Understanding General Relativity

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding specific concepts in general and special relativity, particularly the relationship between the special principle of relativity and Maxwell's electromagnetic theory. Participants seek clarification on the implications of Lorentz transformations compared to Galilean transformations in the context of electromagnetic wave propagation.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion regarding a passage about Einstein's demand for the special principle of relativity to apply to Maxwell's electromagnetic theory, specifically the transition from Galilean to Lorentz transformations.
  • Another participant offers a modified version of the original text for clarity, emphasizing the invariance of Maxwell's equations under Lorentz transformations and the constancy of the speed of light in inertial frames.
  • A request for the source of the quoted text is made by multiple participants.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not appear to reach a consensus on the clarity of the original text, as one participant seeks clarification while another attempts to provide it. The discussion remains open-ended regarding the understanding of the concepts involved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the underlying assumptions or complexities related to the transformations and their implications in the context of relativity.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in the foundational concepts of general and special relativity, particularly those exploring the relationship between electromagnetic theory and relativity.

Akshay690
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I am reading general and special relativity from a book and I am stuck with these lines please can someone provide its detailed explanation
"Einstein demanded that the special principle of relativity should be valid also for Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory. This was obtained by replacing the Galilean kinematics by that of the special theory of relativity (see Ch. 2), since Maxwell’s equations and Lorentz’s force law is invariant under the Lorentz transformations. In particular this implies that the velocity of electromagnetic waves, i.e. of light, is the same in all Galilean frames, c = 299 792.5 km/s ≈ 3.00 × 108 m/s."
 
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Here is how would modify it for clairity:
Akshay690 said:
"Einstein demanded that the special principle of relativity should be valid also for Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory. This was obtained by replacing the Galilean transformation by Lorentz transformation, since Maxwell’s equations and Lorentz’s force law is invariant under the Lorentz transformations. In particular this implies that the velocity of electromagnetic waves, i.e. of light, is the same in all inertial frames, c = 299 792.5 km/s ≈ 3.00 × 108 m/s."

This video visualizes the difference between Galilean transformation by Lorentz transformation:

 
PeterDonis said:
Which book?

Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity Øyvind Grøn andSigbjørn Hervik
 
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