Albert Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity: Emergence (1905) and Early Interpretation (1905-1911)

Description

This book analyzes one of the three great papers Einstein published in 1905, each of which would alter forever the field it dealt with. The second of these papers, "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies," had an impact in a much broader field than electrodynamics: it established what Einstein sometimes referred to (after 1906) as the "so-called Theory of Relativity." Miller uses the paper to provide a window into the intense intellectual struggles of physicists in the first decade of the 20th century: the interplay between physical theory and empirical data, the fiercely held notions that could not be articulated clearly or verified experimentally, the great intellectual investment in existing theories, data, and interpretations -- and associated intellectual inertia -- and the drive to the long-sought- for unification of the sciences. Since its original publication, this book has become a standard reference and sourcebook for the history and philosophy of science; however, it can equally well serve as a text in the history of ideas or of twentieth-century philosophy. From reviews of the previous edition: �Miller� has written a superb, perhaps definitive, historical study of Einstein's special theory of relativity.... One comes away from the book with a respect for both the creative genius of the man and his nerve: he simply brushed aside much of the work that was going on around him. - The New Yorker Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Preface......Page 10 Preface to the Republication of This Volume......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Author's Notes to the Reader......Page 16 Contents......Page 18 Cast of Characters......Page 24 Introduction......Page 38 1.1 Hertz’s Electromagnetic Theory of 1890: The Maxwell-Hertz Theory......Page 48 1.2 The Optics of Moving Bodies......Page 51 1.3 Lorentz’s, “On the Influence of the Earth’s Motion on Luminiferous Phenomena” (1886)......Page 55 1.4 Lorentz’s Electromagnetic Theory of 1892: The Maxwell-Lorentz Theory......Page 60 1.4.1 Perspective......Page 61 1.4.2 Lorentz’s Optics of Moving Bodies: 1892......Page 62 1.5 The Hypothesis of Contraction......Page 64 1.6.1 A Method for Solving Electrodynamical Problems......Page 67 1.6.2 A Method for Solving Problems in the Optics of Moving Bodies......Page 69 1.6.3 Lorentz’s 1895 Theory of the Optics of Moving Bodies......Page 71 1.6.4 Summary State of Lorentz’s Theory of the Electrodynamics and Optics of Moving Bodies in 1895......Page 74 1.7.1 Poincaré’s Criticisms of Lorentz: 1895—1902......Page 75 1.7.2 The Principle of Action and Reaction......Page 76 1.8 The Electromagnetic World-Picture......Page 79 1.9 Walter Kaufmann’s Experiments of 1901—1902......Page 81 1.10.1 Abraham’s Fundamental Assumptions......Page 88 1.10.2 Abraham’s Predictions for the Electron’s Mass......Page 92 1.11 Kaufmann’s 1902—1903 Data......Page 94 1.12 Lorentz’s Theory of the Electron......Page 99 1.12.1 Prelude: The Period 1899—1903......Page 100 1.12.2 Lorentz’s Fundamental Assumptions of His Own Theory of the Electron......Page 103 1.12.3 Lorentz’s Predictions for the Electron’s Mass......Page 105 1.13.1 Abraham’s 1904 Response......Page 107 1.13.2 Abraham’s 1905 Response: The Missing Energy......Page 109 1.14 Poincaré’s Penultimate Statement......Page 110 1.15 A Note on Sources......Page 117 1.15.1 On Einstein’s Knowledge of Electrodynamics in 1905......Page 118 Footnotes......Page 123 2 Einstein’s Philosophic Viewpoint in 1905......Page 152 2.1 Assessing a Scientific Theory......Page 153 2.2 On the Mechanical World-Picture......Page 154 2.2.1 Assessment from the Viewpoint of “Confirmation by Experiment”......Page 157 2.2.2 Assessment from the Viewpoint of “Inner Perfection”......Page 158 2.3 On the Electromagnetic World-Picture......Page 159 2.4 Contra Mechanical and Electromagnetic World-Pictures......Page 161 2.5 A New Beginning: The Triad of Papers in Vol. 17......Page 163 Footnotes......Page 166 3.1 Einstein’s Experimental Data......Page 172 3.2 The Case of Magnet and Conductor......Page 175 3.3.1 August Föppl and Electromagnetic Induction......Page 179 3.3.2 Unipolar Induction and the Interaction Between Engineers and Scientists in German-Speaking Countries......Page 183 3.3.3 The Approach of Hertz and Abraham to Unipolar Induction......Page 185 3.3.4 Lorentz’s Approach to Electromagnetic Induction: A Symmetry......Page 187 3.3.5 A Possible Scenario for Einstein’s Thoughts on Electromagnetic Induction......Page 189 3.4 The Basis of the New Viewpoint......Page 192 3.5 Further Commentary on the Origins of Einstein’s Principle of Relativity......Page 195 3.6 Further Asymmetries......Page 199 3.7 Further Heuristics: Another Role for the Principle of Relativity......Page 200 Footnotes......Page 201 4 Simultaneity and Time......Page 210 4.1.2 Poincaré......Page 211 4.2 The Nature of Time and the Gedanken Experiment from Aarau......Page 214 4.3 Einstein’s Notion of a Physical Geometry......Page 216 4.4 Simultaneity and Time......Page 218 4.5 The Properties of Einstein’s Method for Clock Synchronization......Page 221 Footnotes......Page 222 5 Length and Time Are Relative Quantities......Page 226 Footnotes......Page 230 6.1 Einstein’s Derivation of the Relativistic Transformation Equations......Page 232 6.2.1 On Einstein’s Derivation of the Relativistic Transformations......Page 239 6.2.2 A Comparison Between the Space and Time Transformations of Einstein and Lorentz......Page 241 Footnotes......Page 242 7.1 Moving Bodies: Einstein’s Length Contraction......Page 246 7.2 Moving Clocks: The Relativity of Time......Page 248 7.3 On the Reciprocity of Relativistic Phenomena......Page 249 7.4 Commentary on Einstein’s §4......Page 250 7.4.1 Kaufmann’s 1905—1906 Assessment of Einstein......Page 251 7.4.2 Kaufmann’s 1905 Data......Page 252 7.4.3 Abraham and Kaufmann versus Planck: 1906......Page 256 7.4.4 The 1907 Einstein-Ehrenfest Exchange......Page 259 7.4.5 Einstein on Rigid Bodies and Hyperlight Velocities......Page 260 7.4.6 Hermann Minkowski......Page 262 7.4.7 Max Bom’s Attempt to Complete the Electromagnetic World-Picture......Page 267 7.4.8 Ehrenfest’s Paradox......Page 268 7.4.9 Abraham, Bom and Planck Respond to Ehrenfest......Page 269 7.4.10 Von Ignatowski versus Bom, Ehrenfest and Sommerfeld......Page 270 7.4.11 Varičak and Einstein......Page 272 7.4.12 Aftermath of the Rigid-Body Controversy: Mostly Planck, Poincaré and Lorentz......Page 275 7.4.13 The Relativity of Time: 1908—1913......Page 279 Footnotes......Page 286 8.1 Einstein’s Analysis......Page 296 8.2 Poincaré and the Addition Law for Velocity......Page 299 8.3 Von Laue’s Derivation of Fresnel’s Dragging Coefficient......Page 300 8.4 Walther Ritz’s Emission Theory of Light......Page 301 Footnotes......Page 302 9 The Relativity of the Electric and Magnetic Fields......Page 306 9.1 Einstein’s Analysis......Page 307 9.2 Further Comments on Unipolar Induction......Page 313 Footnotes......Page 317 10 Doppler’s Principle and Stellar Aberration......Page 320 Footnotes......Page 326 11.1 Einstein’s Analysis......Page 328 11.2 Max Abraham’s Paper of 1904 “On the Theory of Radiation and of the Pressure of Radiation”......Page 335 Footnotes......Page 338 12.1 Einstein’s §9: Macroscopic Charged Bodies......Page 342 12.2.1 The Moving Electron’s Mass......Page 344 12.2.2 The Moving Electron’s Kinetic Energy......Page 349 12.3 The Conclusion of the Relativity Paper......Page 350 12.4.1 The Responses of Lorentz and Poincaré to Kaufmann......Page 352 12.4.2 Bestelmeyer’s 1906 Data......Page 353 12.4.3 Einstein Replies to Kaufmann......Page 359 12.4.4 Bucherer’s 1908 Data......Page 363 12.4.5 Aftermath......Page 367 12.5.1 Einstein’s Fourth Annalen Paper of 1905......Page 370 12.5.2 Einstein’s 1906 Derivation of the Mass—Energy Equivalence......Page 371 12.5.3 Einstein’s First 1907 Derivation of the Mass—Energy Equivalence......Page 372 12.5.4 Some Others Who Discussed an Association Between Energy and Mass......Page 376 12.5.5 Planck’s 1907 Derivation of the Mass—Energy Equivalence......Page 377 12.5.6 Einstein’s Second 1907 Derivation of the Mass—Energy Equivalence......Page 379 12.5.7 Planck’s Law of Inertia of Energy......Page 382 12.5.8 Some Essential Results of Max von Laue: In Particular on Elementary-Particle Theory in 1911......Page 384 Footnotes......Page 390 Epilogue......Page 402 Appendix......Page 406 Bibliography......Page 432 Index......Page 454