Jeremy Gray

Ideas of Space 'Euclidean, Non-Euclidean and Realativistic' 2/Ed.

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Now in a revised and expanded new edition, this volume chronologically traces the evolution of Euclidean, non-Euclidean, and relativistic theories regarding the shape of the universe. A unique, highly readable, and entertaining account, the book assumes no special mathematical knowledge. It reviews the failed classical attempts to prove the parallel postulate and provides coverage of the role of Gauss, Lobachevskii, and Bolyai in setting the foundations of modern differential geometry, which laid the groundwork for Einstein's theories of special and general relativity. This updated account includes a new chapter on Islamic contributions to this area, as well as additional information on gravitation, the nature of space and black holes.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Oxford University Press (UK)
• 2nd edition
• Seitenzahl: 254
• Erscheinungstermin: 21. September 1989
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 245mm x 164mm x 19mm
• Gewicht: 516g
• ISBN-13: 9780198539353
• ISBN-10: 0198539355
• Artikelnr.: 21528354

Inhaltsangabe

PART I: Early geometry
Euclidean geometry and the parallel postulate
Investigations by Islamic mathematicians. PART II: Saccheri and his Western Predecessors
J H Lambert's work
Legendre's work
Gauss' contribution
Trigonometry
the first new geometries
the discoveries of Lobachevskii and Bolyai
Curves and surfaces
Riemann on the foundations of geometry
Beltrami's ideas
New models and old arguments
Resume. PART III: Non-Euclidean mechanics
The question of absolute space
Space, time and space-time
Paradoxes of special relativity
Gravitation and non-Euclidean geometry
Speculations
Some last thoughts.