Relativity

After completing the final version of his general theory of relativity in November 1915, Albert Einstein wrote a book about relativity for a popular audience. His intention was "to give an exact insight into the theory of relativity to those readers who, from a general scientific and philosophical point of view, are interested in the theory, but who are not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics." The book remains one of the most lucid explanations of the special and general theories ever written. In the early 1920s alone, it was translated into ten languages, and fifteen editions in the original German appeared over the course of Einstein's lifetime.

Introduction xiiiEinstein as a Missionary of Science 1Einstein's Booklet: Relativity: The Special and the General Theory 7PART I : The Special Theory of Relativity1.Physical Meaning of Geometrical Propositions 112.The System of Co- ordinates 143.Space and Time in Classical Mechanics 184.The Galileian System of Co- ordinates 215.The Principle of Relativity (in the Restricted Sense) 236.The Theorem of the Addition of Velocities Employed in Classical Mechanics 277.The Apparent Incompatibility of the Law of Propagation of Light with the Principle of Relativity 288.On the Idea of Time in Physics 329.The Relativity of Simultaneity 3610.On the Relativity of the Conception of Distance 3911.The Lorentz Transformation 4112.The Behaviour of Measuring- Rods and Clocks in Motion 4713.Theorem of the Addition of the Velocities. The Experiment of Fizeau 5014.The Heuristic Value of the Theory of Relativity 5415.General Results of the Theory 5616.Experience and the Special Theory of Relativity 6217.Minkowski's Four- Dimensional Space 68PART II: The General Theory of Relativity18.Special and General Principle of Relativity 7219.The Gravitational Field 7620.The Equality of Inertial and Gravitational Mass as an Argument for the General Postulate of Relativity 8021.In What Respects Are the Foundations of Classical Mechanics and of the Special Theory of Relativity Unsatisfactory? 8522.A Few Inferences from the General Principle of Relativity 8823.Behaviour of Clocks and Measuring- Rods on a Rotating Body of Reference 9324.Euclidean and Non- Euclidean Continuum 9725.Gaussian Co- ordinates 10126.The Space- Time Continuum of the Special Theory of Relativity Considered as a Euclidean Continuum 10627.The Space- Time Continuum of the General Theory of Relativity Is Not a Euclidean Continuum 10928.Exact Formulation of the General Principle of Relativity 11329.The Solution of the Problem of Gravitation on the Basis of the General Principle of Relativity 117PART III: Considerations on the Universe as a Whole30.Cosmological Diffi culties of Newton's Theory 12231.The Possibility of a "Finite" and Yet "Unbounded" Universe 12532.The Structure of Space According to the General Theory of Relativity 131Appendixes1.Simple Derivation of the Lorentz Transformation (Supplementary to Section 11) (1918) 1332.Minkowski's Four- Dimensional Space ("World") (Supplementary to Section 17) (1918) 1403.The Experimental Confi rmation of the General Theory of Relativity (1920) 1424.The Structure of Space According to the General Theory of Relativity (Supplementary to Section 32) (1946) 1535.Relativity and the Problem of Space (1953) 155A Reading Companion: Thirteen CommentariesPhysics and Geometry (

1- 2) 180Mechanics and Space (

3- 6) 182Light Propagation and Time (

7- 9) 187Light Propagation and Space (

10- 12 and Appendix 1) 191Physics in Relativistic Space and Time (

13- 16) 193The World of Four Dimensions (
17 and Appendix 2) 201From Special to General Relativity 204Gravitation and Inertia (

18- 21) 205Acceleration, Clocks, and Rods (

22- 23) 209Gravitation and Geometry (

24- 27) 213Gravitation and General Relativity (

28- 29) 218The Challenge of Cosmology (

30- 32 and Appendix 4) 222The Relation between Theory and Experiment (Appendix 3) 226The Changing Concept of Space (Appendix 5) 230A History and Survey of Foreign-Language EditionsThe English Translation 244The French Translation 247The Italian Translation 252The Spanish Translation 256The Russian Translation 259The Chinese Translation 262The Japanese Translation 266The Polish Translation 270The Czech Translation 273The Hebrew Translation 276Concluding Remarks 279Appended DocumentsA Letter from Walther Rathenau to Einstein 281A Sample Page of Einstein's Handwriting 284Manuscript of Appendix 3 of the Booklet 286Further Reading 293Index 297