"The standard treatise on the general theory of relativity." — Nature "Whatever the future may bring, Professor Weyl's book will remain a classic of physics." — British Journal for Philosophy and Science Reflecting the revolution in scientific and philosophic thought which accompanied the Einstein relativity theories, Dr. Weyl has probed deeply into the notions of space, time, and matter. A rigorous examination of the state of our knowledge of the world following these developments is undertaken with this guiding principle: that although further scientific thought may take us far beyond our present conception of the world, we may never again return to the previous narrow and restricted scheme. Although a degree of mathematical sophistication is presupposed, Dr. Weyl develops all the tensor calculus necessary to his exposition. He then proceeds to an analysis of the concept of Euclidean space and the spatial conceptions of Riemann. From this the nature of the amalgamation of space and time is derived. This leads to an exposition and examination of Einstein's general theory of relativity and the concomitant theory of gravitation. A detailed investigation follows devoted to gravitational waves, a rigorous solution of the problem of one body, laws of conservation, and the energy of gravitation. Dr. Weyl's introduction of the concept of tensor-density as a magnitude of quantity (contrasted with tensors which are considered to be magnitudes of intensity) is a major step toward a clearer understanding of the relationships among space, time, and matter.

Albert Einstein, together with Theodor Kaluza and Oskar Klein, realized that extra dimensions can be used to unify the different fields of physics, as well as unifying the fields with their material sources. In fact, it was Einstein's dream to transpose the a base wooda of the matter term in his field equations to the ?marble? of the geometrical term. During his lifetime, this kind of unified theory achieved only partial success. But the modern approach, outlined in this bestseller, is elegant and agrees with all the classical tests. The basic idea is to unify the source and its field using the rich algebra of higher-dimensional Riemannian geometry. In other words, space, time and matter become parts of geometry."

A truly Galilean-class volume, this book introduces a new method in theory formation, completing the tools of epistemology. It covers a broad spectrum of theoretical and mathematical physics by researchers from over 20 nations from four continents. Like Vigier himself, the Vigier symposia are noted for addressing avant-garde, cutting-edge topics in contemporary physics. Among the six proceedings honoring J.-P. Vigier, this is perhaps the most exciting one as several important breakthroughs are introduced for the first time. The most interesting breakthrough in view of the recent NIST experimental violations of QED is a continuation of the pioneering work by Vigier on tight bound states in hydrogen. The new experimental protocol described not only promises empirical proof of large-scale extra dimensions in conjunction with avenues for testing string theory, but also implies the birth of the field of unified field mechanics, ushering in a new age of discovery. Work on quantum computing redefines the qubit in a manner that the uncertainty principle may be routinely violated. Other breakthroughs occur in the utility of quaternion algebra in extending our understanding of the nature of the fermionic singularity or point particle. There are several other discoveries of equal magnitude, making this volume a must-have acquisition for the library of any serious forward-looking researchers.

This is a new release of the original 1950 edition.

Excerpt from Space-Time-Matter Einstein's Theory of Relativity has advanced our ideas of the structure of the cosmos a step further. It is as if a wall which separated us from Truth has collapsed. Wider expanses and greater depths are now exposed to the searching eye of knowledge, regions of which we had not even a presentiment. It has brought us much nearer to grasping the plan that underlies all physical happening. (Although very recently a whole series of more or less popular introductions into the general theory of relativity has appeared, nevertheless a systematic presentation was lacking. I therefore considered it appropriate to publish the following lectures which I gave in the Summer Term of 1917 at the Eidgen. Technische Hochschule in Zürich. At the same time it was my wish to present this great subject as an illustration of the intermingling of philosophical, mathematical, and physical thought, a study which is dear to my heart. This could be done only by building up the theory systematically from the foundations, and by restricting attention throughout to the principles. But I have not been able to satisfy these self-imposed requirements: the mathematician predominates at the expense of the philosopher.) The theoretical equipment demanded of the reader at the outset is a minimum. Not only is the special theory of relativity dealt with exhaustively, but even Maxwell's theory and analytical geometry are developed in their main essentials. This was a part of the whole scheme. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

In principle, the elements of space and time cannot be measured. Therefore, the following question arises: How are reality and space-time related to each other? In this book, it is argued on the basis of many facts that reality is not embedded but projected onto space and time. We can never make statements about the actual reality outside (basic reality), but we can ?only? form pictures of it. These are pictures of the same reality on different levels. From this point of view, the ?hard? objects (matter) and the products of the mind are similar in character.

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This excellent textbook offers a unique take on relativity theory, setting it in its historical context. Ideal for those interested in relativity and the history of physics, the book contains a complete account of special relativity that begins with the historical analysis of the reasons that led to a change in our view of space and time. Its aim is to foster a deep understanding of relativistic spacetime and its consequences for Dynamics.