This mathematically rigorous treatment examines Zeeman's characterization of the causal automorphisms of Minkowski spacetime and the Penrose theorem concerning the apparent shape of a relativistically moving sphere. Other topics include the construction of a geometric theory of the electromagnetic field; an in-depth introduction to the theory of spinors; and a classification of electromagnetic fields in both tensor and spinor form. Appendixes introduce a topology for Minkowski spacetime and discuss Dirac's famous "Scissors Problem." Appropriate for graduate-level courses, this text presumes only a knowledge of linear algebra and elementary point-set topology. 1992 edition. 43 figures.

Hermann Minkowski recast special relativity as essentially a new geometric structure for spacetime. This book looks at the ideas of both Einstein and Minkowski, and then introduces the theory of frames, surfaces and intrinsic geometry, developing the main implications of Einstein's general relativity theory.

From the reviews: "This attractive book provides an account of the theory of special relativity from a geometrical viewpoint, explaining the unification and insights that are given by such a treatment. [...] Can be read with profit by all who have taken a first course in relativity physics." ASLIB Book Guide

Early in this century, it was shown that the new non-Newtonian physics -- known as Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity -- rested on a new, non-Euclidean geometry, which incorporated time and space into a unified "chronogeometric" structure. This high-level study elucidates the motivation and significance of the changes in physical geometry brought about by Einstein, in both the first and the second phase of Relativity. After a discussion of Newtonian principles and 19th-century views on electrodynamics and the aether, the author offers illuminating expositions of Einstein's electrodynamics of moving bodies, Minkowski spacetime, Einstein's quest for a theory of gravity, gravitational geometry, the concept of simultaneity, time and causality and other topics. An important Appendix -- designed to define spacetime curvature -- considers differentiable manifolds, fiber bundles, linear connections and useful formulae. Relativity continues to be a major focus of interest for physicists, mathematicians and philosophers of science. This highly regarded work offers them a rich, "historico-critical" exposition -- emphasizing geometrical ideas -- of the elements of the Special and General Theory of Relativity.

The Geometry of Special Relativity provides an introduction to special relativity that encourages readers to see beyond the formulas to the deeper geometric structure. The text treats the geometry of hyperbolas as the key to understanding special relativity. This approach replaces the ubiquitous γ symbol of most standard treatments with the appropriate hyperbolic trigonometric functions. In most cases, this not only simplifies the appearance of the formulas, but also emphasizes their geometric content in such a way as to make them almost obvious. Furthermore, many important relations, including the famous relativistic addition formula for velocities, follow directly from the appropriate trigonometric addition formulas. The book first describes the basic physics of special relativity to set the stage for the geometric treatment that follows. It then reviews properties of ordinary two-dimensional Euclidean space, expressed in terms of the usual circular trigonometric functions, before presenting a similar treatment of two-dimensional Minkowski space, expressed in terms of hyperbolic trigonometric functions. After covering special relativity again from the geometric point of view, the text discusses standard paradoxes, applications to relativistic mechanics, the relativistic unification of electricity and magnetism, and further steps leading to Einstein’s general theory of relativity. The book also briefly describes the further steps leading to Einstein’s general theory of relativity and then explores applications of hyperbola geometry to non-Euclidean geometry and calculus, including a geometric construction of the derivatives of trigonometric functions and the exponential function.

The primary aim of this monograph is to clarify the undefined primitive concepts and the axioms which form the basis of Einstein's theory of special relativity. Minkowski space-time is developed from a set of independent axioms, stated in terms of a single relation of betweenness. It is shown that all models are isomorphic to the usual coordinate model, and the axioms are consistent relative to the reals.

Physical Relativity explores the nature of the distinction at the heart of Einstein's 1905 formulation of his special theory of relativity: that between kinematics and dynamics. Einstein himself became increasingly uncomfortable with this distinction, and with the limitations of what he called the 'principle theory' approach inspired by the logic of thermodynamics. A handful of physicists and philosophers have over the last century likewise expressed doubts about Einstein's treatment of the relativistic behaviour of rigid bodies and clocks in motion in the kinematical part of his great paper, and suggested that the dynamical understanding of length contraction and time dilation intimated by the immediate precursors of Einstein is more fundamental. Harvey Brown both examines and extends these arguments (which support a more 'constructive' approach to relativistic effects in Einstein's terminology), after giving a careful analysis of key features of the pre-history of relativity theory. He argues furthermore that the geometrization of the theory by Minkowski in 1908 brought illumination, but not a causal explanation of relativistic effects. Finally, Brown tries to show that the dynamical interpretation of special relativity defended in the book is consistent with the role this theory must play as a limiting case of Einstein's 1915 theory of gravity: the general theory of relativity. Appearing in the centennial year of Einstein's celebrated paper on special relativity, Physical Relativity is an unusual, critical examination of the way Einstein formulated his theory. It also examines in detail certain specific historical and conceptual issues that have long given rise to debate in both special and general relativity theory, such as the conventionality of simultaneity, the principle of general covariance, and the consistency or otherwise of the special theory with quantum mechanics. Harvey Brown' s new interpretation of relativity theory will interest anyone working on these central topics in modern physics.

The aim of this work is to provide a proof of the nonlinear gravitational stability of the Minkowski space-time. More precisely, the book offers a constructive proof of global, smooth solutions to the Einstein Vacuum Equations, which look, in the large, like the Minkowski space-time. In particular, these solutions are free of black holes and singularities. The work contains a detailed description of the sense in which these solutions are close to the Minkowski space-time, in all directions. It thus provides the mathematical framework in which we can give a rigorous derivation of the laws of gravitation proposed by Bondi. Moreover, it establishes other important conclusions concerning the nonlinear character of gravitational radiation. The authors obtain their solutions as dynamic developments of all initial data sets, which are close, in a precise manner, to the flat initial data set corresponding to the Minkowski space-time. They thus establish the global dynamic stability of the latter. Originally published in 1994. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This book continues the fundamental work of Arnold Sommerfeld and David Hestenes formulating theoretical physics in terms of Minkowski space-time geometry. We see how the standard matrix version of the Dirac equation can be reformulated in terms of a real space-time algebra, thus revealing a geometric meaning for the “number i” in quantum mechanics. Next, it is examined in some detail how electroweak theory can be integrated into the Dirac theory and this way interpreted in terms of space-time geometry. Finally, some implications for quantum electrodynamics are considered. The presentation of real quantum electromagnetism is expressed in an addendum. The book covers both the use of the complex and the real languages and allows the reader acquainted with the first language to make a step by step translation to the second one.

Lorentz Geometry is a very important intersection between Mathematics and Physics, being the mathematical language of General Relativity. Learning this type of geometry is the first step in properly understanding questions regarding the structure of the universe, such as: What is the shape of the universe? What is a spacetime? What is the relation between gravity and curvature? Why exactly is time treated in a different manner than other spatial dimensions? Introduction to Lorentz Geometry: Curves and Surfaces intends to provide the reader with the minimum mathematical background needed to pursue these very interesting questions, by presenting the classical theory of curves and surfaces in both Euclidean and Lorentzian ambient spaces simultaneously. Features: Over 300 exercises Suitable for senior undergraduates and graduates studying Mathematics and Physics Written in an accessible style without loss of precision or mathematical rigor Solution manual available on www.routledge.com/9780367468644