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The Principle of Relativity
This collection of original papers on the special and general theories of relativity is an unabridged translation of the 4th edition of Das Relativitatsprinzip, together with a revised edition of an additional paper by H.A. Lorentz.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1952
About the author
Albert Einstein
864 books9,384 followersSpecial and general theories of relativity of German-born American theoretical physicist Albert Einstein revolutionized modern thought on the nature of space and time and formed a base for the exploitation of atomic energy; he won a Nobel Prize of 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
His paper of 1905 formed the basis of electronics. His first paper, also published in 1905, changed the world.
He completed his Philosophiae Doctor at the University of Zurich before 1909.
Einstein, a pacifist during World War I, stayed a firm proponent of social justice and responsibility.
Einstein thought that Newtonion mechanics no longer enough reconciled the laws of classical mechanics with those of the electromagnetic field. This thought led to the development. He recognized, however, that he ably also extended the principle to gravitational fields and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916 published a paper. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light, which laid the foundation of the photon.
Best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, dubbed "the world's most famous equation," he received "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory.
He visited the United States when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and went not back to Germany. On the eve of World War II, he endorsed a letter, alerting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president, to the potential development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" and recommending that the United States begin similar research. This recommendation eventually led to the Manhattan project. Einstein supported defending the Allied forces but largely denounced the idea of using the newly discovered nuclear fission as a weapon. Later, with Bertrand Russell–Einstein manifesto highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons.
After the rise of the Nazi party, Einstein made Princeton his permanent home as a citizen of United States in 1940. He chaired the emergency committee of atomic scientists, which organized to alert the public to the dangers of warfare.
At a symposium, he advised:
("Science, Philosophy and Religion, A Symposium," published by the Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion in their Relation to the Democratic Way of Life, Inc., New York, 1941).
In a letter to philosopher Eric Gutkind, dated 3 January 1954, Einstein stated:
(The Guardian, "Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of religion relatively clear," by James Randerson, May 13, 2008)
Great intellectual achievements and originality made the word "Einstein" synonymous with genius.
The institute for advanced study in Princeton, New Jersey, affiliated Einstein until his death in 1955.
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_E...
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobe
His paper of 1905 formed the basis of electronics. His first paper, also published in 1905, changed the world.
He completed his Philosophiae Doctor at the University of Zurich before 1909.
Einstein, a pacifist during World War I, stayed a firm proponent of social justice and responsibility.
Einstein thought that Newtonion mechanics no longer enough reconciled the laws of classical mechanics with those of the electromagnetic field. This thought led to the development. He recognized, however, that he ably also extended the principle to gravitational fields and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916 published a paper. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light, which laid the foundation of the photon.
Best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, dubbed "the world's most famous equation," he received "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory.
He visited the United States when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and went not back to Germany. On the eve of World War II, he endorsed a letter, alerting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president, to the potential development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" and recommending that the United States begin similar research. This recommendation eventually led to the Manhattan project. Einstein supported defending the Allied forces but largely denounced the idea of using the newly discovered nuclear fission as a weapon. Later, with Bertrand Russell–Einstein manifesto highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons.
After the rise of the Nazi party, Einstein made Princeton his permanent home as a citizen of United States in 1940. He chaired the emergency committee of atomic scientists, which organized to alert the public to the dangers of warfare.
At a symposium, he advised:
"In their struggle for the ethical good, teachers of religion must have the stature to give up the doctrine of a personal God, that is, give up that source of fear and hope which in the past placed such vast power in the hands of priests. In their labors they will have to avail themselves of those forces which are capable of cultivating the Good, the True, and the Beautiful in humanity itself. This is, to be sure a more difficult but an incomparably more worthy task... "
("Science, Philosophy and Religion, A Symposium," published by the Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion in their Relation to the Democratic Way of Life, Inc., New York, 1941).
In a letter to philosopher Eric Gutkind, dated 3 January 1954, Einstein stated:
"The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."
(The Guardian, "Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of religion relatively clear," by James Randerson, May 13, 2008)
Great intellectual achievements and originality made the word "Einstein" synonymous with genius.
The institute for advanced study in Princeton, New Jersey, affiliated Einstein until his death in 1955.
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_E...
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobe
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 19, 2008
I was floored by this work. If taken slow I feel that any person of reasonable intelligence can understand the concepts that Prof. Einstein puts forth on the laws that govern time and space. This monumental work is, to me, less like science and more like poetry.
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December 8, 2007This is IT!
May 23, 2015
The beautiful thing about science in the original is that, while the results may not always be correct or as clearly expressed as they might be, you do get the original philosophical arguments that led to the theory in the first place. This is especially true of Einstein. To me, he is clearly a philosopher in his original papers, both in his unifying view of things and also the argumentative techniques he uses.
March 6, 2016
Reading the original papers that made Einstein famous is a treat. His remarkable concision is especially inspiring.
December 15, 2022
Understanding the concept of physics and how it unfolds is something truly impressive and that Albert explains it marvelously
February 20, 2014
This book is a collection of papers by Lorentz, Einstein, Minkowski and Weyl that laid the foundation of the Special and General Theory of Relativity.
Collecting these papers in a book give the reader an appreciation from what problems and ideas the theory developed, instead of getting it ready-made in a modern textbook.
For Special Relativity, this works fine. Though Lorentz paper is barely readable, Einstein writes very elegantly and explains in very simple term his ideas. In fact, today's textbook expositions of Special Relativity are still very close to Einsteins exposition.
Unfortunately, it does not work quite as well for General Relativity. Naturally, this theory requires a lot of knowledge in differential geometry/tensor calculus, but also, in the time since Einstein presented the Special Theory, many more physicists joined in the research on General Relativity and Gravitation, and Einsteins later papers on the subject naturally take their ideas and criticism into account. But for the reader it seems like a few steps are missing, especially when it comes to motivating Einsteins field equations for gravity. Then again - a textbook might help!
That said, this is a valuable book, and a great read for anyone interested in physics.
Collecting these papers in a book give the reader an appreciation from what problems and ideas the theory developed, instead of getting it ready-made in a modern textbook.
For Special Relativity, this works fine. Though Lorentz paper is barely readable, Einstein writes very elegantly and explains in very simple term his ideas. In fact, today's textbook expositions of Special Relativity are still very close to Einsteins exposition.
Unfortunately, it does not work quite as well for General Relativity. Naturally, this theory requires a lot of knowledge in differential geometry/tensor calculus, but also, in the time since Einstein presented the Special Theory, many more physicists joined in the research on General Relativity and Gravitation, and Einsteins later papers on the subject naturally take their ideas and criticism into account. But for the reader it seems like a few steps are missing, especially when it comes to motivating Einsteins field equations for gravity. Then again - a textbook might help!
That said, this is a valuable book, and a great read for anyone interested in physics.
July 4, 2013
In 1990 I had to write a paper about time travel. Reading this book was a must.
I got so excited about the subject that in the end I wrote two. One on multiple universes and the other on tachyons* (kind of an mental experiment). The latter one was directly inspired by this book, my conversations about it and deep thinking/lots of fun at home.
If you really love physics, reading, thinking, and are not scared at some of the maths involved (I still can't grasp half of it) this book is pure joy.
*A tachyon or tachyonic particle is a hypothetical particle that always moves faster than light. The word comes from the Greek: ταχύς or tachys, meaning "swift, quick, fast, rapid", and was coined by Gerald Feinberg.
I got so excited about the subject that in the end I wrote two. One on multiple universes and the other on tachyons* (kind of an mental experiment). The latter one was directly inspired by this book, my conversations about it and deep thinking/lots of fun at home.
If you really love physics, reading, thinking, and are not scared at some of the maths involved (I still can't grasp half of it) this book is pure joy.
*A tachyon or tachyonic particle is a hypothetical particle that always moves faster than light. The word comes from the Greek: ταχύς or tachys, meaning "swift, quick, fast, rapid", and was coined by Gerald Feinberg.
August 9, 2013
The Principle of Relativity is a tough read of a concept that is difficult to grasp. I had the benefit of help and insights from my classmates over the few months we wrestled with Einstein. I admit I experienced several false 'Aha!' moments along the way. Eventually I did manage to successfully conceptualize the fundamentals of the theory before my class moved on, but I had to revisit Einstein's work several times on my own to gain a deeper and more useful understanding of relativity.
January 4, 2013
Include an intro to minkowski space time coordinates
April 20, 2022
รวมบทความต้นฉบับ ทั้งหมด 11 บทความของ Einstein, Lorentz, Weyl และ Minkowski ที่เป็นหลักและเป็นรากฐานของทฤษฎีสัมพัทธภาพ
บทความโดย Lorentz
1. Michelson's Interference Experiment (1895)
2. Electromagnetics Phenomena in a system moving with any velocity less than that of light (1904)
บทความโดย Einstein
1. On the electrodynamics of moving bodies (1905)
2. Does the inertia of a body depend upon its energy content? (1905) ที่มาของ E = mc^2
3. On the influence of gravitation on the propagation of light (1911)
4. The Foundation of the general theory of relativity (1916)
5. Hamilton's principle and the general theory of relativity (1916)
6. Cosmological considerations on the General theory of relativity (1917)
7. Do gravitational fields play an essential part in the structure of the elementary particles of matter? (1919)
บทความโดย Minkowski
1. Space and Time (1908)
บทความโดย Weyl
1. Gravitation and Electricity (1918)
บทความโดย Lorentz
1. Michelson's Interference Experiment (1895)
2. Electromagnetics Phenomena in a system moving with any velocity less than that of light (1904)
บทความโดย Einstein
1. On the electrodynamics of moving bodies (1905)
2. Does the inertia of a body depend upon its energy content? (1905) ที่มาของ E = mc^2
3. On the influence of gravitation on the propagation of light (1911)
4. The Foundation of the general theory of relativity (1916)
5. Hamilton's principle and the general theory of relativity (1916)
6. Cosmological considerations on the General theory of relativity (1917)
7. Do gravitational fields play an essential part in the structure of the elementary particles of matter? (1919)
บทความโดย Minkowski
1. Space and Time (1908)
บทความโดย Weyl
1. Gravitation and Electricity (1918)
Shelved as 'to-finish-reading'
August 7, 2022First English edition, Perrett & Jeffery trans. (Dover) 1923.
I. Michelson’s Interference Experiment, H.A. Lorentz, 1895. ⭐⭐⭐—Synopsis: Lorentz derives his transformation from a re-examination of the seminal Michelson/Morley experiment.
II. Electromagnetic Phenomena in a System Moving with any Velocity Less than that of Light, ibid, 1904
III. On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, A. Einstein, 1905, See other edition.
IV. Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon its Energy-Content? ibid, 1905. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐—Einstein slam dunks this one!
V. Space and Time, H. Minkowski, 1908, TBD—A poor trans. e.g., " Since merely one chalky axis, as it is, consists of molecules all a-thrill, and moreover is taking part in the earth's travels in the universe, it already affords us ample scope for abstraction: . . ." My trans.: "Since every chalk axis consists of vibrating molecules, which are taking part in the Earth's travels though the universe, they already afford us ample scope for abstraction; . . ." Note the Carus and Petkov trans. are even worse. I recommend the Google trans. of the original German. But regardless of trans., it's vague and obfuscating. In particular, what did Minkowski mean by: "But I still respect the dogma that space and time have independent meaning."? No one seems to know.
VI. On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light, A. Einstein, 1911, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, The setup for the famous experiment performed in 1919.
VII. The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity, ibid, 1916
VIII. Hamilton’s Principle and the General Theory of Relativity, ibid
IX. Cosmological Consideration on the General Theory of Relativity, ibid, 1917
X, Do Gravitational Fields Play an Essential Role in the Elementary Particles of Matter? ibid, 1919
XI, Gravitation and Electricity, H. Weyl, 1918
I. Michelson’s Interference Experiment, H.A. Lorentz, 1895. ⭐⭐⭐—Synopsis: Lorentz derives his transformation from a re-examination of the seminal Michelson/Morley experiment.
II. Electromagnetic Phenomena in a System Moving with any Velocity Less than that of Light, ibid, 1904
III. On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, A. Einstein, 1905, See other edition.
IV. Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon its Energy-Content? ibid, 1905. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐—Einstein slam dunks this one!
V. Space and Time, H. Minkowski, 1908, TBD—A poor trans. e.g., " Since merely one chalky axis, as it is, consists of molecules all a-thrill, and moreover is taking part in the earth's travels in the universe, it already affords us ample scope for abstraction: . . ." My trans.: "Since every chalk axis consists of vibrating molecules, which are taking part in the Earth's travels though the universe, they already afford us ample scope for abstraction; . . ." Note the Carus and Petkov trans. are even worse. I recommend the Google trans. of the original German. But regardless of trans., it's vague and obfuscating. In particular, what did Minkowski mean by: "But I still respect the dogma that space and time have independent meaning."? No one seems to know.
VI. On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light, A. Einstein, 1911, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, The setup for the famous experiment performed in 1919.
VII. The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity, ibid, 1916
VIII. Hamilton’s Principle and the General Theory of Relativity, ibid
IX. Cosmological Consideration on the General Theory of Relativity, ibid, 1917
X, Do Gravitational Fields Play an Essential Role in the Elementary Particles of Matter? ibid, 1919
XI, Gravitation and Electricity, H. Weyl, 1918
May 11, 2018
You call it telepathy.
The strategy of Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
made him a good student.
The strategy of Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
made him a good student.
February 23, 2020
As an Einstein groupie I loved this book, well written for the masses to understand the most important theory that was ever developed which changed the world.
Read
July 25, 2021great book
September 28, 2022
Brilliant, obviously, but a shame that there was not more comments and explanations for stupid people like me :P
June 6, 2022
Un libro que dejó una huella en mi entendimiento y muchas, muchas preguntas. Esas preguntas que le hacen bien al espíritu porque lo mantienen en movimiento.
February 8, 2022
Tedious
November 22, 2011
From horse's mouth!
October 18, 2017
An amazing book mathematically and philosophically.
May 25, 2018
hey friends i was not exited with the book because i dont know how to read books in goodreads so can you help me??!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews