Download or read book Topics in the Foundations of General Relativity and Newtonian Gravitation Theory written by David B. Malament and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2012-05-07 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Topics in the Foundations of General Relativity and Newtonian Gravitation Theory, David B. Malament presents the basic logical-mathematical structure of general relativity and considers a number of special topics concerning the foundations of general relativity and its relation to Newtonian gravitation theory. These special topics include the geometrized formulation of Newtonian theory (also known as Newton-Cartan theory), the concept of rotation in general relativity, and Gödel spacetime. One of the highlights of the book is a no-go theorem that can be understood to show that there is no criterion of orbital rotation in general relativity that fully answers to our classical intuitions. Topics is intended for both students and researchers in mathematical physics and philosophy of science.
Download or read book The Meaning of Relativity Including the Generalization of Gravitation Theory written by Albert Einstein and published by Prabhat Prakashan. This book was released on 1953-01-01 with total page 105 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Meaning of Relativity: Four Lectures Delivered at Princeton University, May 1921 is a book published by Princeton University Press in 1922 that compiled the 1921 Stafford Little Lectures at Princeton University, given by Albert Einstein. The lectures were translated into English by Edwin Plimpton Adams. The lectures and the subsequent book were Einstein's last attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of his theory of relativity and is his only book that provides an accessible overview of the physics and mathematics of general relativity. Einstein explained his goal in the preface of the book's German edition by stating he "wanted to summarize the principal thoughts and mathematical methods of relativity theory" and that his "principal aim was to let the fundamentals in the entire train of thought of the theory emerge clearly". Among other reviews, the lectures were the subject of the 2017 book The Formative Years of Relativity: The History and Meaning of Einstein's Princeton Lectures by Hanoch Gutfreund and Jürgen Renn. The Meaning of Relativity: Including the Generalization of Gravitation Theory: Unravel the complexities of Einstein's theory of relativity with The Meaning of Relativity. This illuminating book delves into the fundamental principles of relativity, including the groundbreaking concept of general relativity and its implications for our understanding of the universe. Explore the interplay between spacetime physics, gravitational forces, and the mathematical physics that underpin our modern understanding of motion. With clear explanations and insightful commentary, this book offers a comprehensive exploration of the theory of relativity and its profound impact on the field of astrophysics. The Meaning of Relativity: Including the Generalization of Gravitation Theory: theory of relativity, Einstein's relativity, general relativity, spacetime physics, gravitational forces, scientific theories, astrophysics, space-time continuum, mathematical physics, physics of motion.
Download or read book Foundations of General Relativity written by Klaas Landsman and published by Radboud University Press. This book was released on 2021-10-08 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book, dedicated to Roger Penrose, is a second, mathematically oriented course in general relativity. It contains extensive references and occasional excursions in the history and philosophy of gravity, including a relatively lengthy historical introduction. The book is intended for all students of general relativity of any age and orientation who have a background including at least first courses in special and general relativity, differential geometry, and topology. The material is developed in such a way that through the last two chapters the reader may acquire a taste of the modern mathematical study of black holes initiated by Penrose, Hawking, and others, as further influenced by the initial-value or PDE approach to general relativity. Successful readers might be able to begin reading research papers on black holes, especially in mathematical physics and in the philosophy of physics. The chapters are: Historical introduction, General differential geometry, Metric differential geometry, Curvature, Geodesics and causal structure, The singularity theorems of Hawking and Penrose, The Einstein equations, The 3+1 split of space-time, Black holes I: Exact solutions, and Black holes II: General theory. These are followed by two appendices containing background on Lie groups, Lie algebras, & constant curvature, and on Formal PDE theory.
Download or read book The Attraction of Gravitation written by John Earman and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1993-12-01 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Devoted to the history of general relativity, this text provides reviews from scholars all over the world. Many of the papers originated at the Third International Conference on the History of General Relativity, held at the University of Pittsburgh in the summer of 1991. Topics covered include: disputes with Einstein; the empirical basis of general relativity; variational principles in general relativity; the reception and development of general relativity; and cosmology and general relativity.
Download or read book The Riddle of Gravitation written by Peter Gabriel Bergmann and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nonmathematical introduction to conceptual foundations of both Newton's and Einstein's theories of gravity features updated material on gravity waves, singularities, and other current topics. 88 illustrations. 1968 edition.
Download or read book The Physical and Mathematical Foundations of the Theory of Relativity written by Antonio Romano and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-09-25 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique textbook offers a mathematically rigorous presentation of the theory of relativity, emphasizing the need for a critical analysis of the foundations of general relativity in order to best study the theory and its implications. The transitions from classical mechanics to special relativity and then to general relativity are explored in detail as well, helping readers to gain a more profound and nuanced understanding of the theory as a whole. After reviewing the fundamentals of differential geometry and classical mechanics, the text introduces special relativity, first using the physical approach proposed by Einstein and then via Minkowski’s mathematical model. The authors then address the relativistic thermodynamics of continua and electromagnetic fields in matter – topics which are normally covered only very briefly in other treatments – in the next two chapters. The text then turns to a discussion of general relativity by means of the authors’ unique critical approach, underlining the difficulty of recognizing the physical meaning of some statements, such as the physical meaning of coordinates and the derivation of physical quantities from those of space-time. Chapters in this section cover the model of space-time proposed by Schwarzschild; black holes; the Friedman equations and the different cosmological models they describe; and the Fermi-Walker derivative. Well-suited for graduate students in physics and mathematics who have a strong foundation in real analysis, classical mechanics, and general physics, this textbook is appropriate for a variety of graduate-level courses that cover topics in relativity. Additionally, it will interest physicists and other researchers who wish to further study the subtleties of these theories and understand the contemporary scholarly discussions surrounding them.
Download or read book Foundations of Space Time Theories written by Michael Friedman and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2014-07-14 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book, explores the conceptual foundations of Einstein's theory of relativity: the fascinating, yet tangled, web of philosophical, mathematical, and physical ideas that is the source of the theory's enduring philosophical interest. Originally published in 1983. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Download or read book Gravitational Physics written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1999-11-03 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gravitational Physics assesses the achievements of the field over the past decade in both theory and experiment, identifies the most promising opportunities for research in the next decade, and describes the resources necessary to realize those opportunities. A major theme running through the opportunities is the exploration of strong gravitational fields, such as those associated with black holes. The book, part of the ongoing decadal survey Physics in a New Era, examines topics such as gravitational waves and their detection, classical and quantum theory of strong gravitational fields, precision measurements, and astronomical observations relevant to the predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity.
Download or read book Gravitation written by T. Padmanabhan and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010-01-28 with total page 729 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covering all aspects of gravitation in a contemporary style, this advanced textbook is ideal for graduate students and researchers in all areas of theoretical physics. The 'Foundation' section develops the formalism in six chapters, and uses it in the next four chapters to discuss four key applications - spherical spacetimes, black holes, gravitational waves and cosmology. The six chapters in the 'Frontier' section describe cosmological perturbation theory, quantum fields in curved spacetime, and the Hamiltonian structure of general relativity, among several other advanced topics, some of which are covered in-depth for the first time in a textbook. The modular structure of the book allows different sections to be combined to suit a variety of courses. Over 200 exercises are included to test and develop the reader's understanding. There are also over 30 projects, which help readers make the transition from the book to their own original research.
Download or read book On General Relativity written by André Mercier and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book General Theory of Relativity written by C. W. Kilmister and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2013-10-22 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: General Theory of Relativity deals with the general theory of relativity and covers topics ranging from the principle of equivalence and the space-theory of matter to the hypotheses which lie at the bases of geometry, along with the effect of gravitation on the propagation of light. The motion of particles in general relativity theory is also discussed. This book is comprised of 14 chapters and begins with a review of the principle of equivalence, paying particular attention to the question of the existence of inertial frames in Newtonian mechanics. The beginnings and foundations of general relativity are then considered, together with modern developments in the field. Subsequent chapters explore the general notion of multiply extended magnitudes; the space-theory of matter; the effect of gravitation on light propagation; gravitational waves and the motion of particles in general relativity theory; and homogeneity and covariance. An invariant formulation of gravitational radiation theory is also presented. The last three chapters examine continued gravitational contraction, a spinor approach to general relativity, and gravitational red-shift in nuclear resonance. This monograph will be of interest to physicists and mathematicians.
Download or read book Categories for the Working Philosopher written by Elaine M. Landry and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 486 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book on category theory for a broad philosophical readership. There is no other discussion of category theory comparable in its scope. It is designed to show the interest and significant of category theory for philosophers working in a range of areas, including mathematics, proof theory, computer science, ontology, physics, biology, cognition, mathematical modelling, the structure of scientific theories, and the structure of the world. Moreover, it does this in a way that is accessible to non specialists. Each chapter is written by either a category-theorist or a philosopher working in one of the represented fields, in a way that builds on the concepts already familiar to philosophers working in these areas. The book is split into two halves. The 'pure' chapters focus on the use of category theory for mathematical, foundational, and logical purposes, while the 'applied' chapters consider the use of category theory for representational purposes, investigating category theory as a framework for theories of physics and biology, for mathematical modelling more generally, and for the structure of scientific theories. Book jacket.
Download or read book Mass and Motion in General Relativity written by Luc Blanchet and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-01-19 with total page 634 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the infinitesimal scale of particle physics to the cosmic scale of the universe, research is concerned with the nature of mass. While there have been spectacular advances in physics during the past century, mass still remains a mysterious entity at the forefront of current research. Our current perspective on gravitation has arisen over millennia, through the contemplation of falling apples, lift thought experiments and notions of stars spiraling into black holes. In this volume, the world’s leading scientists offer a multifaceted approach to mass by giving a concise and introductory presentation based on insights from their respective fields of research on gravity. The main theme is mass and its motion within general relativity and other theories of gravity, particularly for compact bodies. Within this framework, all articles are tied together coherently, covering post-Newtonian and related methods as well as the self-force approach to the analysis of motion in curved space-time, closing with an overview of the historical development and a snapshot on the actual state of the art. All contributions reflect the fundamental role of mass in physics, from issues related to Newton’s laws, to the effect of self-force and radiation reaction within theories of gravitation, to the role of the Higgs boson in modern physics. High-precision measurements are described in detail, modified theories of gravity reproducing experimental data are investigated as alternatives to dark matter, and the fundamental problem of reconciling any theory of gravity with the physics of quantum fields is addressed. Auxiliary chapters set the framework for theoretical contributions within the broader context of experimental physics. The book is based upon the lectures of the CNRS School on Mass held in Orléans, France, in June 2008. All contributions have been anonymously refereed and, with the cooperation of the authors, revised by the editors to ensure overall consistency.
Download or read book General Relativity Conflict and Rivalries written by Galina Weinstein and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2016-01-14 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Physics written by Robert Batterman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-01-04 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Oxford Handbook provides an overview of many of the topics that currently engage philosophers of physics. It surveys new issues and the problems that have become a focus of attention in recent years. It also provides up-to-date discussions of the still very important problems that dominated the field in the past. In the late 20th Century, the philosophy of physics was largely focused on orthodox Quantum Mechanics and Relativity Theory. The measurement problem, the question of the possibility of hidden variables, and the nature of quantum locality dominated the literature on the quantum mechanics, whereas questions about relationalism vs. substantivalism, and issues about underdetermination of theories dominated the literature on spacetime. These issues still receive considerable attention from philosophers, but many have shifted their attentions to other questions related to quantum mechanics and to spacetime theories. Quantum field theory has become a major focus, particularly from the point of view of algebraic foundations. Concurrent with these trends, there has been a focus on understanding gauge invariance and symmetries. The philosophy of physics has evolved even further in recent years with attention being paid to theories that, for the most part, were largely ignored in the past. For example, the relationship between thermodynamics and statistical mechanics---once thought to be a paradigm instance of unproblematic theory reduction---is now a hotly debated topic. The implicit, and sometimes explicit, reductionist methodology of both philosophers and physicists has been severely criticized and attention has now turned to the explanatory and descriptive roles of "non-fundamental,'' phenomenological theories. This shift of attention includes "old'' theories such as classical mechanics, once deemed to be of little philosophical interest. Furthermore, some philosophers have become more interested in "less fundamental'' contemporary physics such as condensed matter theory. Questions abound with implications for the nature of models, idealizations, and explanation in physics. This Handbook showcases all these aspects of this complex and dynamic discipline.
Download or read book A First Course in General Relativity written by Bernard F. Schutz and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1985-01-31 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This textbook develops general relativity and its associated mathematics from a minimum of prerequisites, leading to a physical understanding of the theory in some depth.
Download or read book Towards a Theory of Spacetime Theories written by Dennis Lehmkuhl and published by Birkhäuser. This book was released on 2017-01-05 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This contributed volume is the result of a July 2010 workshop at the University of Wuppertal Interdisciplinary Centre for Science and Technology Studies which brought together world-wide experts from physics, philosophy and history, in order to address a set of questions first posed in the 1950s: How do we compare spacetime theories? How do we judge, objectively, which is the “best” theory? Is there even a unique answer to this question? The goal of the workshop, and of this book, is to contribute to the development of a meta-theory of spacetime theories. Such a meta-theory would reveal insights about specific spacetime theories by distilling their essential similarities and differences, deliver a framework for a class of theories that could be helpful as a blueprint to build other meta-theories, and provide a higher level viewpoint for judging which theory most accurately describes nature. But rather than drawing a map in broad strokes, the focus is on particularly rich regions in the “space of spacetime theories.” This work will be of interest to physicists, as well as philosophers and historians of science working with or interested in General Relativity and/or Space, Time and Gravitation more generally.
