Relativity and the Nature of Spacetime (The Frontiers Collection) [Hardcover]

Vesselin Petkov (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 3540238891 | ISBN-13: 978-3540238898 | Publication Date: May 31, 2005 | Edition: 1

The most important question addressed in this book is "what is the nature (the ontological status) of spacetime?" or, equivalently, "what is the dimensionality of the world at the macroscopic level?" The answer to this question is developed via a thorough analysis of relativistic effects and explicitly asking whether the objects involved in those effects are three-dimensional or four-dimensional. This analysis clearly shows that if the world and the physical objects were three-dimensional, none of the kinematic relativistic effects and the experimental evidence supporting them would be possible. The implications of this result for physics, philosophy, and our entire world view are discussed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Aus den Rezensionen: "… eine Buchreihe ... Begründet und redaktionell betreut von Physikerin Angela Lahee, hat sie das Ziel, den Lesern eine Erweiterung und Reflexion der eigenen Wissensgrenzen zu ermöglichen. … Petkov zeigt, dass keiner der relativistischen Effekte und experimentellen Befunde möglich wären, wenn physikalische Objekte dreidimensional wären, und er diskutiert die Konsequenzen: Zeit und Willensfreiheit sind bloße Illusion. … außerordentlich lesenwert. ‘was wir brauchen, ist nicht der Wille zu glauben, sondern der Wille herauszufinden‘ … Die interdisziplinäre, unkonventionelle Frontiers Collection … hat ihn sogar zu ihrem Leitspruch erhoben." (Rüdiger Vaas, in: Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau, 2007, Vol. 60, Issue 4, S. 212 ff.) --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

The most important question that is addressed in this book is "what is the nature (the ontological status) of spacetime?" or, equivalently, "what is the dimensionality of the world at the macroscopic level?" The answer to this question is developed via a thorough analysis of relativistic effects and explicitly asking whether the objects involved in those effects are three-dimensional or four-dimensional. This analysis clearly shows that if the world and the physical objects were three-dimensional, none of the kinematic relativistic effects and the experimental evidence supporting them would be possible. The implications of this result for physics, philosophy, and our entire world view are discussed. This new edition has been significantly expanded with new sections, appendices, notes and references. The arguments of the previous edition are strengthened; new developments in the field are presented and integrated to yield a thoroughly convincing and clear treatment. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 294 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (May 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3540238891
• ISBN-13: 978-3540238898
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,745,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, deep, just excellent, August 21, 2008

By 

Carlos Leiva Sajuria (Arica, Chile) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Relativity and the Nature of Spacetime (The Frontiers Collection) (Hardcover)

In almost all books about Special Relativity, the foundations are presented without explanation, just in a dogmatic way or as results of the disagreement between experience and theory and calculations start with students full of doubts, getting them crazy about of "what time is what?", "what velocity is what?, etc.

This book follows another totally different way, building Special Relativity step by step, using deep thinking and squeezing the internal coherence of the theoretical physics and comparing with experience, getting a grasp in the new ideas that is always desired.

Petkov develops new interpretations and shed new light to a subject that is usually presented as something rather bored, old fashioned and just a matter of academic exercise.

This way allows self learning and is ideal for teaching. The discussion of the implications of Galilean postulates is just beautiful and the philosophical implications are profound and coherent.
I use this text when I teach Special Relativity and usually spend four or six hours discussing the ideas there presented and I am sure that my students not only can calculate but they know what they are calculating.

Dr. Carlos Leiva

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A review, January 13, 2008

By 

Hetesi Zsolt "physicist" (Hungary) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Relativity and the Nature of Spacetime (The Frontiers Collection) (Hardcover)

I teach cosmology, therefore I found this book very useful. The examples and pictures are so suggestive that it its easy to understand almost every hard consequences of relativity.