From the age of Galileo until the early years of the 20th century, scientists grappled with seemingly insurmountable paradoxes inherent in the theories of classical physics. With the publication of Albert Einstein's "special" and "general" theories of relativity, however, traditional approaches to solving the riddles of space and time crumbled. In their place stood a radically new view of the physical world, providing answers to many of the unsolved mysteries of pre-Einsteinian physics.
Acclaimed as the pinnacle of scientific philosophy, the theories of relativity tend to be regarded as the exclusive domain of highly trained scientific minds. The great physicist himself disclaimed this exclusionary view, and in this book, he explains both theories in their simplest and most intelligible form for the layman not versed in the mathematical foundations of theoretical physics.
In addition to the theories themselves, this book contains a final part presenting fascinating considerations on the universe as a whole. Appendices cover the simple derivation of the Lorentz transformation, Minkowski's four-dimensional space, and the experimental confirmation of the general theory of relativity. Students, teachers, and other scientifically minded readers will appreciate this inexpensive and accessible interpretation of one of the world's greatest intellectual accomplishments.
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It's All Relative
Around 1950, Hayward Cirker, Founder and President of Dover Publications, wrote to Einstein and asked his approval to proceed with a Dover paperback reprint of the 1923 collection of original papers on relativity by Einstein himself and others (H. A. Lorentz, H. Weyl, and H. Minkowski), which had originally been published in England. Einstein was reluctant, wondering how much interest there could possibly be in this relic of his work from 30 or more years earlier. Cirker persisted, and Einstein finally agreed — the Dover edition of The Theory of Relativity has been in print ever since and has been followed by many other Dover books on relativity.
The papers reprinted in this original collection will always be for the serious student the cornerstone of their Einstein library: Michelson's Interference Experiment (H. A. Lorentz); Electromagnetic Phenomena in a System Moving with any Velocity Less Than That of Light (H.A. Lorentz); On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies (A. Einstein); Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon its Energy Content? (A. Einstein); Space and Time (H. Minkowksi with notes by A. Sommerfeld); On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light (A. Einstein); and The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity (A. Einstein) found on pages 109–164 of this text; Hamilton's Principle and The General Theory of Relativity (A. Einstein); Cosmological Considerations on the General Theory of Relativity (A. Einstein); Do Gravitational Fields Play an Essential Part in the Structure of the Elementary Particles of Matter? (A. Einstein); and Gravitation and Electricity (H. Weyl).
In the Author's Own Words:
"What nature demands from us is not a quantum theory or a wave theory; rather, nature demands from us a synthesis of these two views which thus far has exceeded the mental powers of physicists."
"Do not be troubled by your difficulties with Mathematics, I can assure you mine are much greater." — Albert Einstein
Critical Acclaim for The Theory of Relativity:
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Anbieter: BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Paperback. Zustand: Very Good. Reprint. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting. Artikel-Nr. 048641714X-11-1
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Anbieter: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, USA
Paperback. Zustand: Very Good. The volume contains new publications of five works by Einstein - his valuable book Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, written for a wider audience - and four articles, which nicely complement the issues discussed in the book.The selected works contain not only Einstein's own explanations of his revolutionary contributions to fundamental physics, but also give the readers, particularly his popular book, the unique chance to be exposed to Einstein's original thinking in action. Einstein's five works included in the volume are:1. Relativity: The Special and the General Theory. A Popular Exposition 2. What is the Theory of Relativity, written at the request of The London Times and published on November 28, 19193. Ether and the Theory of Relativity, An Address delivered on May 5th, 1920 in the University of Leyden4. Geometry and Experience, An expanded form of an Address to the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin on January 27th, 19215. A Brief Outline of the Development of the Theory of Relativity, Nature volume 106, pages 782-784 (17 February 1921)One notable issue - the concept of relativistic mass - is not discussed in Einstein's five works republished in the volume. Although he wrote in his popular book (included here, p. 36) the inertial mass of a body is not a constant, Einstein did not discuss the concept of relativistic mass (i.e., the relativistic increase of the mass of a body as its velocity increases), which he silently abandoned after using it in his 1905 paper, where he defined longitudinal mass and transverse mass. As Einstein's unclear view of the relativistic mass might have provided some encouragement for what has probably been the most vigorous campaign ever waged against the concept of relativistic mass, an Appendix On Relativistic Mass is included in this volume to address that unprecedented campaign and to help the readers make their own decision on the concept of relativistic mass. Artikel-Nr. 00109558266
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Anbieter: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, USA
Zustand: Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Artikel-Nr. 13118837-6
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Anbieter: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, USA
Paperback. Zustand: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Artikel-Nr. G048641714XI4N00
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Paperback. Zustand: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Artikel-Nr. G048641714XI4N00
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Anbieter: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
Paperback. Zustand: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Artikel-Nr. G048641714XI4N00
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Anbieter: ThriftBooks-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Paperback. Zustand: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Artikel-Nr. G048641714XI4N00
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Anbieter: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
Paperback. Zustand: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Artikel-Nr. G048641714XI3N10
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Anbieter: Revaluation Books, Exeter, Vereinigtes Königreich
Paperback. Zustand: Brand New. reprint edition. 168 pages. 8.50x5.25x0.50 inches. In Stock. Artikel-Nr. 048641714X
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