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In physics, the special theory of relativity, or special relativity for short, is a scientific theory of the relationship between space and time.In Albert Einstein's 1905 paper, On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, the theory is presented as being based on just two postulates: [p 1] [1] [2]
Special relativity is a theory of the structure of spacetime. It was introduced in Einstein's 1905 paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (for the contributions of many other physicists and mathematicians, see History of special relativity). Special relativity is based on two postulates which are contradictory in classical mechanics:
English: This file is the special relativity lecture of the Wikiversity:Special relativity and steps towards general relativity course. It is in pdf format for convenient viewing as a fullscreen, structured presentation in a classroom.
The theory, now called the special theory of relativity, distinguishes it from his later general theory of relativity, which considers all observers to be equivalent. Acknowledging the role of Max Planck in the early dissemination of his ideas, Einstein wrote in 1913 "The attention that this theory so quickly received from colleagues is surely ...
The Mathematical Theory of Relativity. Cambridge University Press. Einstein considered this the finest description of the theory of relativity in any language. [3] Charles Steinmetz (1923) Four Lectures on Relativity and Space; Ludwik Silberstein (1924) The Theory of Relativity, 2nd edition, enlarged @ Internet Archive
The theory of Galilean relativity is the limiting case of special relativity in the limit (which is sometimes referred to as the non-relativistic limit). In this theory, the first postulate remains unchanged, but the second postulate is modified to:
The theory of special relativity was initially developed in 1905 by Albert Einstein. However, other interpretations of special relativity have been developed, some on the basis of different foundational axioms. While some are mathematically equivalent to Einstein's theory, others aim to revise or extend it.
To derive the equations of special relativity, one must start with two other The laws of physics are invariant under transformations between inertial frames. In other words, the laws of physics will be the same whether you are testing them in a frame 'at rest', or a frame moving with a constant velocity relative to the 'rest' frame.