Understanding General Relativity

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the principles of General Relativity, specifically the relationship between the special principle of relativity and Maxwell's electromagnetic theory. It emphasizes that Einstein's requirement for the validity of the special principle necessitated the replacement of Galilean transformations with Lorentz transformations, ensuring the invariance of Maxwell's equations and Lorentz's force law. The discussion also highlights that the speed of light, c = 299,792.5 km/s, remains constant across all inertial frames, a fundamental tenet of relativity. The book referenced for further reading is "Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity" by Øyvind Grøn and Sigbjørn Hervik.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of special relativity principles
  • Familiarity with Maxwell's equations
  • Knowledge of Lorentz transformations
  • Basic concepts of inertial frames in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study Lorentz transformations in detail
  • Explore Maxwell's equations and their implications in electromagnetism
  • Read "Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity" by Øyvind Grøn and Sigbjørn Hervik
  • Watch videos that visualize the differences between Galilean and Lorentz transformations
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators teaching relativity, and anyone interested in the foundational concepts of General Relativity and electromagnetic theory.

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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