Hardcover edition in Very Good condition. The covers are in great shape though the spine is slightly sun-faded. Department stamps on the edges of the text block. The binding is square and tight. The interior pages are clean and unmarked. The book will be carefully packaged for shipment for protection from the elements. USPS electronic tracking number issued free of charge. This book offers a presentation of the special theory of relativity that is mathematically rigorous and yet spells out in considerable detail the physical significance of the mathematics. It treats, in addition to the usual menu of topics one is accustomed to finding in introductions to special relativity, a wide variety of results of more contemporary origin. These include Zeeman s characterization of the causal automorphisms of Minkowski spacetime, the Penrose theorem on the apparent shape of a relativistically moving sphere, a detailed introduction to the theory of spinors, a Petrov-type classification of electromagnetic fields in both tensor and spinor form, a topology for Minkowski spacetime whose homeomorphism group is essentially the Lorentz group, and a careful discussion of Dirac s famous Scissors Problem and its relation to the notion of a two-valued representation of the Lorentz group. This second edition includes a new chapter on the de Sitter universe which is intended to serve two purposes. The first is to provide a gentle prologue to the steps one must take to move beyond special relativity and adapt to the presence of gravitational fields that cannot be considered negligible. The second is to understand some of the basic features of a model of the empty universe that differs markedly from Minkowski spacetime, but may be recommended by recent astronomical observations suggesting that the expansion of our own universe is accelerating rather than slowing down. The treatment presumes only a knowledge of linear algebra in the first three chapters, a bit of real analysis in the fourth and, in two appendices, some elementary point-set topology. The first edition of the book received the 1993 CHOICE award for Outstanding Academic Title. Reviews of first edition: "� a valuable contribution to the pedagogical literature which will be enjoyed by all who delight in precise mathematics and physics." (American Mathematical Society, 1993) "Where many physics texts explain physical phenomena by means of mathematical models, here a rigorous and detailed mathematical development is accompanied by precise physical interpretations." (CHOICE, 1993) "� his talent in choosing the most significant results and ordering them within the book can t be denied. The reading of the book is, really, a pleasure." (Dutch Mathematical Society, 1993). Seller Inventory # 14420

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Bibliographic Details

Title: The Geometry of Minkowski Spacetime: An ...

Publisher: Springer, New York

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Edition: First Edition.

About this title

Synopsis:

It is the intention of this book to provide an introduction to the special theory of relativity that is mathematically rigorous and yet spells out in considerable detail the physical significance of the mathematics. In addition to the material on kinematics, particle dynamics and electromagnetic fields that one would expect to find in any introduction to special relativity, the book contains careful treatment of many topics not ordinarily discussed at the elementary level. These include the Reversed Triangle Inequality, Zeeman's Theorem characterizing causal automorphisms as compositions of translations, dilations and orthochronous orthogonal transformations, Penrose's Theorem on the apparent shape of a relativistically moving sphere, the purely algebraic characterization of null and regular electromagnetic fields and an elementary introduction to the theory of spinors. The only prerequisite for this material is a solid course in linear algebra. This book offers a presentation of the special theory of relativity that is mathematically rigorous and treats, in addition to the menu of topics one is accustomed to finding in introductions to special relativity, a wide variety of results of more contemporary origin. The treatment presumes only a knowledge of linear algebra and, in two appendices, elementary point-set topology. This new edition includes a chapter on the de Sitter Universe as well as minor updates throughout.

About the Author:

Gregory L. Naber is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.

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Alien Bindings is an online bookshop located in Baltimore that has been in operation for nearly 20 years. Alien Bindings caters to the sciences including the physical sciences, astronomy, mathematics, computer science, the social sciences and medicine. I also dabble in a wide array of other categories including antiquarian books and history. I run a clean, green business. I try to reuse clean materials for packaging whenever possible. For example, books are carefully packaged frequently using clean cardboard for custom made boxes, recycled paper is used for printed labels and recycled plastic or bubble wrap is used for a weather-proof barrier. I drop the packages off to my local post office via foot or cycle in order to further reduce the carbon footprint.

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