Very Special Relativity

Author : Sander Bais
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780674026117
Total Pages : 128 pages
Book Rating : 4.1X/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Very Special Relativity written by Sander Bais and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, first published in 1905, radically changed our understanding of the world. Familiar notions of space and time and energy were turned on their head, and our struggle with Einstein's counterintuitive explanation of these concepts was under way. The task is no easier today than it was a hundred years ago, but in this book Sander Bais has found an original and uniquely effective way to convey the fundamental ideas of Einstein's Special Theory. Bais's previous book, The Equations, was widely read and roundly praised for its clear and commonsense explanation of the math in physics. Very Special Relativity brings the same accessible approach to Einstein's theory. Using a series of easy-to-follow diagrams and employing only elementary high school geometry, Bais conducts readers through the quirks and quandaries of such fundamental concepts as simultaneity, causality, and time dilation. The diagrams also illustrate the difference between the Newtonian view, in which time was universal, and the Einsteinian, in which the speed of light is universal. Following Bais's straightforward sequence of simple, commonsense arguments, readers can tinker with the theory and its great paradoxes and, finally, arrive at a truly deep understanding of Einstein's interpretation of space and time. An intellectual journey into the heart of the Special Theory, the book offers an intimate look at the terms and ideas that define our reality.

Author : Tevian Dray
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 1466510471
Total Pages : 151 pages
Book Rating : 4.70/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Geometry of Special Relativity written by Tevian Dray and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2012-07-02 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Geometry of Special Relativity provides an introduction to special relativity that encourages readers to see beyond the formulas to the deeper geometric structure. The text treats the geometry of hyperbolas as the key to understanding special relativity. This approach replaces the ubiquitous γ symbol of most standard treatments with the appropriate hyperbolic trigonometric functions. In most cases, this not only simplifies the appearance of the formulas, but also emphasizes their geometric content in such a way as to make them almost obvious. Furthermore, many important relations, including the famous relativistic addition formula for velocities, follow directly from the appropriate trigonometric addition formulas. The book first describes the basic physics of special relativity to set the stage for the geometric treatment that follows. It then reviews properties of ordinary two-dimensional Euclidean space, expressed in terms of the usual circular trigonometric functions, before presenting a similar treatment of two-dimensional Minkowski space, expressed in terms of hyperbolic trigonometric functions. After covering special relativity again from the geometric point of view, the text discusses standard paradoxes, applications to relativistic mechanics, the relativistic unification of electricity and magnetism, and further steps leading to Einstein’s general theory of relativity. The book also briefly describes the further steps leading to Einstein’s general theory of relativity and then explores applications of hyperbola geometry to non-Euclidean geometry and calculus, including a geometric construction of the derivatives of trigonometric functions and the exponential function.

Author : Albert Shadowitz
Publisher : Courier Corporation
ISBN 13 : 9780486657431
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.34/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Special Relativity written by Albert Shadowitz and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 1988-01-01 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First completely geometric approach to relativity theory; based on space-time geometries of Loedel and Brehme. Simplest approach to difficult concepts. Problems. Bibliography.

Author : Éric Gourgoulhon
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3642372767
Total Pages : 784 pages
Book Rating : 4.66/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Special Relativity in General Frames written by Éric Gourgoulhon and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-08-20 with total page 784 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Special relativity is the basis of many fields in modern physics: particle physics, quantum field theory, high-energy astrophysics, etc. This theory is presented here by adopting a four-dimensional point of view from the start. An outstanding feature of the book is that it doesn’t restrict itself to inertial frames but considers accelerated and rotating observers. It is thus possible to treat physical effects such as the Thomas precession or the Sagnac effect in a simple yet precise manner. In the final chapters, more advanced topics like tensorial fields in spacetime, exterior calculus and relativistic hydrodynamics are addressed. In the last, brief chapter the author gives a preview of gravity and shows where it becomes incompatible with Minkowsky spacetime. Well illustrated and enriched by many historical notes, this book also presents many applications of special relativity, ranging from particle physics (accelerators, particle collisions, quark-gluon plasma) to astrophysics (relativistic jets, active galactic nuclei), and including practical applications (Sagnac gyrometers, synchrotron radiation, GPS). In addition, the book provides some mathematical developments, such as the detailed analysis of the Lorentz group and its Lie algebra. The book is suitable for students in the third year of a physics degree or on a masters course, as well as researchers and any reader interested in relativity. Thanks to the geometric approach adopted, this book should also be beneficial for the study of general relativity. “A modern presentation of special relativity must put forward its essential structures, before illustrating them using concrete applications to specific dynamical problems. Such is the challenge (so successfully met!) of the beautiful book by Éric Gourgoulhon.” (excerpt from the Foreword by Thibault Damour)

Author : Michael Tsamparlis
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3642038379
Total Pages : 605 pages
Book Rating : 4.72/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Special Relativity written by Michael Tsamparlis and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-05-17 with total page 605 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writing a new book on the classic subject of Special Relativity, on which numerous important physicists have contributed and many books have already been written, can be like adding another epicycle to the Ptolemaic cosmology. Furthermore, it is our belief that if a book has no new elements, but simply repeats what is written in the existing literature, perhaps with a different style, then this is not enough to justify its publication. However, after having spent a number of years, both in class and research with relativity, I have come to the conclusion that there exists a place for a new book. Since it appears that somewhere along the way, mathem- ics may have obscured and prevailed to the degree that we tend to teach relativity (and I believe, theoretical physics) simply using “heavier” mathematics without the inspiration and the mastery of the classic physicists of the last century. Moreover current trends encourage the application of techniques in producing quick results and not tedious conceptual approaches resulting in long-lasting reasoning. On the other hand, physics cannot be done a ́ la carte stripped from philosophy, or, to put it in a simple but dramatic context A building is not an accumulation of stones! As a result of the above, a major aim in the writing of this book has been the distinction between the mathematics of Minkowski space and the physics of r- ativity.

Author : Andrew M. Steane
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199662851
Total Pages : 436 pages
Book Rating : 4.52/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Relativity Made Relatively Easy written by Andrew M. Steane and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-10-04 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book unfolds the subject of Relativity for undergraduate students of physics. It fills a gap between introductory descriptions and texts for researchers. Assuming almost no prior knowledge, it allows the student to handle all the Relativity needed for a university course, with explanations as simple, thorough, and engaging as possible.

Author : Thomas M. Helliwell
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 334 pages
Book Rating : 4.66/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Special Relativity written by Thomas M. Helliwell and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written in an clear and informal style, this text explores the most accessible of the 20th century revolutions in physics. It allows readers to build up physical intuition for what is going on, before presenting concise mathematical descriptions. It contains many applications, ten appendices, and numerous illustrations, examples and problems.

Author : Dennis Morris
Publisher : Mercury Learning and Information
ISBN 13 : 1944534385
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.87/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Special Theory of Relativity written by Dennis Morris and published by Mercury Learning and Information. This book was released on 2016-05-05 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book concentrates on presenting the theory of special relativity as the geometry of space-time. The presentation is straightforward, complete and reader-friendly, with explanatory asides, that give historical context and links with other branches of physics and mathematics. The first four chapters give a complete description of the special theory and the nature of space and time, with the minimum use of mathematics. The mathematics necessary is introduced in the following five chapters, with the final fifteen chapters devoted to a comprehensive and detailed exposition of Einstein’s special relativity. Features: * Concentrates on presenting the theory of special relativity as the geometry of space-time * The presentation is straightforward, complete and reader-friendly, with explanatory asides, which give historical context and links with other branches of physics and mathematics

Author : Russell Stannard
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 019157404X
Total Pages : 130 pages
Book Rating : 4.47/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Relativity: A Very Short Introduction written by Russell Stannard and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2008-07-24 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 100 years ago, Einstein's theory of relativity shattered the world of physics. Our comforting Newtonian ideas of space and time were replaced by bizarre and counterintuitive conclusions: if you move at high speed, time slows down, space squashes up and you get heavier; travel fast enough and you could weigh as much as a jumbo jet, be squashed thinner than a CD without feeling a thing - and live for ever. And that was just the Special Theory. With the General Theory came even stranger ideas of curved space-time, and changed our understanding of gravity and the cosmos. This authoritative and entertaining Very Short Introduction makes the theory of relativity accessible and understandable. Using very little mathematics, Russell Stannard explains the important concepts of relativity, from E=mc2 to black holes, and explores the theory's impact on science and on our understanding of the universe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Domenico Giulini
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191620866
Total Pages : 177 pages
Book Rating : 4.67/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Special Relativity: A First Encounter written by Domenico Giulini and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2011-04-07 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 being background reading for students beginning a course in physics.