SPECIAL RELATIVITY

This book provides a thorough discussion of the concepts and main consequences of special relativity. Treated in detail are the Lorentz transformations, their kinematical consequences (the so-called paradoxes), relativistic mechanics, electrodynamics as an example of a relativistic field theory, and the principal features of relativistic hydrodynamics. The book offers a logical development of special relativity from Einstein's principle of relativity alone; arrives at the essential statements of the theory by a direct approach — this emphasis is different from that of most books; and offers a concise introduction to tensor calculus as needed in special relativity. A selection of problems and documentation of the experimental tests of special relativity are given.

Contents:

History of the Development of Relativity Theory
Physical and Conceptual Foundations of the Theory of Special Relativity
Tensors
Formulation of Relativity Theory in Minkowski Space
Relativistic Mechanics
Electrodynamics: An Example of a Relativistic Field Theory
Relativistic Hydrodynamics
Limits of Special Relativity
Appendices: Problems, The Experimental Tests of Special Relativity

Readership: Senior undergraduates or beginning graduate students in physics, mathematics, or related subjects; teachers preparing a course in special relativity.

“Any textbook on modern physics contains at least one chapter on the theory of special relativity, but textbooks dealing exclusively with this subject from a modern point of view are rare. Here we have one of them… this excellent textbook certainly represent a valuable tool in understanding special relativity and teaching it in modern language.”

H Latal, Graz

Few-Body Systems (Austria)

“Its aim is to provide an introduction to special relativity for senior undergraduates or beginning graduate students in physics or related fields and it succeeds very well in this limited task in the short space of about 200 pages … the book should prove to be very useful to English readers.”

Mathematical Reviews

228pp		Pub. date: Jan 1990
ISBN: 978-981-02-0068-8 981-02-0068-4		US$54 / £40

228pp		Pub. date: Jan 1990
ISBN: 978-981-02-0132-6(pbk) 981-02-0132-X(pbk)		US$25 / £20

228pp		Pub. date: Jan 1990
ISBN: 978-981-279-916-6(ebook) 981-279-916-8(ebook)		US$70 / £N/A

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