Einstein & Light Deviation: Compute w/o Schwarzschild Metric

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on how Einstein calculated the deviation of light due to the Earth's gravitational field prior to the development of the Schwarzschild metric. It touches on historical calculations and the evolution of Einstein's understanding over time.

Discussion Character

  • Historical, Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how Einstein computed light deviation without the Schwarzschild metric.
  • Another participant notes that Einstein's initial calculations in 1908 were incorrect, being off by a factor of 2, and that the correct result was achieved in 1915 using a weak field approximation.
  • Some participants reference external links for further reading on the topic, indicating additional resources related to the calculations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the specifics of Einstein's calculations, as participants present differing views on the accuracy of his early work and the methods used.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the neglect of terms smaller than the order of 1/c³ in the weak field approximation, which may imply limitations in the accuracy of earlier calculations.

e2m2a
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How did Einstein compute the amount of light deviation due to the Earth's gravitational field when the Schwarzschild metric was not known yet?
 
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He didn't get it right at the first try, in fact in his first calculations in 1908 he was off by a factor of 2. The correct result was obtained 1915 using the weak field approximation where all terms smaller than the order of 1/c³ were neglected, see http://home.fnal.gov/~syphers/Education/Notes/lightbend.pdf
 
Last edited:
Yukterez said:
He didn't get it right at the first try, in fact in his first calculations in 1908 he was off by a factor of 2. The correct result was obtained 1915 using the weak field approximation, see http://home.fnal.gov/~syphers/Education/Notes/lightbend.pdf
ok. Thanks for the reference.
 
e2m2a said:
How did Einstein compute the amount of light deviation due to the Earth's gravitational field when the Schwarzschild metric was not known yet?
http://mathpages.com/rr/s8-09/8-09.htm
 
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