The theory of relativity by albert einstein, published in 1916, transformed the way man viewed humanity and the natural world. The reader is assumed to have but little mathematical knowledge. General relativity, part of the wideranging physical theory of relativity formed by the germanborn physicist albert einstein. In 1915, einstein published the general theory of relativity, which he considered his masterwork.
Einstein s theory of special relativity localized behavior of objects in inertial frames of reference, generally only relevant at speeds very near the speed of light. An accesible version of einsteins masterpiece of theory, written by the genius himself according 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. This was the origin of fitzgeraldlorentz contraction, and their hypothesis had no. Albert einstein and the theory of relativity solutions. Aug 20, 2015 einsteins long road to general relativity has been the subject of much research in recent years by einstein scholars such as john stachel, don howard and jurgen renn, and accounts of the story have been given at a popular level in books such as amir aczels gods equation, jean eisenstaedts the curious history of relativity and pedro. Nov 04, 2019 one hundred years ago, einsteins theory of general relativity baffled the press and the public few people claimed to fully understand it, but the esoteric theory still managed to spark the.
Einstein developed a theory of special and general relativity, which helped to. Essential facts about albert einsteins life dummies. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of albert einstein and what it means. The special and the general theory 100th anniversary edition. Albert einstein 5 preface december, 1916 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. Surely this entire episode was invented to fill space since no historian would ever record such mundane private thoughts. Here is the dust jacket of my new scholarly book on the history of general relativity, to be released on my birthday. Apr 24, 2017 theory of relativity by albert einstein audiobook read by librivox volunteers genre. The relation is specified by the einstein field equations, a system of partial differential. Geometry and cosmology, the fundamental laws of classical mechanics, the newtonian worldsystem, the fundamental laws of optics, the fundamental laws of electrodynamics and einstein s special principle of relativity. One hundred years ago, einsteins theory of general relativity baffled the press and the public when the year 1919 began, albert einstein was virtually unknown beyond the world of professional.
The book is illustrated by me and discusses the history of general relativity, gravitational waves, relativistic cosmology and unified field theory between 1905 and. Albert einstein 18791955, one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century, was born in ulm, germany, to germanjewish parents. Albert einstein 18791955 einstein wrote this book for people who are interested in understanding the theory of relativity but arent experts in scientific and mathematical principles. His theory of relativity made its first appearance in 1905 but was expanded upon and explained in many subsequent writings. Although the concept of relativity was not introduced by einstein. Albert einstein published the theory of special relativity in 1905, building on many theoretical results and empirical findings obtained by albert a. A special chapter explores the history of and the stories behind the early. I am not a person who really likes science in general, but i enjoyed this book. I regularly give this book as a gift to curious minds. But empire books, or whatever flybynight publisher was responsible for this particular edition of the book, was inexcusably negligent. Written in 1916, it introduced the lay audience to the remarkable perspective that had overturned theoretical physics. In 1905, albert einstein published the theory of special relativity, which explains how to interpret motion between different inertial frames of reference that is, places that are moving at constant speeds relative to each other.
The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated theories by albert einstein. Albert einstein described relativity as a popular explosion of his famous theory. Discover the thought process and physics behind general relativity and einstein s contribution to science, in this authorized edition. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Having just completed his masterpiece, the general theory of relativitywhich provided a brandnew theory of gravity and promised a new perspective on the cosmos as a wholehe set out at once to share his excitement with as wide a public as possible in this popular and accessible book. In 1905, albert einstein, a 26yearold patent clerk, wrote a paper that revolutionized science. This edition has poor print copy and the print is very small on paper that is far too dark. Albert einstein is best known for his equation e mc 2, which states that energy and mass matter are the same thing, just in different forms. The writing style is easy to understand and the author is an authority being an astronomer. According to the theory of relativity, action at a distance with the velocity of light always takes the place of instantaneous action at a distance or of action at a distance with an in finite velocity of transmission. While lorentz failed to discover this relativity due to his belief in newtons theory and the true time.
Republishes the relevant papers of einstein s predecessors, captures the history of the major priority disputes and exposes how einstein manipulated credit for the work of others. A summary of general relativity in s albert einstein. The ambitious albert einstein challenges centuries of scientific thought with his new controversial idea, the general theory of relativity. Part of the book is an explanation of the theory of relativity. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read relativity. Theory of relativity audiobook by albert einstein youtube. Relativity the special and general theory by albert einstein. Einsteins general theory of relativity was published on may 11th, 1916. Nov 20, 2012 general relativity, or the general theory of relativity, is the geometric theory of gravitation published by albert einstein in 1916 and the current description of gravitation in modern physics. The special and the general theory by albert einstein. Librivox recording of relativity by albert einstein translated by robert w. His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. Albert einstein s theory of relativity documentary.
General relativity, or the general theory of relativity, is the geometric theory of gravitation published by albert einstein in 1916 and the current description of gravitation in modern physics. March 14, 1879 april 18, 1955 was a germanborn theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics alongside quantum mechanics. The first edition of the novel was published in 1916, and was written by albert einstein. Special relativity is a theory of the structure of spacetime. Max planck, hermann minkowski and others did subsequent work. It was introduced in einstein s 1905 paper on the electrodynamics of moving bodies for the contributions of many other physicists see history of special relativity. Albert einsteins philosophical views and the theory of. The theory of relativity refers to two different elements of the same theory. This wasted space might have been used to discuss the physics that made einstein famous.
Nonfiction, science albert einstein 18791955 was a germanborn theoretical physicist who developed the. Albert einstein and the theory of relativity by robert cwiklik. But that is credit to albert einstein, who is the author. This book was a very helpful guide to understanding albert einstein and his theory of relativity. Im sure many people have heard about einsteins theory of relativity, but most of them dont really know what it is all about.
His conclusions changed the way people thought about the laws of physics. He is also known for his discovery of the photoelectric effect, for which he won the nobel prize for physics in 1921. Einsteins theory of relativity includes the interworking of several different concepts, which include. Nevertheless, perceiving and anticipating this situation, albert einstein wrote this book more than fifty years ago whit the purpose of exposing the special and the general theory of relativity in such a way that anyone can understand it. Albert einstein and the theory of relativity albert einstein s restless intelligence drove him to ponder the biggest topics the universe has to offer. An accesible version of einsteins masterpiece of theory, written by th. Albert einstein published four important scientific papers in 1905, referred to as his miracle year. Discover the thought process and physics behind general relativity and einsteins contribution to science, in this authorized edition.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of pages and is available in paperback format. Buy einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics book online at best prices in india on. List of books and articles about theory of relativity. Relativity is described here in simple, accurate language that young readers can comprehend. Theory of relativity a brief history the theory of relativity, proposed by the jewish physicist albert einstein 18791955 in the early part of the 20th century, is one of the most significant scientific advances of our time. Albert einstein was a germanborn theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics.
The faster an object goes in space, closer to the speed of light the more mass it gathers, according to the a. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. In this collection of his seven most important essays on physics, einstein guides his reader stepby. General relativity gr is a theory of gravitation that was developed by albert einstein between 1907 and 1915, with contributions by many others after 1915. General relativity generalizes special relativity and refines newtons law of universal gravitation, providing a unified description of gravity as a geometric property of. The special and the general theory ebook written by albert einstein, general press. Albert einstein 18791955 was a germanborn theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics alongside quantum mechanics. How do the statements on einsteins theory of relativity. The greatest name in physics since isaac newton devised two theories of relativity, the special theory and the general theory, albert einstein was born at ulm in germany in 1879 to a jewish family, who soon moved to munich. In his special theory of relativity, einstein explained that the speed of light was constant but that both space and time were relative to the position of the observer.
A visiting fellow in astronomy at the university of sussex, gribbin is best known as a science writer of prolific output. Cultural heritage online max planck institute for the history of science, library. The first chapters of the book on the general theory of relativity are easy to. Buy einsteins theory of relativity dover books on physics. Einstein explained relativity, the speed of light, time and space along with the lorentz transformation in this short book. The special and the general theory began as a short paper and was eventually published as a book written by albert einstein with the aim of giving.
To do this, einstein introduced his special theory of relativity, which held that the laws of physics are the same even for objects moving in different inertial frames i. One consequence of the theory is that space and time are no longer viewed as separate, independent entities but rather are seen to form a fourdimensional. This year we mark the centenary of this remarkable occasion and are pleased to be publishing the road to relativity. Albert einstein 5 preface december, 1916 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 history and meaning of einstein s the foundation of general relativity featuring the original manuscript of einstein s masterpiece publication date. In this collection of his seven most important essays on physics, einstein guides his reader stepbystep through the many layers of scientific theory that formed a starting point for his discoveries. Albert einstein and the theory of relativity albert einsteins restless intelligence drove him to ponder the biggest topics the universe has to offer.
When he wrote the book in 1916, einstein s name was scarcely known outside the physics institutes. This is an interesting biography of einstein emphasizing his family history and his miracle year when he published his greatest work. But it was a young clerk named albert einstein, working in the swiss patent office in bern, who cut through the ether and solved the speed of light problem once. A must read for anyone who would like to know time, space and relativity. My new book on einstein and the history of the general. Jul 25, 2006 an accesible version of einsteins masterpiece of theory, written by the genius himself according 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. Einstein s theory of relativity is a famous theory, but its little understood. The first chapters of the book on the general theory of relativity are easy to approach even for those with no background in physics, featuring only little math and easy to relate to examples. In it the great physicist explains that space, time, and mass are not absolute, but relative to the observer. An accesible version of einsteins masterpiece of theory, written by the genius himself according to einstein himself, this book is intended to give.
Miller, albert einstein s special theory of relativity addisonwesley, reading 1981, which contains references to his earlier papers as well as those of holton, hirosige and many others. Apr 21, 2018 in this post, we will see the book albert einsteins philosophical views and the theory of relativity by d. Other books that einstein wrote or cowrote that address relativity are the meaning of relativity,the principle of relativity,sidelights on relativity, and the evolution of physics. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the curious history of relativity. This book aims to bring out the place and role of philosophical science in the creation of the theory of relativity. More math and complexity comes in the later stages of the book introducing the general theory of relativity and may be hard to grasp even with a basic. Albert einstein shared his scientific theories and discoveries through numerous books and papers. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Lawson this is an introduction to einstein s spacebending, timestretching theory of relativity, written by the master himself. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. General relativity gr, also known as the general theory of relativity gtr, is the geometric theory of gravitation published by albert einstein in 1915 and the current description of gravitation in modern physics. Einsteins general theory of relativity transformed space and time from a passive background in which events take place to active participants in.
General relativity is concerned with gravity, one of the fundamental forces in the universe. Einsteins astonishing theory of relativity transformed every aspect of physicsfrom the study of atoms to the study of stars. According to general relativity, the observed gravitational attraction between masses results from the warping of space and time by those masses. How einstein s theory of gravity was lost and found again ebook written by jean eisenstaedt. The special and the general theory translation by einstein, albert isbn. This theory found that gravity, as well as motion, can affect time and space. Einsteins monograph on the theory of relativity is simply brilliant, of course, and i wouldnt presume to critique his work. Instead, this book contains long passages on history and politics but only limited discussion of science. It also had some of his history so it was like a biography and a science book rolled into one.
1161 1440 208 679 1180 782 1365 415 725 507 713 197 145 196 754 466 1084 869 87 1028 1501 552 1395 1141 245 786 150 24 45 498 861 1057 694 1282 649 1401 1149 452 729