ENGLISH

Relativity and the nature of spacetime

By Vesselin Petkov (auth.)

Book information

Publisher
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Year
2009
ISBN
9783642019524, 3642019528
DOI
10.1007/978-3-642-01962-3
Open Library ID
OL23718978M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
5 MB (5063004 bytes)
Series
The Frontiers Collection
Edition
2
Pages
316\310
Time added
2009-08-06 05:14:26
Classical and Quantum GravitationRelativity Theory;Philosophy;Mathematical Methods

Description

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.

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