Unsurpassed by any subsequent books on relativity, this remains the most popular and useful exposition of einsteins immense contribution to human knowledge. The meaning of relativity including the relativistic. 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. Buy einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics book online at best prices in india on. Buy einstein s theory of relativity dover books on physics book online at best prices in india on. His theory of relativity is the most important scientific idea of the modern era. Understanding relativity by leo sartori seeks to provide an introduction to einsteins theory of special relativity to a nonspecialist audience. One drawback was the book didnt have anything on cartans equations or discuss one forms although he talks about contravariant and covariant vectors.
The tests proving method of a theory as suggested by einstein was recorded at the book the universe and dr. In a nutshell, einstein found that as an object approached the speed of light, c, the mass of the object increased. Buy the general theory of relativity by albert einstein simplified for kids. An accesible version of einsteins masterpiece of theory, written by the genius himself according to einstein himself, this book is intended 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. To be honest i imagine that selflearning relativity to be quite difficult. The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of albert einstein. A simplified approach to einsteins theories by leo sartori isbn. Albert einstein s theory of relativity is the basis for our understanding of the universe, but if you still arent quite sure how it works, this video does an excellent job of explaining.
This book constitutes an indispensable part of a library on relativity. When the dust settles from relativity s implosion, the author offers points to where an alternative. Jul 28, 2010 the theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of albert einstein. If all physics texts were like this one, there would be far more scientists around.
It applies to the cosmological and astrophysical realm, including astronomy. In this first theory, einstein stated that the speed of light was the absolute limit for all velocities and furthermore all observers, what ever their motion, must measure. There s much in the way to recommend in this book, but it s interspersed with weak spots for the general reader on several important questions, particularly related to the general theory calder begins with einstein s 1915 general theory and only then goes back to the. Buy einstein s theory of relativity dover books on physics revised edition by born, max isbn. If it were actually able to move at c, the objects mass and energy would both be infinite. The completed formulation of the general theory of relativity was published in 1916 fig. The special theory of relativity was published in 1905 and deals with frames of reference objects separating with constant high velocities close to the speed of light. Spacetime is curved when there is gravity, matter, energy, and momentum. In this short but devastating book, several glaring inconsistencies in einsteins celebrated theory are revealed and explored, inconsistencies that doom relativity to an ignoble death. In the 1970s, physicists tried an even more conventional approach. Buy introducing einsteins relativity book online at low. Relativity special general by einstein, first edition abebooks. Albert einsteins theory of relativity is the basis for our understanding of the universe, but if you still arent quite sure how it works, this video does an excellent job of explaining. The book is also logically organized to facilitate understanding of the sequence of phenomena and research that guided einstein.
This is the third time around on this book each time you move ahead just a wee bit more in trying to crack the einstein code. Einsteins theory of special relativity localized behavior of objects in inertial frames of reference, generally only relevant at speeds very near the speed of light. Jun 09, 2009 the special theory of relativity was published in 1905 and deals with frames of reference objects separating with constant high velocities close to the speed of light. The theory of relativity refers to two different elements of the same theory. Feb 01, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Lorentz transformations the transformation equations used to calculate the coordinate changes under special relativity. Made relatively simple written for those who want to understand relativity but cant quite grasp the concepts. Understanding relativity by leo sartori paperback university of. 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.
The book is easy to understand, but the subject is not in any way overly simplified. Some simplifying assumptions make the math tidier, without losing generality. The marriage of einsteins theory of relativity and quantum. The general theory of relativity by albert einstein simplified for. Einstein written by lincoln barnett, published for the first time in london in. An accesible version of einstein s masterpiece of theory, written by the genius himself according to einstein himself, this book is intended 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. First, assume that the velocity vector is in the e 1 direction, so that one reference frame is moving along the x axis of the other. 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.
Time s man of the century, albert einstein is the unquestioned founder of modern physics. Newtons theory is what einstein called a constructive theory. Albert einstein routledge 1952 from 1923 isbn 0486600815 the core of the book consists of a transcription and translation of einsteins may 1921 lectures at princeton university. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of pages and is available in paperback format. Understanding relativity by leo sartori seeks to provide an introduction to einsteins theory. The marriage of einsteins theory of relativity and. In the discussion section of the same paper, alfred bucherer used for the first time the expression theory of relativity german. Einstein written by lincoln barnett, published for. There are two, theories of relativity, by einstein, the special theory of relativity or just special relativity, sr, and the general theory of relativity or just general relativity, gr. Special relativity applies to all physical phenomena in the absence of gravity. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. Buy einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics. Special relativity and linear algebra corey adams may 7, 2010. Buy einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics revised edition by born, max isbn.
Understanding relativity a simplified approach to einsteins theories. One drawback was the book didnt have anything on cartan s equations or discuss one forms although he talks about contravariant and covariant vectors. Written for those who want to understand relativity but cant quite grasp the concept. Not always, but first of all, the prevailing quantum theory, quantum field theory, is fully relativistic from the onset. A book in which one great mind explains the work of another great mind in terms comprehensible to the layman is a significant achievement. Oct 01, 2009 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Relativity special general by einstein, first edition. The special and general theory by albert einstein free ebook project gutenberg. Apr 02, 2016 the tests proving method of a theory as suggested by einstein was recorded at the book the universe and dr.
The first part explains the principles of the special theory of relativity. This is connected with the fact that the velocity c plays a funda mental role in this theory. A heavier object is harder to speed up, so its impossible to ever actually get the. Apr 28, 2015 the french polymath heri poincare connected all of this with the idea of relativity, and by 1904 had a nearly complete theory of relativity. The second part discusses general relativity thoroughly and the last part deals with the considerations of the universe as a whole. Theres much in the way to recommend in this book, but its interspersed with weak spots for the general reader on several important questions, particularly related to the general theory calder begins with einsteins 1915 general theory and only then. The result is undoubtedly the most lucid and insightful of all the books. The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated theories by albert einstein. Max born is a nobel laureate 1955 and one of the worlds great physicists. Thinking outside the box youve heard all the fancy terms like einstein s theory of relativity, matter, mass, energy, speed of light, time, dimension, gravity, black hole, quantum mechanics, string theory, the big bang, the creation of the universe, the expanding universe, time travel.
The book was very linear and instructive, although half of the actual pages are devoted to a reprint of einsteins papers from 1905, so the read is actually very short. The new book by jeffrey bennett introduces einsteins theory of relativity to a lay audience, explaining why black holes dont suck and other phenomena. The author discusses preeinstein views of relativity, the development of special relativity and some of its associated implications. The first edition of the novel was published in 1916, and was written by albert einstein. Mathematical foundations of the relativistic theory of. Oct 26, 20 relativity can be understood easily enough whether you have a scientific background or not. May 17, 2017 quantum physics and relativity theory get along just fine in most respects. What is the best book for selflearning special and general. It s now been converted to adobe s portable document format. 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.
Einsteins theory of general relativity the more comprehensive theory, which treats gravity as. 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 in today. What is the best book for selflearning special and. The einstein theory of relativity a concise statement by prof. It was built up largely from results of experimental. This approach presents many difficulties, detailed by isham 1.
Introduction to the relationship between matter, energy, space, time, gravity, speed of light, and curved space. Albert einstein determined that massive objects cause a distortion in spacetime, which is felt as gravity. Quantum mechanics works beautifully but only by postulating paradoxes and nonsensical behavior such as an electron being both a particle and a wave depending on the. Understanding relativity a simplified approach to einstein. 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. 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 special and the general theory by albert einstein.
Einsteins theory of general relativity changed how physicists understood the universe in an instant. The term theory of relativity was based on the expression relative theory german. General relativity explains the law of gravitation and its relation to other forces of nature. The central idea of general relativity is that space and time are two aspects of spacetime. Times man of the century, albert einstein is the unquestioned founder of modern physics. 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. Eiensteins theory of relativity made relatively simple. A theory is the more impressive the greater the simplicity of its premises is, the more different kinds of things it relates, and the more extended is its area of applicability. Einsteins theory of general relativity predicted that the spacetime around earth would be not only warped but also twisted by the planets rotation. Sartori covers general relativity and cosmology, but focuses on einsteins theory. Einsteins theory of relativity by max born, paperback. Not always, but first of all, the prevailing quantum theory, quantum field. Effectively diagrammed and with an emphasis on logical structure, leo sartoris rigorous but simple presentation will guide interested readers through concepts of relative time and relative space. Quantum physics and relativity theory get along just fine in most respects.
Einsteins theory of relativity made relatively simple. The reader is assumed to have but little mathematical knowledge. Feb 10, 2016 einstein s theory of general relativity changed how physicists understood the universe in an instant. The most famous work of einsteins life also dates from 1905 a busy year for him, when he applied the ideas of his relativity paper to come up with the equation emc2 that represents the relationship between mass m and energy e in a nutshell, einstein found that as an object approached the speed of light, c, the mass of the object increased. In this short but devastating book, several glaring inconsistencies in einstein s celebrated theory are revealed and explored, inconsistencies that doom relativity to an ignoble death. The nonlinearity of the efe distinguishes general relativity from many other fundamental physical theories. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Buy introducing einstein s relativity book online at best prices in india on. For those of you who already hnow the basics, i introduce new ideas about quantum time, relative mass, and a time component to. In general theory of relativity the einstein field equations efe.
Dec 01, 2010 general relativity is a theory of space and time. According to the theory of relativity, action at a distance with the velocity of light always takes the place of instantaneous action at a distance or of action at a distance with an in finite velocity of transmission. Nonspecialists with no prior knowledge of physics and only reasonable proficiency with algebra can now understand einsteins special theory of relativity. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Lorentz, of the university of leyden the total eclipse of the sun of may 29, resulted in a striking confirmation of the new theory of the universal attractive power of gravitation developed by albert einstein, and thus reinforced the conviction that the defining of this theory. In 1905, albert einstein determined that the laws of physics are the same for all nonaccelerating observers, and that the speed of light in a vacuum was independent of the motion of all observers.
However, the book is much better than the accompyaning biography dvd program which is anything but linear and jumps around in einsteins life. The book has a large, readerfriendly format, with a lot of illustrations. Einsteins unfinished revolution by lee smolin kirkus. Its a book with lots of squiggly math, not aimed at the general reader, and even einsteins mathematicallyintensive description of ealier physics will probably lose most. The first part explains what special relativity is all about. Can anyone simplify einsteins theory of relativity for me. Einstein s theory of relativity is a famous theory, but it s little understood. With his field equations einstein ensured that general relativity is consistent with this conservation condition. There are a great number of really excellent books on relativity, but no particular book is good for everyone. The general theory of relativity by albert einstein. One hundred years later, they are still proving him correct.
The ultimate simplified version of a scientific breakthrough kids science by samuel kinyanjui author. In this book, you will find the anatomy of sentences a little unusual. Einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics. In this book, you will find the anatomy of sentences a. Relativtheorie used in 1906 by planck, who emphasized how the theory uses the principle of relativity. The first half of the book is better than the second half, i found his chapters on special relativity excellent but felt his chapters on black holes and gravity waves were a bit lacking. When the dust settles from relativitys implosion, the author offers points to.
1247 1282 5 155 642 303 70 459 734 1177 458 548 317 1240 801 454 140 557 689 64 1 673 1067 1087 997 300 851 537 867 1508 1372 842 274 681 1301 606 617 1252 1409 337 1054