einstein's text. Featuring a foreword by John Stachel, this handsome edition also includes a biographical glossary of the figures discussed in the book, a comprehensive bibliography, suggestions for further reading, and numerous photos and illustrations throughout.

Newton to Einstein: The Trail of Light

Newton to Einstein: The Trail of Light
Author: Ralph Baierlein
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 350
Release: 1992
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780521423236

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This undergraduate text takes the non-science student from Newton's particles to Einstein's relativity.

Relativity: The Special and General Theory

Relativity: The Special and General Theory
Author: Albert Einstein
Publisher: e-artnow
Total Pages: 114
Release: 2020-01-02
Genre: Science
ISBN:

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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 author has spared himself no pains in his endeavor 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.

The Road to Relativity

The Road to Relativity
Author: Hanoch Gutfreund
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2017-05-09
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0691175810

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An annotated facsimile edition of Einstein's handwritten manuscript on the foundations of general relativity This richly annotated facsimile edition of "The Foundation of General Relativity" introduces a new generation of readers to Albert Einstein's theory of gravitation. Written in 1915, this remarkable document is a watershed in the history of physics and an enduring testament to the elegance and precision of Einstein's thought. Presented here is a beautiful facsimile of Einstein's original handwritten manuscript, along with its English translation and an insightful page-by-page commentary that places the work in historical and scientific context. Hanoch Gutfreund and Jürgen Renn's concise introduction traces Einstein's intellectual odyssey from special to general relativity, and their essay "The Charm of a Manuscript" provides a delightful meditation on the varied afterlife of Einstein's text. Featuring a foreword by John Stachel, this handsome edition also includes a biographical glossary of the figures discussed in the book, a comprehensive bibliography, suggestions for further reading, and numerous photos and illustrations throughout.

General Relativity Conflict and Rivalries

General Relativity Conflict and Rivalries
Author: Galina Weinstein
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 383
Release: 2016-01-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1443887803

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This book focuses on Albert Einstein and his interactions with, and responses to, various scientists, both famous and lesser-known. It takes as its starting point that the discussions between Einstein and other scientists all represented a contribution to the edifice of general relativity and relativistic cosmology. These scientists with whom Einstein implicitly or explicitly interacted form a complicated web of collaboration, which this study explores, focusing on their implicit and explicit responses to Einstein’s work. This analysis uncovers latent undercurrents, indiscernible to other approaches to tracking the intellectual pathway of Einstein to his general theory of relativity. The interconnections and interactions presented here reveal the central figures who influenced Einstein during this intellectual period. Despite current approaches to history presupposing that the efforts of scientists such as Max Abraham and Gunnar Nordström, which differed from Einstein’s own views, be relegated to the background, this book shows that they all had an impact on the development of Einstein’s theories, stressing the limits of approaches focusing solely on Einstein. As such, General Relativity Conflict and Rivalries proves that the general theory of relativity was not developed as a single, coherent construction by an isolated, brooding individual, but, rather, that it came to fruition through Einstein’s conflicts and interactions with other scientists, and was consolidated by his creative processes during these exchanges.

Einstein's Unification

Einstein's Unification
Author: Jeroen van Dongen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2010-06-10
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1139643924

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Why did Einstein tirelessly study unified field theory for more than thirty years? In this book, the author argues that Einstein believed he could find a unified theory of all of nature's forces by repeating the methods he thought he had used when he formulated general relativity. The book discusses Einstein's route to the general theory of relativity, focusing on the philosophical lessons that he learnt. It then addresses his quest for a unified theory for electromagnetism and gravity, discussing in detail his efforts with Kaluza-Klein and, surprisingly, the theory of spinors. From these perspectives, Einstein's critical stance towards the quantum theory comes to stand in a new light. This book will be of interest to physicists, historians and philosophers of science.

Special & General Relativity (Concise Edition)

Special & General Relativity (Concise Edition)
Author: Albert Einstein
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2024-04-09
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1804175730

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Einstein's pioneering work helped shape the cultural landscape of the world today. Now in a digestible, pocket format for the modern reader. A new, popular edition with a clear introduction, Special & General Relativity by Albert Einstein contains his core paper, 'Relativity, The Special & The General Theory: A Popular Exposition', which established his reputation as one of the greatest thinkers of our (and perhaps any) age. Also included are two of the Princeton University lectures he gave to explain his findings in more detail, on 'The Meaning of Relativity', as well as the early paper which led to his famous equation E = mc2. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

Relativity

Relativity
Author: Albert Einstein
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 127
Release: 2012-08-06
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1134522517

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Time's 'Man of the Century', Albert Einstein is the unquestioned founder of modern physics. His theory of relativity is the most important scientific idea of the modern era. 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. Unsurpassed by any subsequent books on relativity, this remains the most popular and useful exposition of Einstein's immense contribution to human knowledge.