Special Relativity A Heuristic Approach

Special Relativity: A Heuristic Approach provides a qualitative exposition of relativity theory on the basis of the constancy of the speed of light. Using Einstein's signal velocity as the defining idea for the notion of simultaneity and the fact that the speed of light is independent of the motion of its source, chapters delve into a qualitative exposition of the relativity of time and length, discuss the time dilation formula using the standard light clock, explore the Minkowski four-dimensional space-time distance based on how the time dilation formula is derived, and define the components of the two-dimensional space-time velocity, amongst other topics.

1. Qualitative Relativity2. Relativity of Time and Space3. Lorentz Transformation4. Spacetime Geometry5. Spacetime Momentum6. Relativity in Four Dimensions7. Relativistic Photography8. Relativistic Interactions9. Interstellar Travel10. A Painless Introduction to Tensors11. Relativistic Electrodynamics12. Early Universe

A. Maxwell's EquationsB. Derivation of 4D Lorentz TransformationC. Relativistic Photography Formulas

Students and researchers in academia in physics and cosmology

• Provides a heuristic derivation of the Minkowski distance formula
• Uses relativistic photography to see Lorentz transformation and vector algebra manipulation in action
• Includes worked examples to elucidate and complement the topic being discussed
• Written in a very accessible style