内容简介
Hisnameissynonymouswith"genius，"buttheseessaysbytherenownedphysicistandscholarareaccessibletoanyreader.Inadditiontooutliningthecoreofrelativitytheoryineverydaylanguage，AlbertEinsteinpresentsfascinatingdiscussionsofotherscientificfieldstowhichhemadesignificantcontributions.TheNobelLaureatealsoprofilessomeofhistory'smostinfluentialphysicists，uponwhosestudieshisownworkwasbased.
AssembledduringEinstein'slifetimefromhisspeechesandessays，thisbookmarksthefirstpresentationtothewiderworldofthescientist'saccomplishmentsinthefieldofabstractphysics. Alongwithrelativitytheory，thesearticlesexaminethemethodsoftheoreticalphysics，principlesofresearch，andtheconceptofscientifictruth.Einstein'sspeechestoaudiencesatColumbiaUniversityandthePrussianAcademyofScienceappearhere，alongwithhisinsightfulobservationsonsuchgiantsofscienceasJohannesKepler，SirIsaacNewton，JamesClerkMaxwell，NielsBohr，MaxPlanck，andothers.，
作者简介
Inadditiontoconductingtheresearchthatculminatedinhisacclaimedtheoriesofrelativity,AlbertEinstein(1879-1955)taughtandlecturedatuniversitiesaroundtheworld.Einsteinreceivednumerousawardsandhonorarydoctoratedegreesinscience,medicine,andphilosophy,andheremainsatoweringsymbolofintellectualandimaginativeachievement.It'sAllRelativeAround1950,HaywardCirker,FounderandPresidentofDoverPublications,wrotetoEinsteinandaskedhisapprovaltoproceedwithaDoverpaperbackreprintofthe1923collectionoforiginalpapersonrelativitybyEinsteinhimselfandothers(H.A.Lorentz,H.Weyl,andH.Minkowski),whichhadoriginallybeenpublishedinEngland.Einsteinwasreluctant,wonderinghowmuchinteresttherecouldpossiblybeinthisrelicofhisworkfrom30ormoreyearsearlier.Cirkerpersisted,andEinsteinfinallyagreed—theDovereditionofTheTheoryofRelativityhasbeeninprinteversinceandhasbeenfollowedbymanyotherDoverbooksonrelativity.ThepapersreprintedinthisoriginalcollectionwillalwaysbefortheseriousstudentthecornerstoneoftheirEinsteinlibrary:Michelson'sInterferenceExperiment(H.A.Lorentz);ElectromagneticPhenomenainaSystemMovingwithanyVelocityLessThanThatofLight(H.A.Lorentz);OntheElectrodynamicsofMovingBodies(A.Einstein);DoestheInertiaofaBodyDependUponitsEnergyContent?(A.Einstein);SpaceandTime(H.MinkowksiwithnotesbyA.Sommerfeld);OntheInfluenceofGravitationonthePropagationofLight(A.Einstein);andTheFoundationoftheGeneralTheoryofRelativity(A.Einstein)foundonpages109–164ofthistext;Hamilton'sPrincipleandTheGeneralTheoryofRelativity(A.Einstein);CosmologicalConsiderationsontheGeneralTheoryofRelativity(A.Einstein);DoGravitationalFieldsPlayanEssentialPartintheStructureoftheElementaryParticlesofMatter?(A.Einstein);andGravitationandElectricity(H.Weyl).IntheAuthor'sOwnWords:"Howcanitbethatmathematics,beingafterallaproductofhumanthoughtindependentofexperience,issoadmirablyadaptedtotheobjectsofreality?""Whatnaturedemandsfromusisnotaquantumtheoryorawavetheory;rather,naturedemandsfromusasynthesisofthesetwoviewswhichthusfarhasexceededthementalpowersofphysicists.""DonotbetroubledbyyourdifficultieswithMathematics,Icanassureyouminearemuchgreater."—AlbertEinsteinCriticalAcclaimforTheTheoryofRelativity:"Thisbookconstitutesanindispensablepartofalibraryonrelativity."—Nature,,,
