Relativity the Special General Theory

How better to learn the Special Theory of Relativity and the General Theory of Relativity than directly from their creator, Albert Einstein himself? In Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, Einstein describes the theories that made him famous, illuminating his case with numerous examples and a smattering of math. This book is not a casual reading, but for those who appreciate his work without diving into the arcana of theoretical physics, it will prove a stimulating read. "The present book is intended," Einstein wrote in 1916, "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."__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ContentsPreface—(December 1916)—5Part-I The Special Theory of Relativity1. Physical Meaning of Geometrical Propositions—132. The System of Co-ordinates—163. Space and Time in Classical Mechanics—194. The Galileian System of Co-ordinates—215. The Principle of Relativity (in the restricted sense)—226. The Theorem of the Addition of Velocities Employed in Classical Mechanics—257. The Apparent Incompatibility of the Law of Propagation of Light with the Principle of Relativity—268. On the Idea of Time in Physics—299. The Relativity of Simulatneity—3210. On the Relativity of the Conception of Distance—3511. The Lorentz Transformation—3712. The Behaviour of Measuring-Rods and Clocks in Motion—4213. Theorem of the Addition of Velocities. The Experiment of Fizeau—4514. The Heuristic Value of the Theory of Relativity—4815. General Results of the Theory—5016. Experience and the Special Theory of Relativity—5517. Minkowski's Four-Dimensional Space—60Part-II The General Theory of Relativity18. Special and General Principle of Relativity—6519. The Gravitational Field—6920. The Equality of Inertial and Gravitational Mass as an argument for the General Postule of Relativity—7221. In What Respects are the Foundations of Classical Mechanics and of the Special Theory of Relativity Unsatisfactory?—7622. A Few Inferences from the General Principle of Relativity—7823. Behaviour of Clocks and Measuring-Rods on a Rotating Body of Reference—8224. Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Continuum—8625. Gaussian Co-ordinates—8926. The Space-Time Continuum of the Special Theory of Relativity Considered as a Euclidean Continuum—9327. The Space-Time Continuum of the General Theory of Realtivity is Not a Euclidean Continuum—9528. Exact Formulation of the General Principle of Relativity—9829. The Solution of the Problem of Gravitation on the Basis of the General Principle of Relativity—101Part-III Considerations on the Universe as a Whole30. Cosmological Difficulties of Newton's Theory—10731. The Possibility of a “Finite” and yet “Unbounded” Universe—10932. The Structure of Space According to the General Theory of Relativity—114AppendixSimple Derivation of the Lorentz Transformation (Supplementary to Section 11)—116Minkowski's Four-Dimensional Space (“World”) (supplementary to section 17)—121The Experimental Confirmation of the General Theory of Relativity—123The Structure of Space According to the General Theory of Relativity (Supplementary to Section 32)—132Endnotes—134