The Formative Years of Relativity: The History and Meaning of Einstein's Princeton Lectures

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Hanoch Gutfreund Jürgen Renn

The Formative Years of Relativity

The History and Meaning of Einstein's Princeton Lectures

Hanoch Gutfreund, Jürgen Renn

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English

Princeton University Pres
04 December 2017

Mathematics & Sciences; Philosophy of science; History of science; Relativity physics

First published in 1922 and based on lectures delivered in May 1921, Albert Einstein’s The Meaning of Relativity offered an overview and explanation of the then new and controversial theory of relativity. The work would go on to become a monumental classic, printed in numerous editions and translations worldwide. Now, The Formative Years of Relativity introduces Einstein’s masterpiece to new audiences. This beautiful volume contains Einstein’s insightful text, accompanied by important historical materials and commentary looking at the origins and development of general relativity. Hanoch Gutfreund and Jürgen Renn provide fresh, original perspectives, placing Einstein’s achievements into a broader context for all readers.

In this book, Gutfreund and Renn tell the rich story behind the early reception, spread, and consequences of Einstein’s ideas during the formative years of general relativity in the late 1910s and 1920s. They show that relativity’s meaning changed radically throughout the nascent years of its development, and they describe in detail the transformation of Einstein’s work from the esoteric pursuit of one individual communicating with a handful of colleagues into the preoccupation of a growing community of physicists, astronomers, mathematicians, and philosophers.

This handsome edition quotes extensively from Einstein’s correspondence and reproduces historical documents such as newspaper articles and letters. Inserts are featured in the main text giving concise explanations of basic concepts, and short biographical notes and photographs of some of Einstein’s contemporaries are included. The first-ever English translations of two of Einstein’s popular Princeton lectures are featured at the book’s end.

By: Hanoch Gutfreund, Jürgen Renn
Imprint: Princeton University Pres
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 203mm,
Weight: 1.247kg
ISBN: 9780691174631
ISBN 10: 0691174636
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 04 December 2017
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Hanoch Gutfreund is professor emeritus of theoretical physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he is also the academic director of the Albert Einstein Archives. Jurgen Renn is a director at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. His books include The Genesis of General Relativity.

Reviews for The Formative Years of Relativity: The History and Meaning of Einstein's Princeton Lectures

"""The authors paint a detailed but dynamic recounting of how general relativity became what it is today."" * Nature Astronomy * ""Gutfreund and Renn . . . combine years of Einstein scholarship with readability and insight."" * Science *"