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Philosophical foundations of the physics of space-time
This concise book introduces nonphysicists to the core philosophical issues surrounding the nature and structure of space and time, and is also an ideal resource for physicists interested in the conceptual foundations of space-time theory. Tim Maudlin's broad historical overview examines Aristotelian and Newtonian accounts of space and time, and traces how Galileo's conceptions of relativity and space-time led to Einstein's special and general theories of relativity. Maudlin explains special relativity with enough detail to solve concrete physical problems while presenting general relativity in more qualitative terms. Additional topics include the Twins Paradox, the physical aspects of the Lorentz-FitzGerald contraction, the constancy of the speed of light, time travel, the direction of time, and more.
- Introduces nonphysicists to the philosophical foundations of space-time theory
- Provides a broad historical overview, from Aristotle to Einstein
- Explains special relativity geometrically, emphasizing the intrinsic structure of space-time
- Covers the Twins Paradox, Galilean relativity, time travel, and more
- Requires only basic algebra and no formal knowledge of physics
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: The Aim and Structure of These Volumes
- CHAPTER ONE
- Classical Accounts of Space and Time
- The Birth of Physics
- Newton’s First Law and Absolute Space
- Absolute Time and the Persistence of Absolute Space
- The Metaphysics of Absolute Space and Time
- CHAPTER TWO
- Evidence for Spatial and Temporal Structure
- Newton’s Second Law and the Bucket Experiment
- Arithmetic, Geometry, and Coordinates
- The Symmetries of Space and the Leibniz-Clarke Debate
- CHAPTER THREE
- Eliminating Unobservable Structure
- Absolute Velocity and Galilean Relativity
- Galilean Space-Time
- CHAPTER FOUR
- Special Relativity
- Special Relativity and Minkowski Space-Time
- The Twins Paradox
- Minkowski Straightedge, Minkowski Compass
- Constructing Lorentz Coordinates
- CHAPTER FIVE
- The Physics of Measurement
- The Clock Hypothesis
- Abstract Boosts and Physical Boosts
- The “Constancy of the Speed of Light”
- Deeper Accounts of Physical Principles
- CHAPTER SIX
- General Relativity
- Curved Space and Curved Space-Time
- Geometrizing Away Gravity
- Black Holes and the Big Bang
- The Hole Argument
- Suggested Readings on General Relativity
- CHAPTER SEVEN
- The Direction and Topology of Time
- The Geometry of Time
- Time Travel as a Technical Problem
- The Direction of Time
- Appendix: Some Problems in Special Relativistic Physics
- References
- Index