Other editions of book Relativity: The Special and General Theory

From the age of Galileo until the early years of the 20th century, scientists grappled with seemingly insurmountable paradoxes inherent in the theories of classical physics. With the publication of Albert Einstein's "special" and "general" theories of relativity, however, traditional approaches to solving the riddles of space and time crumbled. In their place stood a radically new view of the physical world, providing answers to many of the unsolved mysteries of pre-Einsteinian physics.Acclaimed as the pinnacle of scientific philosophy, the theories of relativity tend to be regarded as the exclusive domain of highly trained scientific minds. The great physicist himself disclaimed this exclusionary view, and in this book, he explains both theories in their simplest and most intelligible form for the layman not versed in the mathematical foundations of theoretical physics.In addition to the theories themselves, this book contains a final part presenting fascinating considerations on the universe as a whole. Appendices cover the simple derivation of the Lorentz transformation, Minkowski's four-dimensional space, and the experimental confirmation of the general theory of relativity. Students, teachers, and other scientifically minded readers will appreciate this inexpensive and accessible interpretation of one of the world's greatest intellectual accomplishments.

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. The theory of relativity enriched physics and astronomy during the 20th century.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Albert Einstein, a gentleman who belongs to the elite league of Newton, Tesla, Maxwell and considered to be the greatest scientist of 20th century. Born in Germany, and worked as a clerk in the patent office before revolutionizing the world of physics, Einstein with his incredible achievements in scientific world has become synonymous to the word genius. He provided the world, two of the most brilliant concepts of physics through his theories of relativity, and won the Noble Prize in Physics for his work on Photoelectric Effect, which eventually become the foundation stone for tremendous developments in electronic technologies and quantum theory. Einstein is not only celebrated as the greatest physicists of all the time but he was also a wonderful human being and philosopher. World War II and presence of Adolf Hitler in Germany forced him to stay in the US during the period, where he consistently tried hard to warn and evade the application of nuclear fission as a weapon of mass destruction. He collaborated and interacted with many extraordinary minds of his time contributing to the world of physics and humanity as a whole. His unmatched intellectual imagination collaged with his immense interest in music, philosophy and humanity makes him the greatest personality that scientific world and mankind have ever seen.

General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1915. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics. General relativity generalises special relativity and Newton's law of universal gravitation, providing a unified description of gravity as a geometric property of space and time, or spacetime. In particular, the curvature of spacetime is directly related to the four-momentum (mass-energy and linear momentum) of whatever matter and radiation are present. The relation is specified by the Einstein field equations, a system of partial differential equations. Einstein's theory has important astrophysical implications. For example, it implies the existence of black holes-regions of space in which space and time are distorted in such a way that nothing, not even light, can escape-as an end-state for massive stars. There is evidence that such stellar black holes as well as more massive varieties of black hole are responsible for the intense radiation emitted by certain types of astronomical objects such as active galactic nuclei or microquasars.

Albert Einstein is the unquestioned founder of modern physics. His theory of relativity is the most important scientific idea of the modern era. In this book Einstein explains, using the minimum of mathematical terms, the basic ideas and principles of the theory which has shaped the world we live in today. Unsurpassed by any subsequent books on relativity, this remains the most popular and useful exposition of Einstein’s immense contribution to human knowledge.In this work Einstein intended, as far as possible, to give an exact insight into the theory of relativity to those readers who, from a general and scientific philosophical point of view, are interested in the theory, but who are not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics. The theory of relativity enriched physics and astronomy during the 20th century.

Along with quantum mechanics in the 1920s, Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity (1905) and General Theory of Relativity (1916) stand as the supreme achievements of twentieth-century physics.In simplest terms, the theory of Relativity is an approach to the measurement and study of space and time. The theory assumes that findings are based upon the relation of the frame of reference to the objects measured. The Special Theory of Relativity is primarily concerned with electric and magnetic phenomena. The General Theory focuses on gravity—not as a force as Newton postulated—but as a curved field in the space-time continuum, created by the presence of mass.Redesigned to present an easier reading, Relativity includes both explanatory illustrations and mathematical derivations of Einstein’s theories. This book brings out the great scientist’s remarkable ability to penetrate directly into the heart of the subject and yet remain lucid and accessible.

The present book is intended, 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. The work presumes a standard of education corresponding to that of a university matriculation examination, and, despite the shortness of the book, a fair amount of patience and force of will on the part of the reader. The author has spared himself no pains in his endeavour to present the main ideas in the simplest and most intelligible form, and on the whole, in the sequence and connection in which they actually originated. In the interest of clearness, it appeared to me inevitable that I should repeat myself frequently, without paying the slightest attention to the elegance of the presentation. I adhered scrupulously to the precept of that brilliant theoretical physicist L. Boltzmann, according to whom matters of elegance ought to be left to the tailor and to the cobbler. I make no pretence of having withheld from the reader difficulties which are inherent to the subject. On the other hand, I have purposely treated the empirical physical foundations of the theory in a “step-motherly” fashion, so that readers unfamiliar with physics may not feel like the wanderer who was unable to see the forest for the trees. May the book bring some one a few happy hours of suggestive thought! - Taken from Relativity: The Special and General Theory written by Albert Einstein

This book was originally written in German by Albert Einstein in 1916 and later translated to English by Robert W. Lawson in 1920. In Einstein's own words, "The present book is intended, 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." This new Kindle edition contains all figures and formulas in the original paper edition. In particular, the equations have been carefully typeset with proper scaling, and they are more readable on Kindle. Indeed, in the words of a reader, "a book on Relativity without readable equations makes the book not even worth a penny."

The present book is intended, 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. The text is divided into three parts which deal respectively with the special theory of relativity, with the general theory of relativity, and with considerations on the universe as a whole. The special theory deals with the physics of elementary particles while the general theory is concerned with the force of gravity and its effect on the other forces of nature. These two theories, while exceptional in their explanations of their particular focus, are inconsistent with each other, and it has long been an aim of the science of physics to help resolve these inconsistencies. Einstein proposed that, rather than discarding these two principles for their contradictions, the rules of time and space should be completely rethought in order to harmonize our understanding of the physical world. Einstein’s work in the field of theoretical physics would earn him the Nobel Prize in 1921 and establish his legacy as one of the most famous scientists of all time. This edition is translated by Robert W. Lawson and is printed on premium acid-free paper.

An accesible version of Einstein's masterpiece of theory, written by the genius himselfAccording to Einstein himself, this book is intended "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." When he wrote the book in 1916, Einstein's name was scarcely known outside the physics institutes. Having just completed his masterpiece, The General Theory of Relativity—which provided a brand-new theory of gravity and promised a new perspective on the cosmos as a whole—he set out at once to share his excitement with as wide a public as possible in this popular and accessible book.Here published for the first time as a Penguin Classic, this edition of Relativity features a new introduction by bestselling science author Nigel Calder.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Worldrenowned theoretical physicist Albert Einstein was interested in explaining the theory of Relativity to people who were not especially wellversed in higher mathematic concepts and theoretical physics. His solution to this was to write the groundbreaking work, "Relativity: The Special and General Theory." In the paper, Einstein lays out two contradictory principles: a principle of relativity and a principle of light. Einstein proposed that, rather than discarding these two principles for being conflicting, the rules of time and space should be completely revamped and rethought in order to find a way to make these two principles work in harmony. Rather than just explaining his new proposal, though, Einstein writes exactly why these rules need to be changed by explaining the inaccuracies and inadequacies located within each of the current theories. Albert Einstein is best known for his work on the theory of Relativity, gaining him the title of "Father of Modern Physics." He also received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics, and his work is attributed as an inspiration for the quantum theory within the field of physics. After immigrating to America following Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany, Einstein famously warned the government that Hitler was planning on creating a weapon based on nuclear fission, and voiced his strong opinion against the creation of the atom bomb. His hundreds of papers and books are highly original and intelligent, making him one of the most famous and respected intellectual minds of the twentieth century.