Riemannian Topology and Structures on Manifolds results from a similarly entitled conference held on the occasion of Charles P. Boyer’s 65th birthday. The various contributions to this volume discuss recent advances in the areas of positive sectional curvature, Kähler and Sasakian geometry, and their interrelation to mathematical physics, especially M and superstring theory. Focusing on these fundamental ideas, this collection presents review articles, original results, and open problems of interest.

This book offers an up-to-date insight into the early philosophical debate on Einsteinian relativity. The essays explore the reception and interpretation of Einstein’s ideas by some of the most important philosophical schools of the time, such as logical positivism (Reichenbach), neo-Kantianism (Cassirer, Natorp), critical realism (Sellars), and radical empiricism (Mach). The book is aimed at physicists and historians of science researching the epistemological implications of the theory of relativity, as well as to scholars in philosophy interested in understanding how leading philosophical figures of the early twentieth century reacted to the relativistic revolution.

Metric and Differential Geometry grew out of a similarly named conference held at Chern Institute of Mathematics, Tianjin and Capital Normal University, Beijing. The various contributions to this volume cover a broad range of topics in metric and differential geometry, including metric spaces, Ricci flow, Einstein manifolds, Kähler geometry, index theory, hypoelliptic Laplacian and analytic torsion. It offers the most recent advances as well as surveys the new developments. Contributors: M.T. Anderson J.-M. Bismut X. Chen X. Dai R. Harvey P. Koskela B. Lawson X. Ma R. Melrose W. Müller A. Naor J. Simons C. Sormani D. Sullivan S. Sun G. Tian K. Wildrick W. Zhang

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "100 Years of Chronogeometrodynamics: the Status of the Einstein's Theory of Gravitation in Its Centennial Year" that was published in Universe

Einstein's Jury is the dramatic story of how astronomers in Germany, England, and America competed to test Einstein's developing theory of relativity. Weaving a rich narrative based on extensive archival research, Jeffrey Crelinsten shows how these early scientific debates shaped cultural attitudes we hold today. The book examines Einstein's theory of general relativity through the eyes of astronomers, many of whom were not convinced of the legitimacy of Einstein's startling breakthrough. These were individuals with international reputations to uphold and benefactors and shareholders to please, yet few of them understood the new theory coming from the pen of Germany's up-and-coming theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein. Some tried to test his theory early in its development but got no results. Others--through toil and hardship, great expense, and perseverance--concluded that it was wrong. A tale of international competition and intrigue, Einstein's Jury brims with detail gleaned from Crelinsten's far-reaching inquiry into the history and development of relativity. Crelinsten concludes that the well-known British eclipse expedition of 1919 that made Einstein famous had less to do with the scientific acceptance of his theory than with his burgeoning public fame. It was not until the 1920s, when the center of gravity of astronomy and physics shifted from Europe to America, that the work of prestigious American observatories legitimized Einstein's work. As Crelinsten so expertly shows, the glow that now surrounds the famous scientist had its beginnings in these early debates among professional scientists working in the glare of the public spotlight.

Based upon the proceedings of the First International Conference on the History of General Relativity, held at Boston University's Osgood Hill Conference Center, North Andover, Massachusetts, 8-11 May 1986, this volume brings together essays by twelve prominent historians and philosophers of science and physicists. The topics range from the development of general relativity (John Norton, John Stachel) and its early reception (Carlo Cattani, Michelangelo De Maria, Anne Kox), through attempts to understand the physical implications of the theory (Jean Eisenstaedt, Peter Havas) and to quantize it (Peter G. Bergmann), to elaborations of the theory into a unified theory of electromagnetism and gravitation (Vladimir P. Vizgin, Michel Biezunski), and considerations of its cosmological extensions (Pierre Kerszberg, George F.R. Ellis). This is the first volume to survey many of the most important questions in the history of general relativity, with many of the contributions drawing upon such original resources as the Einstein Archive. It is hoped that it will stimulate much-needed further research in this hitherto neglected area.

The greatest mystery of all, the enigma of Time, shone like a blinding quasar upon the eyes of the creator of the Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein. Indeed there has been no significant thinker, from antiquity down to the present day, who has not confronted the mystery of Time and made it an essential part of his own philosophy. Even in Plotinus’ days the problem of Time was considered to be “ancient” and “continually revived”. Thinking about Time is much like ploughing the ocean. Despite this, the Twentieth Century saw an unprecedented and new operational definition set forth by Einstein, who stripped the notion of Time of all metaphysical content, and made it ontologically eliminable. The verdict in our days is, "Time does not exist." Yet there have not been wanting thinkers who have attempted to swim against the current, to throw down the gauntlet to “the Murderer of Time”, to the Demolisher of the Absolute, showing that the Time is not an illusion, Time is real. These stirring moments in the history of intellectual endeavour are collected here, revivifying the philosophical face of every dissident. The subject is interesting not only to experts in the field, but also to every inquiring mind thirsting for historical truth. The reader who is fascinated by the fundamental ideas of physics and philosophy will find great satisfaction here. In addition he will find here the ultimate roots of our contemporary Weltanschaaung.

This is an authoritative large-scale history of the whole of Latin America, from the first contacts between native American peoples and Europeans in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries to the present day.