Zum Hauptinhalt springen Zur Suche springen Zur Hauptnavigation springen
Beschreibung
This is not a typical book on relativity. It puts the emphasis on conceptual questions: Why is there no such thing as absolute motion? What is the physical meaning of relativity of simultaneity? But, the most important question that is addressed in this book is "what is the nature of spacetime?" or, equivalently, "what is the dimensionality of the world at the macroscopic level?" The answer to this question is developed via a thorough analysis of relativistic effects and explicitly asking whether the objects involved in those effects are three-dimensional or four-dimensional. This analysis clearly shows that if the world and the physical objects were three-dimensional, none of the kinematic relativistic effects and the experimental evidence supporting them would be possible. The implications of this result for physics, philosophy, and our entire world view are discussed.
This is not a typical book on relativity. It puts the emphasis on conceptual questions: Why is there no such thing as absolute motion? What is the physical meaning of relativity of simultaneity? But, the most important question that is addressed in this book is "what is the nature of spacetime?" or, equivalently, "what is the dimensionality of the world at the macroscopic level?" The answer to this question is developed via a thorough analysis of relativistic effects and explicitly asking whether the objects involved in those effects are three-dimensional or four-dimensional. This analysis clearly shows that if the world and the physical objects were three-dimensional, none of the kinematic relativistic effects and the experimental evidence supporting them would be possible. The implications of this result for physics, philosophy, and our entire world view are discussed.
Über den Autor
Presently: Assistant Professor, Science College, Concordia University (in fact, I am associated with three departments - Liberal Arts College, Philosophy Department, and Science College)
1984 -1989: Adjunct Professor, Philosophy Department, Sofia University
1986 -1989: Researcher, Institute of Philosophy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Doctoral degrees in theoretical physics (1997, Concordia University) and philosophy of science (1988, Institute of Philosophy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences).
Zusammenfassung

This is not a typical book on relativity. It puts the emphasis on conceptual questions: Why is there no such thing as absolute motion? What is the physical meaning of relativity of simultaneity? But, the most important question that is addressed in this book is "what is the nature of spacetime?" or, equivalently, "what is the dimensionality of the world at the macroscopic level?" The answer to this question is developed via a thorough analysis of relativistic effects and explicitly asking whether the objects involved in those effects are three-dimensional or four-dimensional. This analysis clearly shows that if the world and the physical objects were three-dimensional, none of the kinematic relativistic effects and the experimental evidence supporting them would be possible. The implications of this result for physics, philosophy, and our entire world view are discussed.

Inhaltsverzeichnis
I From Galileo to Minkowski.- On the Impossibility of Detecting Uniform Motion.- Exploring the Internal Logic of Galileo#x2019;s Principle of Relativity.- Relativity in Euclidean Space and in Spacetime.- II On the Nature of Spacetime:.- Relativity and the Dimensionality of the World: Spacetime Is Real.- Why Is the Issue of the Nature of Spacetime So Important?.- III Implications of the Reality of Spacetime for Physics.- Propagation of Light in Non-Inertial Reference Frames.- Calculating the Electric Field of a Charge in a Non-Inertial Reference Frame.- Inertia as a Manifestation of the Reality of Spacetime.- Spacetime and the Nature of Quantum Objects.- Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, Appendix D.
Details
Erscheinungsjahr: 2011
Fachbereich: Theoretische Physik
Genre: Mathematik, Medizin, Naturwissenschaften, Physik, Technik
Rubrik: Naturwissenschaften & Technik
Medium: Taschenbuch
Inhalt: xiii
316 S.
70 s/w Illustr.
316 p. 70 illus.
ISBN-13: 9783642242359
ISBN-10: 3642242359
Sprache: Englisch
Einband: Kartoniert / Broschiert
Autor: Petkov, Vesselin
Auflage: Softcover reprint of hardcover 2nd edition 2009
Hersteller: Springer
Springer-Verlag GmbH
Verantwortliche Person für die EU: Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, juergen.hartmann@springer.com
Maße: 235 x 155 x 19 mm
Von/Mit: Vesselin Petkov
Erscheinungsdatum: 30.11.2011
Gewicht: 0,505 kg
Artikel-ID: 106693719