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The Universe of General Relativity

  • Conference proceedings
  • © 2005

Overview

Editors:
  1. A. J. Kox

    1. Instituut voor Theoretische Fysica, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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  2. Jean Eisenstaedt

    1. Observatoire de Paris, SYRTE/UMR8630-CNRS, Paris Cedex, France

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    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Outgrowth of 6th International Conference on the History of General Relativity, held in Amsterdam on June 26-29, 2002
  • Contributions from notable experts offer both new and historical insights on gravitation, general relativity, cosmology, unified field theory, and the history of science
  • Topics run gamut from detailed mathematical discussions to more personal recollections of relativity as seen through the eyes of the public and renowned relativists

Part of the book series: Einstein Studies (EINSTEIN, volume 11)

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Table of contents (20 papers)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Fresnel’s (Dragging) Coefficient as a Challenge to 19th Century Optics of Moving Bodies

    • John Stachel
    Pages 1-13

  3. Poincaré’s Relativistic Theory of Gravitation

    • Shaul Katzir
    Pages 15-37

  4. Standing on the Shoulders of a Dwarf: General Relativity—A Triumph of Einstein and Grossmann’s Erroneous Entwurf Theory

    • Jürgen Renn
    Pages 39-51

  5. Before the Riemann Tensor: The Emergence of Einstein’s Double Strategy

    • Jürgen Renn
    Pages 53-65

  6. A Conjecture on Einstein, the Independent Reality of Spacetime Coordinate Systems and the Disaster of 1913

    • John D. Norton
    Pages 67-102

  7. Einstein and the Principle of General Relativity, 1916–1921

    • Christoph Lehner
    Pages 103-108

  8. Einstein and the Problem of Motion: A Small Clue

    • Daniel Kennefick
    Pages 109-124

  9. A Note on General Relativity, Energy Conservation, and Noether’s Theorems

    • Katherine Brading
    Pages 125-135

  10. Weyl vs. Reichenbach on Lichtgeometrie

    • Robert Rynasiewicz
    Pages 137-156

  11. Dingle and de Sitter Against the Metaphysicians, or Two Ways to Keep Modern Cosmology Physical

    • George Gale
    Pages 157-174

  12. George Gamow and the ‘Factual Approach’ to Relativistic Cosmology

    • Helge Kragh
    Pages 175-188

  13. George McVittie, The Uncompromising Empiricist

    • José M. Sánchez-Ron
    Pages 189-221

  14. False Vacuum: Early Universe Cosmology and the Development of Inflation

    • Chris Smeenk
    Pages 223-257

  15. Hilbert’s “World Equations” and His Vision of a Unified Science

    • U. Majer, T. Sauer
    Pages 259-276

  16. Einstein, Kaluza, and the Fifth Dimension

    • Daniela Wünsch
    Pages 277-302

  17. Unified Field Theory: Early History and Interplay Between Mathematics and Physics

    • Hubert F. M. Goenner
    Pages 303-325

  18. Is Quantum Gravity Necessary?

    • James Mattingly
    Pages 327-338

  19. Einstein in the Daily Press: A Glimpse into the Gehrcke Papers

    • Milena Wazeck
    Pages 339-356

  20. Syracuse: 1949–1952

    • Joshua Goldberg
    Pages 357-371
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Keywords

About this book

A century ago, in 1905, Albert Einstein published, “On the Electrodynamics of M- ing Bodies,” in which the foundations were laid for the Special Theory of Relativity. Ten years later his relativistic theory of gravitation and the General Theory of Relat- ity appeared. Fifty years ago, Einstein passed away in Princeton. In the 1980s, John Stachel, then Editor of the Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, brought together a group of historians, philosophers, physicists, and mathematicians who had one thing in common: a lively interest in the history and foundations of the theories of relativity. At a meeting in 1986 at Osgood Hill, this group met for the ?rst time to discuss the prehistory, development, reception, and other aspects of relativity. It was the beginning of a valuable tradition. Since then every three or four years a meeting has been organized during which historical and foundational issues in general (and special) relativity have been discussed. Osgood Hill was followed by Luminy in 1988. Then came Johnstown (1991), Berlin (1995), Notre Dame (1999), and ?nally Amsterdam (2002), the proceedings of which are presented in this volume (supplemented with some papers from the preceding meeting). Once again these articles clearly show that an historical approach can lead to new insights into the development and elaboration of relativity. The prehistory of special relativity and an early attempt at a relativistic theory of gravitation are covered in - pers by John Stachel and Shaul Katzir, respectively.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Instituut voor Theoretische Fysica, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    A. J. Kox

  • Observatoire de Paris, SYRTE/UMR8630-CNRS, Paris Cedex, France

    Jean Eisenstaedt

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