Product Description
This textbook offers a concise but thorough treatment of the theory of special relativity for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students.Assuming no prior knowledge of relativity, the author elaborates the underlying logic and describes the subtleties and apparent paradoxes.The text also contains a large number of problems which cover the basic modes of thinking and calculating in special relativity.Emphasis is placed on developing the student's intuitive understanding of space-time geometry along with the necessary methods of four-tensor calculus, though three-dimensional methods are also described.This updated new edition contains additional examples and problems, and the chapter on relativistic mechanics of continua has been substantially rewritten. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Best and most accessible intro to special relativity
The special theory of relativity was proposed in 1905 by Albert Einstein in his article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies". Some three centuries earlier, Galileo's principle of relativity had stated that all uniform motion was relative, and that there was no absolute and well-defined state of rest; a person on the deck of a ship may be at rest in his opinion, but someone observing from the shore would say that he was moving. Einstein's theory combines Galilean relativity with the postulate that all observers will always measure the speed of light to be the same no matter what their state of uniform linear motion is. This theory has a variety of surprising consequences that seem to violate common sense, but which have been verified experimentally and overthrows Newtonian notions of absolute space and time by stating that distance and time depend on the observer, and that time and space are perceived differently, depending on the observer.

This book assumes no prior knowledge of relativity, and I have found it great as a device for self-teaching this fascinating subject. It elaborates on the underlying logic, dwells on the subtleties and apparent paradoxes, and contains a large number of problems which cover all the basic modes of thinking and calculation in this discipline.

The viewpoint of the first three chapters is three-dimensional. These chapters include simple introductions to topics such as the relativity of simultaneity, length contraction, time dilation, the twin paradox, and the appearance of moving objects. Starting in chapter four on spacetime, the strongest possible use is made of four-dimensional techniques. Pure tensor theory is relegated to the appendix, so that it can serve as chapter 3.5 for readers that are unfamiliar with it. In chapters 5 and 6, on mechanics and electromagnetism, a purely synthetic four-tensor approach is adopted.This is simpler and more transparent than the historical approach, a good example of four-dimensional reasoning, and also brings the reader face-to-face with the man-made aspect of physical laws. In the last chapter on the mechanics of continua, the synthetic approach is somewhat softened by the well-known analogy with electromagnetism. I highly recommend this very readable book on a complex subject. It is especially helpful to those with an engineering background, since it makes heavy use of examples and diagrams to explain concepts. The table of contents is as follows:

1. Foundations of Special Relativity
2. Relativistic Kinematics
3. Relativistic Optics
4. Spacetime
5. Relativistic Particle Mechanics
6. Relativity and Electromagnetism in Vacuum
7. Relativistic Mechanics of Continua
Appendix: Tensors for Special Relativity

Solid Introduction to Special Relativity
This is a short, but well written, text on special relativity written at the level of an advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate student.Most discussions of special relativity are either very basic (little more than a discussion of Lorentz transformations and the postulates of relativity) or advanced presentations that are meant as lead-ins to general relativity.This book nicely fills the gap between these two extremes.The mathematical presentation is complete, but this text also contains detailed discussions of basic ideas to explain results with words, not just equations.There are also many useful problems at the end of each chapter.This book contains chapters on the relativistic mechanics of particles, electromagnetism, and the mechanics of fluids, although the fundamental ideas and mathematics are clearly elaborated in the first several chapters.Rindler also describes (and resolves) the Lorentz paradox and the twin paradox at length.This is an outstanding book, and if you are looking to fill the gap between the basics and GR, this is the text you need.

The best introduction to Special Relativity (in English)
This textbook is, probably, the best introduction to special relativity in English language.

Professor Rindler presents a skilful introduction to flat spacetime using four-tensors and allowing the neophyte to get leisurely acquainted with the nondefinite metric of Minkowskian spacetime through several worked and insightful examples -- not to mention the most interesting collection of problems, presented at the end of each chapter, that I have encountered in a textbook at this introductory level.

Having said that, I must add two remarks.

My first remark is that I cannot understand the reason why textbooks in English (as this one) insist in deriving the Lorentz transformation using Einstein's second postulate on the speed of light: as already pointed out by Jean-Marc Levy-Leblond (Am. J. Phys., Vol. 44, pp. 271-277, 1976), this second postulate is not only superfluous but also epistemological misleading -- see, e.g., the French textbook by J. Hladik and M. Chrysos (Introduction a la Relativite Restreinte, Dunod, Paris, 2001) which can be bought at Amazon.fr.

My second remark is that I think Hestenes' geometric algebra -- see, e.g., his article in Am. J. Phys., Vol. 71, pp. 691-714, 2003 -- is the most appropriate mathematical tool to present special relativity, even at the undergraduate level. You can check this out in his book "New Foundations for Classical Mechanics" (2nd ed., Kluwer, 1999), namely in Chapter 9.

wonderful
The author has the knack of always saying just exactly the needed words to connect the math with the physics.After reading every line of this book very carefully I can say that at last Iunderstand special relativity. ... Read more

Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Buy a used copy
This book is one of the first introductions to the theory of relativity that has the endorsement of the discoverer of the theory. Albert Einstein was alive when the book was first published, and writes the foreward to the book. Individuals who want to learn relativity should still take a look at this book, in spite of the somewhat outdated mathematical notation. In more contemporary textbooks and monographs the physical intuition is usually sacrificed and replaced with mathematical formalism. But here the author puts the main emphasis on the physics behind the subject. It is one of the few books still in print that discusses the relativistic mechanics of mass points and continuous matter.

The reader will also get an overview of early approaches to unified field theories. Historians of science will be interested in particular with this discussion. It is amazing how much has changed in this area since this book was published in 1942. The advent of superstring and M-theory has given physicists a view of reality that is set on a mathematical structure that is quite formidable. It now takes years for a student to obtain the necessary mathematical background to reach the frontiers of unified theories. In this book, it only takes the reading of the first two parts to be able to understand the author's overview of unified field theories. Particular attention should be paid to the treatment of the gauge-invariant geometry of Hermann Weyl, because of its relevance to the construction of gauge theories in elementary particle physics. The geometry of Weyl is constructed using a symmetric tensor representing the gravitational field and a pseudovector that represents the vector potential. When a gauge transformation is applied to this vector potential, it changes by a gradient, which, as the author remarks, is the historical reason for calling the addition of a gradient to the electromagnetic vector potential a gauge transformation. In addition, variational principles play a role in this discussion, and these principles have wide applicability to the quantization of gauge theories in modern developments. The role played by adding extra dimensions to formulate a field theory is summarized here by the author in his discussion of five-dimensional field theories and Kaluza-Klein theories. Ten- and eleven-dimensional theories now dominate modern unified theories. It would be very interesting to know what the author and Einstein would have thought about the theories of today, entrenched as they are in the most complex mathematical constructions ever applied to physical theory.

Excellent first exposure
Don't know of a superior first exposure to relativity.It starts with elementary situations and examines the conflicts with pre-relativistic kinematical viewpoints.This motivates the requirements for special relativities' postulates and their immediate consequences.

From here, the more complex issues of special relativity are dealt with in an orderly fashion; e.g. rigid body dynamics, relativistic hydrodynamics and electromagnetic theory from a relatavistic point of view.

General tensor analysis is covered in a separate chapter for pursuing the general relativity chapters of the book.Incidentally, this chapter is among the most clear expositions on tensors out there.

Finally, general relativity is covered in the same stepwise fashion as was done in the special relativity chapters.The natural introduction of more complex ideas which start from basics is perhaps, the single reason why this book is a hard to beat introduction to relativity.

After a thorough digestion of Bergmann, one is ready to spring up to the next level, the masterful Weinberg.

Making the complex understandable
Peter was able to give examples which made the complex easier to understand. The edges of the first sections in a copy in the Caltech library were black from use. I was privileged to be a guinea pig for the first edition.

A masterpiece in physics.
This book describes the foundations of relativity in a clear and concise way. The development of tensor analysis is especially clear. It is great for anyone who has studied calculus, differential equations, and classicalphysics. I highly recommend it.

Pretty darn good.
Hey, it's endorsed by big Al, himself. The math intro pretty much does it all, but it would be good if you have a firm grasp of vector calculus, and linear algebra. And intro undergraduate physics wouldn't hurt, either. ... Read more

Product Description

The theory of Special Relativity, although a century old, it is still a theory which has yet a long way to go. Special Relativity is the ground on which Particle Physics and General Relativity are based and constitutes an everyday laboratory practice. It is therefore important that the new physicist will understand it properly and deeply, while at the same time will be able to use it effectively as a working tool.

The first part of this book develops the necessary mathematics with emphasis on tensor analysis and differential geometry on the flat Minkowski space, and contains useful material that can serve as a quick reference tool as well.

It introduces the student into tensor analysis and the mathematical formalism required to manipulate Minkowski space-time. The reader will appreciate the geometric intuition incorporated into the standard algebraic index formalism and later on, the fact that the mathematics introduced is an adequate background for a smooth entrance into General Relativity, Astrophysics and Theoretical Physics.

The second part of this book begins with the conceptual foundations of the theory and in the later chapters applies the mathematics of the first part to the study of a variety of important physical problems including electromagnetism. The approach is fully covariant with many worked out examples. It presents the relativistic collisions in a new geometric way and prepares the student for the next steps into Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity.

This book develops the conceptual foundations of Special Relativity and couples the mathematics with the physical considerations and applications. There is an interplay between mathematical ideas and physical principles and arguments, each subject preserving its own individuality whereas at the same time creating a consolidated unit. Emphasis is given to the reasoning which elucidates the structure of the theory.

Studying the contents of this book will make the reader appreciate Special Relativity both as a conceptual theory of Space-Time Physics and as a working tool in the laboratory. Both aspects are required in order to enter successfully the more advanced areas of Quantum Mechanics, Particle Physics and General Relativity required at the later stages of the studies.

Customer Reviews (1)

Comphrehensive, and deep, and excellent learning resourse
This book is by far the most comprehensive book on special relativity. Actually mathematical framework and notations is treated with such style that transition to general relativity is straight forward.

Mathematics is explained really well and there are whole chapters explaining physical aspects of the theory. This books covers all the topics that a particle physicists or frankly every physicist must be at home with. Most books on special relativity do not cover important aspects of special relativity in enough depth as to make a student at home with special relativity. This is sad as without internalizing the physics of special/general relativity and quantum mechanics, NO one can think as "real physicist" can.

This book is remarkable in that it covers so many aspects of special relativity with sound mathematical treatment that is understandable and most importantly makes one at home with special relativity. It goes beyond what others book covered.

Even more profoundly the solved problems and solutions are excellent and make a book an ideal tool for self learning.
... Read more

Product Description
Finally, someone is going to explain Einstein’s theory of relativity in layman’s terms, without getting mired in overly heavy discussion or formal mathematics. In Relativity Demystified, key definitions, examples, and results join the trusted exercises that have made the Demystified series so successful in all subject areas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Great introduction to Relativity
A Great introduction to Relativity.One caveat:Read the introduction to find out the necessary math requirements.To get the most out of this text multi-variable calculus (Calc 3 at least) and at least an introduction to Linear Algebra is necessary.I would also suggest reading the first three chapters of Schumann's Tensor Calculus.

I love that he uses matrices for the metric tensor.This makes understanding other tensor operations easier such as how one forms and the line element correspond.

His many examples of tensor calculus are invaluable.How to generate Christoffel (affine connections) symbols for absolute differentiation are clearly stated.He probably should have spent more time on exterior derivatives since this is the modern tie in to relativity and non-commutative differential geometry.

The section on the Riemann and Ricci tensors is great.The examples are complete in how to compute these beasts.It also has a good section on Cartan structures that could use a more modern algebraic treatment.

I loved the chapter on the Einstein Tensor.This was the first text that allowed me to finally understand why the cosmological constant was added by Einstein, later removed and it's resurgence in modern relativity.

The coverage of the Energy Momentum tensor is well fleshed out.I particularly liked the section on dust clouds.I was able to create a computer model of dust clouds from his example metric in the book.

The chapter on black holes was great and allowed me for the first time to understand the Kerr metric and actually use it for calculating black hole curvatures.

I think the author needs to spend more time on proof reading.Through most of David's series I notice many small errors in the examples that keep me scratching my head for hours trying to figure out what I have done wrong in my calculations.

The above is a small nitpick with a very good book and all of David's book series.

Littered with mistakes and editorial carelessness.
I concur with the last reviewer, there are just too many mistakes.Not only index manipulation errors, but just outright wrongheadedness.The example of passing from the Christoffel Symbols of the first to the second kind by "simply rasing an index" is just plain wrong.It's the LAST only, obvious if he had used better and more transparent representations, like [ij,k] or similar.Did the positive reviewers even work through any of the computations to check?"Mathematics is not a spectator sport."

The author chooses an infelicious mix of excessive almost compulsive detail in certain basic computations (chain rule manipulations especially), and then none at all when the going gets tough and the real fun begins.Statements like reparametrizing curves to send a certain partial derivative to zero when deriving the equation for the geodesic is just thrown out there.On such occasions a novice could be excused for thinking she is being hookwinked.

On a somewhat positive note, the treatment of basis vectors and 1-forms as partial derivatve operators and differentials almost succeeds, but I'd recommend the rigor of Carrol if you really must understand.The early presentation of coordinate transformation matrices is clearer than some.The worked basic examples with polar coordinate manipulations, usually left as exercises, are useful to a newcomer.

The book is, clearly, designed for a physicist, one who actually calculates stuff, and not a mathematician.

Even at this price, though, I would avoid it.I found its style tiresome and often erratic.I didn't finish it, and especially I have no idea what other mistakes might have been lurking in the later pages.

riddled with mistakes
The concept of this book, working out examples, is fine. The execution of this book is flawed. I am finding about one mistake per page. I don't understand why any of the other reviewers mentions all of these mistakes.

Mathematically daunting!
This book is mathematically daunting. It covers the essentials and formulas of Einstein's theories through hundreds of worked (mathematical) examples. Unlike other books of the Demystified Series, this one is not entertaining at all. It is absolutely not a beginner's guide to relativity!

At the speed of light
"Learn Relativity at the Speed of Light" is found on the back cover of this book and I think it's true.It was aproximately 1.23 light years ago when I first purchased this book and I am now on page 208(out of 328 total).My point is that the book is very good but to get through it requires a lot of work; relative to the math and physics background that you possess. I was totally stumped on pages 2 and 3 (Maxwells current-magnetic field equation).It will help to supplement this study with a book on tensor calculus and another relativity book by Hartle or Schutz.The worked examples and chapter quizes were great though and worth the effort. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An amazing book which has stood up over the years!THE GOSPEL OF RELATIVITY by Walter Starcke
This book has to be read to be believed. It does not comfortably fit into any easy category except "Spirituality" in the broadest terms. The beginning story/parable would make me buy the book if there was nothing else.Highly recommended.

The Gospel of Relativity
I was amazed, as usual, when this book landed in my life at the right time as so many things "magically" arrive when you are ready to receive them.For those of you who are searching for answers to questions like "Who am I and why am I here, now", this book will enlighten and illuminate you.I was most amazed after reading the first chapter to return to the copyright date and find it was written in 1973!It really is all relative. As we come to and through the changes and shifts in our experiences of ourselves we see more clearly what Walter Starcke saw those many years ago.As Walter says would be the case, many of us are awakening at once and recognizing that the reality of what we have learned doesn't work and who we are isn't.I recommend you read this book if you are drawn to it and anchore OUR reality a little closer to TRUTH.Welcome to conscious evolution. ... Read more

Product Description
Special relativity is one of the high points of the undergraduate mathematical physics syllabus. Nick Woodhouse writes for those approaching the subject with a background in mathematics. He aims to build on their familiarity with the foundational material and the way of thinking taught in first-year mathematics courses, but not to assume an unreasonable degree of prior knowledge of traditional areas of physical applied mathematics, particularly electromagnetic theory. His book provides mathematics students with the tools they need to understand the physical basis of special relativity and leaves them with a confident mathematical understanding of Minkowski's picture of space-time. SPECIAL RELATIVITY is loosely based on the tried and tested course at Oxford, where extensive tutorials and problem classes support the lecture course. This is reflected in the book in the large number of examples and exercises, ranging from the rather simple through to the more involved and challenging. The author has included material on acceleration and tensors, and has written the book with an emphasis on space-time diagrams. Written with the second year undergraduate in mind, the book will appeal to those studying the 'Special Relativity' option in their Mathematics or Mathematics and Physics course. However, a graduate or lecturer wanting a rapid introduction to special relativity would benefit from the concise and precise nature of the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A little mathematics goes a long way
This book requires only a working knowledge of linear algebra and multivariate calculus, and a basic understanding of classical mechanics and electromagnetism.

The author begins by providing a simple but general mathematical exposition of relative motion in classical mechanics. The next two chapters review Maxwell's equations and what they imply for the propagation of light. Having set the stage in this way, the axioms of Einstein's theory are introduced and their implications worked out mathematically, leading the reader to a clear understanding of Minkowski four-dimensional space time and the Lorentz transformation. The exposition is accompanied by a number of classic brainteasers in special relativity.

The weak spot (and hence only four stars) is the treatment of the mass-energy equivalence, which does not include a rigorous derivation of Einstein's famous formula E=mc^2, even though such a derivation is no more demanding mathematically or conceptually than the other issues discussed in the book.

In sum, this book should appeal to any mathematically literate non-physicist who wants more than just a superficial introduction of Einstein's special relativity.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

US interest in Einstein's Theory of Relativity 1910-1930
This is a fascinating review of various observational attempts to validate Einstein's theory of relativity. It complements earlier detailed accounts byemphasizing the important and decisive role contributed by US astronomers, both in measuring the deflection of starlight at the time of an eclipse (a difficult observation) and the so-called gravitational redshift which can be detected in the solar spectrum and also that of compact white dwarfs. Most earlier texts have focused on the pioneering efforts of Sir Arthur Eddington who promoted the importance of Einstein's theory and secured a convincing measure of the deflection of starlight at the 1919 eclipse. (Although some have subsequently questioned the validity of Eddington's results, recent scholarly articles support the original claim.) This book includes Eddington's story but adds much more by discussing, in detail, the remarkable persistence of US observers at the Lick and Mt Wilson observatories, as well as the unfortunate mishaps of the German astronomer, Finlay-Freundlich. Crelinsten writes well and gives us a gripping tale of the trials and tribulations of the various observers. For the first time (for me at least) he documents the remarkable reluctance in some quarters within the US scientific community to accept Einstein's theory at all! This is a marvelous story and you won't need to understand the technical details of relativity to follow the excitement as it unfolds during the First World War and afterwards.

Richard Ellis, Professor of Astronomy, Caltech

A Scholarly Work of the Highest Order
Most people believe, as I did, that Einstein's Theory of General Relativity was vindicated by Sir Arthur Eddington's confirmation that the path of distant starlight bends as it goes though the Sun's gravitational field - this being observed during the eclipse of 1919. Well, as this excellent tome most clearly describes, nothing could be further from the truth. It took closer to two decades for Einstein's theory to be finally accepted worldwide. The author goes through detail after painstaking detail in describing the efforts by astronomers, mainly in the USA, to confirm (or refute) Eddington's results, as well as other predictions of the theory, and thus support (or demolish) Einstein's theory. The text is very clear and the prose very engaging. Despite its strong scientific content, this book does read like a thriller. It must be admitted, however, that the author pulls no punches regarding the nature of the scientific problems being investigated, the problems encountered, the scientific debates, etc. Consequently, I would expect that readers who would likely enjoy this book the most would be those with a background in physical science as well as the most serious science and astronomy buffs.

Surprising history even for an old hand
I am a staff member at the UCO/Lick Observatory, one of the major venues where the action takes place in this book.Astronomers at Lick were one of two major groups who actually verified beyond scientific doubt the validity of Einstein's general theory of relativity, according to this absorbing tale told with verve by Crelinsten.You would think that the facts related here would be well known to me and my colleagues, but such is not the case.Most of us had been educated to believe that the decisive test of GR was the light-bending measurement by Eddington at the 1919 eclipse.That test was very important but, according to Crelinsten, did not conclusively prove the theory to the satisfaction of the scientific community.It was later work, mostly at Lick and at Mt. Wilson, that did this.I was delighted to learn that my predecessors at Lick were so important in the development of modern cosmology and even more please to read the story so delightfully told by Crelinsten.

An Important Book for Anyone Interested in Einstein and Science
I'm astounded by the research conducted by Jeffrey Crelinsten in order to write this book. It's absolutely amazing that such information about Einstein had existed buteither had never been made public before, or had not been organized, analyzed and coherently told as a fascinating, historically accurate story. Ironically, the author's ability to find facts and relate them to one another proves him to be a master of relativity, himself! The book is more than interesting: it is important.

Einstein's Jury: the jury was out for 25 years!
Given the number of books about Albert Einstein, it's amazing this story has not been told--until now. "Einstein's Jury" documents the physicist's twenty-five year struggle to win acceptance for relativity, a theory that most established scientists considered bizarre, metaphysical and incomprehensible. "Einstein's Jury" is a cliff-hanger, with author Jeffrey Crelinsten calling the play by play as we follow Einstein toehold by toehold, struggling to climb the vertical wall leading to scientific acceptance. Crelinsten holds us in suspense. The scientific debate was nasty, even before the First World War split the jury further by pouring national prejudices on the flames. Acceptance was not a foregone conclusion: Einstein's jury debated for decades. To borrow a phrase from Wellington after the battle of Waterloo, the verdict was "a damned close-run thing." Crelinsten marshals his pro- and anti-Einstein forces well, using previously unpublished papers and letters to cover the knock-downs, slight advances, insults, reverses and ultimate success."

Robert Fripp, author of
"Let There Be Life" (Essays about our cosmic and organic origins) ... Read more

Product Description
Why do photons and speeding electrons have both wave features and particle features when common sense tells us that they should be either particle or wave and not an amalgam of both? And why is the velocity of light constant for all observers? These central questions of physics are reexamined in a new approach using an adaptation of an old method. In quantum physics Einstein's chief method of inquiry between 1905 and 1925 involved a comparison of the thermodynamic properties of matter quanta and radiation quanta (photons). In these pages the author seeks to extend that method beyond thermodynamics to see what new insights it can offer us. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Equality fo mass and energy -- lucidly analysed
This is potentially an important work. It certainly contains a number of original ideas regarding the formal similarity between particle and photon, between field and wave. The thrust of the book is the "radical equality of mass and energy." I am not sure the author fully spells out what this means in the broader sense and I wish he had given more space to Bohm and Bell. Nevertheless, I liked the historical context provided, especially about Einstein, and highly recommend this book.

A Small Book of Ontological Genius...
Paul Klevgard has written the seminal snapshot of a core analysis of quantum and relative physics, from an intuitive ontological point of view. He's achieved what everyone over the last 100 years has attempted and failed to do. Not only does this little volume easily explain what's been missing in quantum uncertainty, but what has otherwise been very clouded and unclear about real, rest and relative mass. Paul takes all the major entangled issues and makes them clear through a simple dialogical style, reminiscent of Socrates and Plato's dialogics.

Klevgard removes the pluralistic relative nonsense that's surrounded, not only physics, but philosophy and mathematics as well, by showing clearly where relativity belongs, and where real rest mass exists. He separates space/time into space(extensional dimension) and time(progressional dimension), which offers the clearest examples/analogies/explanations I've ever seen, even clearer than Einstein's own. The use of ontology as vehicle of explanation compares only to Charles Sanders Peirce's use, to make the complex, simple, yet scientifically factual.

If you've ever wanted a clearer explanation of Lorentz/Einstein transformations of mass to energy, and energy to mass, then buy this little jewel. It's well worth far more than the cost... ... Read more

Product Description
"A major achievement in religious thought." -Henry N. Wieman, The Philosophical Review "This compact, closely reasoned book employs a skill in logic reminiscent of scholasticism at its best to refute traditional notations, scholastic and otherwise, of divine absoluteness, and to expound a conception of God which is both free of contradiction and religiously adequate." -S. Paul Schilling, Journal of Bible and Religion ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Relative or Absolute?
What do you think of God? or What should you think of that God should be? Is God absolute, or relative? Hartshorne shows how process theology articulates God. It is a good book to see Hartshorne's theology of God, and to get taste of process theology ... Read more

Product Description
The theory of relativity, explained by the greatest mind of the 20th century. Albert Einstein discusses the special and general theories of relativity, and the core concepts of modern cosmology, including time dilation, the spacetime continuum, and the energy-mass relationship, in simple non-mathematical terms. ... Read more

Product Description
Special Relativity provides the foundations of our knowledge of space and time. Without it, our understanding of the world, and its place in the universe, would be unthinkable. This book gives a concise, elementary, yet exceptionally modern, introduction to special relativity. It is a gentle yet serious 'first encounter', in that it conveys a true understanding rather than purely reports the basic facts. Only very elementary mathematical knowledge is needed to master it (basic high-school maths), yet it will leave the reader with a sound understanding of the subject. Special Relativity: A First Encounter starts with a broad historical introduction and motivation of the basic notions. The central chapters are dedicated to special relativity, mainly following Einstein's historical route.Later chapters turn to various applications in all parts of physics and everyday life. Unlike other books on the subject, the current status of the experimental foundations of special relativity is accurately reported and the experiments explained. This book will appeal to anyone wanting a introduction to the subject, as well as ... Read more

Product Description
A graduate level text on a subject which brings together several areas of mathematics and physics: partial differential equations, differential geometry and general relativity. It explains the basics of the theory of partial differential equations in a form accessible to physicists and the basics of general relativity in a form accessible to mathematicians. In recent years the theory of partial differential equations has come to play an ever more important role in research on general relativity. This is partly due to the growth of the field of numerical relativity, stimulated in turn by work on gravitational wave detection, but also due to an increased interest in general relativity among pure mathematicians working in the areas of partial differential equations and Riemannian geometry, who have realized the exceptional richness of the interactions between geometry and analysis which arise. This book provides the background for those wishing to learn about these topics. It treats key themes in general relativity including matter models and symmetry classes and gives an introduction to relevant aspects of the most important classes of partial differential equations, including ordinary differential equations, and material on functional analysis. These elements are brought together to discuss a variety of important examples in the field of mathematical relativity, including asymptotically flat spacetimes, which are used to describe isolated systems, and spatially compact spacetimes, which are of importance in cosmology. ... Read more

Product Description
Richly illustrated, this introductory text develops the ideas of basic physics and mathematics to introduce the essential principles and results of special relativity.A geometric interpretation of space-time is used so that the general theory is seen as a natural extension of the special theory.Although most results are derived from first principles, complex mathematics is avoided, and all mathematical steps and formulas are fully explained and interpretated.Student guides allow for alternative routes of study, and summaries, worked examples, and exercises are provided to enhance the student's understanding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent introduction to Relativity
If you are a ambitious highshool student or a physics freshman this is the best place to get started on special realtivity.
It is far less mathematically demanding then many books out there and clear on physical concepts.
(ch.1) Good review of classical ideas.
(ch.2) Need for special relativity, good explanations of
galaian and lorentz transformation, and uses of the latter.
(ch.3) Good introductions to spacetime geometry (the invariant
interval) and relativistic mechanics.

(ch.4) Good introduction to basis of general relativity and cosmmology.

One of the great things about the book is that it takes the common 'popular' accounts one step further by intoducing physics in precise languge and formulas. So that you can apply your knowldege to actully solve some problems and gain further understanding. There are problems at end of each chapter and they are (mostly) supplemented by answers in an appendix.

One thing that is left out completely is relativistic electrodynamics, of course that's only sutibale for a more advanced book. I would've liked to see the power of four vectors utilized more and see the role of tensors. ... Read more

Product Description
This thorough introduction to Einstein's special theory of relativity is suitable for anyone with a minimum of one year of undergraduate physics with calculus. The authors cover every aspect of special relativity, including the impact of special relativity in quantum theory, with an introduction to relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. They also discuss the group theory of the Lorentz group, supersymmetry, and such cutting-edge topics as general relativity, the standard model of elementary particles and its extensions, and superstring theory, giving a survey of important unsolved problems. The book is accompanied by an interactive CD-ROM illustrating classic problems in relativity involving motion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Special relativity for the 21 st Century
Why has Schwarz chosen to write a book on special relativity?After all its a 100 year old theory whilst Schwarz himself co-founded the extremely new and vibrant string theory. Well thats why I feel this book truely stands apart from the pack in that my opinion is the first attempt to bring to a wider ( 21st century) audience the beauty and elegance contained that lies at the heart of S.R. as a fundamnetal and powerful tool forming the core of our understanding of spacetime in the context of physics as it is today. I think if you have a little previous exposure to S.R. and a nimble and curious mind and a passion for seeing into the how our understanind ofspace-time works this book will truely fascinate and enlighten you. Its being an 'up-to-date exposition of S.R' is the reason for the non-standard layout and arrangement of some of the material - I believe Schwarzgenuinely wishes to take the reader through an breath-taking tour of modern physic at a level that an undergraduate can understand.Consequently,this beautiful and elegant book exceeds the scope of any other book at this level. Sure , there are plenty of 'standard' treatments of S.R. if you want them but I do not know any other book that can give a reader at this level a genuine taste of physics from Pythagoras and Galileo upto differential geometry, groups, particles, fields, supersymmetry and superstrings in one volume. I cannot recommend this more highly. A truely wonderful book.

Coherence?
This book contains many topics of interest, but it is
unorganized. As opposed to the distinguished reviewer who found
it "well-written", I find the organization lacking. A
more useful approach that would reach more readers would be to
borrow the styles of Wald in his GR book, and Halliday, Reznick,
Walker in their intro book. Wald has superb exposition that
prepares and leads the reader through the details that are to
come, or those that have just preceded, and HRW has many
examples that solidify the basic ideas. In SR, should a reader
start trying to understand how space and time may rotate into
each other, and the transformations that do this before he has
seen some calculations at the HRW level first?

A more fruitful approach would be to provide an introductory
chapter with well-written exposition explaining how SR came
to be necessary (the author succeeds here somewhat), and then
explain carefully what an inertial frame is (and is not),
state Einsteins two postulates (and explain them with examples
if necessary), and then proceed to work some HRW-level problems
to illustrate time dilation and length contraction. Work examples
to show that time has properties other than those we believed
in Newtonian physics.

The following chapter could develop the tools necessary to
describe what flat spacetime is and how it differs from
Euclidean space. Care should be given to discuss the invariance
of the interval, and extreme care should be given in defining a
tensor not in terms of its transformation properties but as a
multi-linear mapping of 1-forms and vectors into the set R (the
author does this to some extent). The discussion should then
proceed to show how objects like tensors are "geometric objects."
Ex: if a tensor is defined as a mapping of ..."vectors"...,
how is this a geometric object as well as a mapping, and how is
a vector itself defined as a geometric object. Explain how a
tensor may be defined in terms of mappings of vectors, and then
how a vector itself may be defined as a first rank tensor. The
beginning reader will be confused on points like these. Likewise,
a discussion of groups without showing concrete representations
and exposition in sufficient amount will not be adequate. It
would be like defining a topological space formally and then
expecting a first-time reader to immediately see what can be
done in a space having no defined metric.

Great care
should also be given to the meaning of components of a tensor
and what information the components contain.
Examples of tensors in physics, their components and their
meanings would solidify understanding.

The meaning of symmetry and invariance should be discussed with
exposition before the fact, good definitions of these ideas,
and then examples. For example, instead of stating that Maxwell's
Eqns are "Lorentz invariant", do the substitutions and show
the reader that the form of the eqn does not change. Later, the
same can be done with the Schroedinger Eqn to show that it is
not Lorentz-invariant.

After the physical intuition and mathematical tools have been
developed, the book can proceed to discuss flat spacetime in
terms of rotations, tensor operations, manifolds. Examples should
be worked throughout the chapters, as this solidifies ideas at
all levels. Now that the reader knows what flat spacetime is,
physics can be done on it.

The second half of the book seems to be a cut and paste from
various sources that do not fit together well. I would have
preferred an organization of the following type:

1) Exposition on the need for SR and worked problems
showing the properties of time and space in SR.
2) Mathematical development necessary to study flat
spacetime (with examples)at a more advanced level.
3) Physics in flat spacetime with the mathematical tools
learned in 2); properties of spacetime; SR problems
worked out.
4) Discussion of spaces in general with varying degrees of
structure - a manifold, a vector space, etc. Explain
how curvature is determined (in a mathematical sense)
by a metric or connection.
5) Investigate curved spacetime, the reasons that the
Schroedinger Eqn cannot be cast as a relativistic eqn,
(the importance of having a linear time derivative and
second order spatial derivatives), how the KG eqn
and the Dirac Eqn evolved.
6) Leave out the discussion on strings and anything alluding
to the Standard Model. David Griffiths book on Particles
is a good source as an intro to multiplets and particles
and path integrals.
7) Focus on SR and Spacetime and the tools needed to
investigate them; improve the presentation of groups
by giving a few examples of permutation groups and
work a few problems so that the new reader will see
how they work; emphasize the difference between an
abstract group and the representation of that group;

Briefly, there needs to be more clarity of both physical ideas
and of the development of mathematical tools in this book. There
needs to be much more in the way of physical motivation for the
ideas presented. How many times has everyone seen a beginner
struggle to understand *how* two masses in Newtonian physics
cause attraction? They think they are lacking an understanding,
when a simple explanation that the Newtonian law of Grav just
gives the results, not the causes of action-at-a-distance. The
same motiviations need to be given w.r.t. SR in this book and
beyond. Suppose you continued and discussed GR. What would you
tell a reader who asked: "well matter-energy density determines
curvature, and a particle mass subsequently follows that
curvature. But if the field is a vacuum measured exterior to
a massive object, what exactly *is* it precisely that's curving?"
You can pull eqns out and show results, but a little exposition
as in Wald is worth gold.

Final Word: limit the topics of discussion and do a better job
with the writing. I know the author can write a better book than
this.

All you need to know about SR
This a very fine book if you want to go further than the usual introductory treatment of SR (like the one in Special Relativity by A. French or in the Mechanics book by Kleppner and Kolenkow).

Despite saying on the backcover that this is a book for "anyone with at least a year of university physics and calculus", I don't think this a good for a beginner who should look in books like Spacetime Physics by Taylor and Wheeler or in Special Relativity by A. French, this book actually uses tensors and differential forms and includes a chapter on group theory which I don't find most sophomores are ready to use comfortably. This level of this book is at least for someone that has finished a course on electromagnetic theory (for example using Griffith's book).

But if you are in the rigth audience this book is full of interesting material, the authors rewrite Maxwell's equation in a particulary elegant way, and manage to make accesible some topics that usually aren't even mentioned in common SR courses like supersymmetry and some relativistic quantum theory. The discussions of symmetry and field dynamics are invaluable. Note that the book includes a CD with some useful stuff. ... Read more

Product Description
In this short but meaty book, Peter Unger questions the objective answers that have been given to central problems in philosophy.As Unger hypothesizes, many of these problems are unanswerable, including the problems of knowledge and scepticism, the problems of free will, and problems of causation and explanation.In each case, he argues, we arrive at one answer only relative to an assumption about the meaning of key terms, terms like "know" and like "cause," even while we arrive at an opposite answer relative to quite different assumptions, but equally arbitrary assumptions, about what the key terms mean. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Introduction to Roy Kerr
Most people have heard about black holes but most people do not who Roy Kerr is and how his work has revolutionized the study of black holes. This little book is a welcome introduction to this little known, private genius! Part scientific biography and part introduction to black holes and the state of the current knowledge about them. It has some rare and interesting photographs of the 1962 relativity conference in Warsaw. We need a full length biography of the man dubbed by the NZ press as the "Man of Mystery", but till that time, thanks to Fulvio Melia for writing this small book. Highly Recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
It is now more than a century since Einstein's theories of Special and General Relativity began to revolutionise our view of the universe. Beginning near the speed of light and proceeding to explorations of space-time and curved spaces, "Introducing Relativity" plots a visually accessible course through the thought experiments that have given shape to contemporary physics. Scientists from Newton to Hawking add their unique contributions to this story, as we encounter Einstein's astounding vision of gravity as the curvature of space-time and arrive at the breathtakingly beautiful field equations. Einstein's legacy is reviewed in the most advanced frontiers of physics today - black holes, gravitational waves, the accelerating universe and string theory. This is a superlative, fascinating graphic account of Einstein's strange world and how his legacy has been built upon since. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

be patient
This book will probably best be appreciated by readers who have had a college level physics course and who have looked into the evolving field of cosmology through any of a number of popular authors (ex:Greene "the elegant universe" ,Levin "How the universe got its spots"Kaku"beyond einstein" and Davies "cosmic jackpot".It presents the concepts of general relativity without getting into the nitty gritty mathematical details.It also does a remarkable job placing the theory in an appropriate historical context.Yes, the material by definition is complex, but if you spend some time with it you will be amply rewarded.A remarkable synopsis.

In my opinion, the "Introducing" series are well worth the money
Loved it.One of the better books in the series, I think.

Space is curved, not flat and gravitational waves can be manipulated to stretch time which is no longer fixed.
2nd edit
"Introducing Relativity" is explained well enough to be able to get it almost on the first read. Revision always reveals more (this is inherent in what it predicts and is the reason why I edited this review) but relativity is here for anyone who wants to know it.

In terms of the "Introducing..." science series this book complements "Introducing the Universe" and is an extension of "Introducing Newton and classical physics" but it turns out to be the easiest of the three to understand. It also harmonizes Hawking's "A brief history of time" who gives relativity a chapter but this book brings it out more.

Einstein became a household name with his formula E=MC2 meaning energy is mass. As a consequence he established that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light because the energy required to accelerate mass to this speed would be infinite because acceleration also produces an increase in mass.

Einstein understood Newton. Newton showed with his laws of motion how matter moves with and without force and established gravitational effects while Maxwell unified magnetism and electricity by showing that shifts in either electricity or magnetism produces a shift in the other. Newton however also implied that there was no absolute standard of rest because everything is moving. There was no such thing as absolute position or space in his mind. Newton did not believe that time was part of space but separate and could be measured with a good enough clock.

Reality without time is actually like saying that everything is flat and we now know this is an error. This flatness can be imagined by saying that when all questions about matter (sun, moon, planets and forces) was connected through Newton's mechanics of explaining nature it was explained `linked' in a flat sort of way.

Einstein discovered because of the properties of observing light that these `links' have an underlying nature that would change the Newtonian model with his special relativity (SR).

In SR Einstein showed time dilation at near light speeds. A simple theoretical model for this is a ball bouncing between the floor and ceiling. Our concern is just the distance up and down. If we put the room on a train and watch this as the train goes by, the ball also travels the distance the train moved so in one bounce it doesn't just travel up and down, it travels diagonally for us. The diagonal up and down is longer than just up and down. This means that for the observer on the ground the distance traveled was more than what the observer saw while in the room. There is a difference and so time can dilate.

Newton's flat model was not in agreement with SP. Time could change relative to the observer. Only the speed of light remained constant and the law that it could not be broken.

Now that Einstein had changed some of Newton's laws he sought to find how it extended to the rest of Newton's laws. Einstein needed to include velocity in SR in order to solve the simultaneity problem where a force like gravity and velocity can be confused if we don't have a window to observe from while inside the box being pulled by a planet or towed by a rocket.

Einstein eventually realized that gravitational mass and inertial mass are the same which explains this. Linking gravity with inertial mass meant Einstein could under more about this strange force of gravity. This resulted in GR, showing the shape and function of spacetime in the light cone event sliced into four dimensional space with curves called geodesics that matter naturally follows when others forces don't change act on the matter.

Imagine a trampoline made from very flexible material. When you role balls onto the material it creates dips in the plane creating a terrain. For Einstein this created natural curves for things to follow. That is it, GR!... okay so Einstein went more to show that features of this terrain cause affects on what we observe relatively in SR. The biggest feature is how it influences light (it can bend it) and of course the `dragon eating tail' mystery of GR whereby matter cause geometry to curve and geometry tells matter how to move.

There is whole new level of thought with GR. Its discovery meant GR needed to be calculated back into what physicists knew. The mathematics had to adapt and change to include Einstein's new equations and tensors.

Einstein discovered with GR that gravity travels in waves (is not just a strange mystery force, although it is unusual in that it is very weak) and these waves travel at the speed of light and that waves and curves in spacetime are subject to stretching. These gravity waves that are stretched by matter travelling in spacetime are called gravitational waves and were predicted by GR.

GR is summed up by John Wheeler who said "mass grips space by telling it how to curve, space grips mass by telling it how to move."

Core material:
Space and time
Newton and gravity
Maxwell
Spacetime
Special relativity
Time dilation
Muons
E=MC2
Anti-matter
Simultaneity problem and general relativity
Slicing spacetime
General relativity
Equivalence principle
Gravitational mass and inertial mass are the same
Matter follows geodesics unless acted on by a force
Spacelike, null, timelike
Metrics
Spacetime geodesics
Tensors and field equations
Positive and negative curved space
Intrinsic curvature
Extrinsic curvature
Vectors
Light bends
Black holes
Gravitational waves and stretching space
Interference

The book's technical value finishes at around this chapter on Interference. After that we get 50 pages on the standard model of the universe, Hawking and superstring. It really isn't much to do with relativity and you get better information on these topics on more specialized books. I would have preferred the 50 pages to be more about relativity explanations although I understand a need for closure somehow.

"Introducing time" also has relativity references. Overall this is excellent.

If you buy it, read it 5 to 7 times
I definately agree with the reviewers who say it's difficult, but this was the first and only introducing book I have ready perhaps 8 times. Each time, I walk away with a little bit more. Now I feel ready to actually tackle the real deal and research relatively from the horse's mouth. I highly recommend this book, but if you do read it, be prepared to read it several times before it all sinks in.

I went in dumb and...
... came out dumb too.
I'm usually the first in line when there's Weighty Knowledge to be had on the cheap, and there ain't much that's toting a heavier load than Einstein's Theory of Relativity.So, skinny book + cartoons on every page + minimal text = Smart Me.Oh, happy day.
I was doing okay up untilthe two crows that looked kind of like Heckle and Jeckle showed up.Look, you can throw all the cute pictures you got but they aren't going to get me any closer to understanding geodesics and metrics.And that was just the crows!The chimp with the egg beater was pushing tensors and the gorillas with the pointy sticks were trying to explain vectors. Sorry.From the birds on I was absorbing what the authors were throwing at me about as well as a concrete wall absorbs tennis balls.
I like the idea of presenting complex topics in a graphic-text format.Unfortunately, I think this topic needs quite a bit more text and (gulp) an in-depth explanation of the math behind it all. ... Read more

Product Description
The Special Theory of Relativity (STR) is the physical theory of measurement in inertial frames of reference proposed by Albert Einstein. It is deemed special because the theory or principle of relativity is applied only to inertial frames.

In this books, Prof Ghatak sets out and explains the basic physics behind Einstein's theory, and at the same time he gives the reader a concise, enthusiastic overview of Einstein's massive contribution to science and the knowledge of mankind.

In 1999, Time Magazine names Albert Einstein as 'The Person of the Century'. This book tells us why. The introduction deals with a summary of Einstein's work, Chapter One discusses Tiem Dilation and Length Contraction, Chapter Two deals with Mass-energy Relationship and Lorentz Tansformations, and Chapters Three and Four reproduce two of his original ground breaking papers from 1905.

'Special Theory of Relativity' can be read by physics and engineering undergraduates as a support text on their courses, but it is of equal interest to readers of general science and fans of Albert Einstein.

CONTENTS

Albert Einstein: A brief account of his numerous contributions Chapter 1: Special Theory of Relativity - Time Dilation and Length Contraction, Introduction, Speed of Light for a Moving Source, Time Dilation, The Mu-Meson Experiment, The Length Contraction, Understanding the Mu-Meson Experiment via Length Contraction, Length Contraction of a Moving Train, Simultaneity of two Events, The Twin Paradox, The Michelson Morley Experiment, Brief Historical Remarks Chapter 2: Special Theory of Relativity - Mass energy Relationship and Lorentz Transformations, Introduction, The Mass-energy Relationship, The Doppler Shift, The Lorentz Transformations, Addition of Velocities Chapter 3: On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies Chapter 4: Does the Inertia of a Body Depend upon Its Energy-Content? Appendix A Equations Describing Galilean Transformation Appendix B Invariance of the Wave Equation under Lorentz Transformation

Anshan Publishers is a publisher of fine medical, scientific, and technical books.We find the best titles from our worldwide publishing partners and bring them to the global marketplace.

We publish in a wide range of fields, including:-

Biological Sciences
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Engineering
Material Science
Microbiology
Pure and Applied Physics
Pure and Applied Mathematics
Statistics ... Read more

Product Description
Widely considered the greatest contribution to the philosophy of science, Einstein’s theory of relativity has often been viewed as comprehensible only to highly trained scientists. This book, however, contains the great physicist’s own explanation of both the special and the general theories, written for readers interested in the theory but not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics. Presenting the ideas in their simplest, most intelligible form, this three-part volume outlines the special theory, the general theory, and in a final part, offers considerations on the universe as whole.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

An augmented version of Einstein's book for a general audience
There are many versions of Einstein's book on relativity, written for a general audience.This book was written in 1916, in German and then translated into English.The book being reviewed here uses a 1920 edition, but it is far from being the newest one that Einstein wrote.The newest, the 15th edition, was written in 1952, and it is the most complete, as it contains several appendices that are not in earlier editions, as well as some corrections of errors that appeared in earlier editions.I have read both the 15th edition and this one, and if you want the best version of Einstein's text I would definitely get the 15th edition, as opposed to the one being reviewed here.However, the edition being reviewed here has been augmented with new material, and I think that this makes it a better choice than the 15th edition.

This book contains an interesting introduction by Roger Penrose, which provides some insights concerning Relativity Theory and the cosmological advances that have grown out of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.The book contains lengthy commentaries by Robert Geroch that clarify many of Einstein's chapters.Finally, there is an essay by David Cassidy on the "Cultural Legacy of Relativity Theory".In my opinion these additions more than make up for the appendices that are provided in the more complete 15th edition of Einstein's book.

I liked this book and recommend it over the 15th edition, but I cannot give it 5 stars.I found Einstein's prose to be typical of 19th century scientific prose, that is to say somewhat tedious and less than clear.This is especially true of the latter half of the book, which is devoted to the General Theory.To make matters worse, it was originally written in German and may have lost some clarity in the translation.There is a final chapter on cosmology that, because of the rapid advances in this field, make this section largely only of historical interest.

I recommend this book if you really want to read Einstein, albeit in translation, but there are better choices if you want an introduction to Relativity Theory.If you want a better introductory treatment of Relativity, I highly recommend Martin Gardners "Relativity Simply Explained" and if you want an introductory treatment with a little more scientific detail (but still without any math) I recommend Richard Wolfson's "Simply Einstein - Relativity Demystified".

Something Important Is Missing.
This version does not have any diagrams, only refs to nonexistant GIF image files.
This is involved stuff here, a reader needs the illistrations.
Please explore the other versions even if they cost more.Without the formula images this is just about unreadable.

This is a HORRIBLE Kindle Version
This was my first bad experience with the Kindle.Had I picked this book up at a store, I would've flipped through the pages and realized that it was poorly formated.There are carriage returns at all the wrong places, it's nearly impossible to read.I wish I'd paid a few bucks more and gotten one of the other versions.

If you're a kindle owner - go elsewhere.

Harder than it needs to be
This Dodo Press edition is riddled with annoying typos -- even in some equations and variable names. In addition the section numbers referred to in the text are only found in the table of contents, making navigation cumbersome.

A classic like this deserves better. Look for another edition.

Bah!
No, Einstein's Relativity IS amazingly brilliant and eloquent, I assure you of this. My review, although, is a buyer beware scenario. I ordered this exact copy of the text and the one that arrived had all sorts of horrendous typos. One? Two? No, more like...a ton. In an example of this, the 'aether' where the character 'ae' is a single one, somehow in the process of printing it, the character got repaced by a space and question mark! So when Einstein talks about the 'process by which the?ther happens...' or some such example, I translate it as 'bad' and not 'aether'.

By all means, buy Einstein's copy of Relativity, but please be cautious when ordering from this particular publisher. I'm unaware of whether or not this problem is widespread, but to those who get the one with the maddening typos riddled all over it, just bear through it and appreciate Einstein's eloquence and not the translator or publisher's, in my own personal opinion, bad spellchecking. ... Read more