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Lectures on Special Relativity

  • 1st Edition - August 22, 1986
  • Latest edition
  • Author: M. G. Bowler
  • Language: English

The aim of the book is to provide a clear, concise and self-contained discussion of both the structure of the theory of special relativity and its physical content. The point of… Read more

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Description

The aim of the book is to provide a clear, concise and self-contained discussion of both the structure of the theory of special relativity and its physical content. The point of view is that of a practising physicist who uses relativity daily: relativity is a branch of physics and is regarded as being neither mathematics nor philosophy. Particular care has been taken to elucidate those difficulties, conceptual rather than mathematical, which invariably snare the unwary or inexperienced. The material is liberally illustrated with real examples and problems drawn from both high energy physics and from astrophysics.

Readership

For undergraduates reading physics and other sciences with a mathematical base.

Table of contents

What is relativity? The Lorentz transformations. Time dilation and Lorentz contraction. Invariants, 4-vectors and covariance. Momentum, energy, kinematics and dynamics. Tricks of the trade. Some aspects of acceleration. Things that go faster than light. Appendix: Maxwell's equations. Index.

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: August 22, 1986
  • Language: English

About the author

MB

M. G. Bowler

Affiliations and expertise
Department of Nuclear Physics, Oxford University, UK

View book on ScienceDirect

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