Scale Relativity and Fractal Space-time

Scale Relativity and Fractal Space-time
Author: Laurent Nottale
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 766
Release: 2011
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1848166508

This book provides a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art in the development of the theory of scale relativity and fractal space-time. It suggests an original solution to the disunified nature of the classical-quantum transition in physical systems, enabling quantum mechanics to be based on the principle of relativity provided this principle is extended to scale transformations of the reference system. In the framework of such a newly-generalized relativity theory (including position, orientation, motion and now scale transformations), the fundamental laws of physics may be given a general form that goes beyond and integrates the classical and the quantum regimes. A related concern of this book is the geometry of space-time, which is described as being fractal and nondifferentiable. It collects and organizes theoretical developments and applications in many fields, including physics, mathematics, astrophysics, cosmology and life sciences.

Fractal Space-time and Microphysics

Fractal Space-time and Microphysics
Author: Laurent Nottale
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 358
Release: 1993
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9789810208783

This is the first detailed account of a new approach to microphysics based on two leading ideas: (i) the explicit dependence of physical laws on scale encountered in quantum physics, is the manifestation of a fundamental principle of nature, scale relativity. This generalizes Einstein's principle of (motion) relativity to scale transformations; (ii) the mathematical achievement of this principle needs the introduction of a nondifferentiable space-time varying with resolution, i.e. characterized by its fractal properties.The author discusses in detail reactualization of the principle of relativity and its application to scale transformations, physical laws which are explicitly scale dependent, and fractals as a new geometric description of space-time.

The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time

The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time
Author: S. W. Hawking
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 406
Release: 1975-02-27
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1139810952

Einstein's General Theory of Relativity leads to two remarkable predictions: first, that the ultimate destiny of many massive stars is to undergo gravitational collapse and to disappear from view, leaving behind a 'black hole' in space; and secondly, that there will exist singularities in space-time itself. These singularities are places where space-time begins or ends, and the presently known laws of physics break down. They will occur inside black holes, and in the past are what might be construed as the beginning of the universe. To show how these predictions arise, the authors discuss the General Theory of Relativity in the large. Starting with a precise formulation of the theory and an account of the necessary background of differential geometry, the significance of space-time curvature is discussed and the global properties of a number of exact solutions of Einstein's field equations are examined. The theory of the causal structure of a general space-time is developed, and is used to study black holes and to prove a number of theorems establishing the inevitability of singualarities under certain conditions. A discussion of the Cauchy problem for General Relativity is also included in this 1973 book.

Cosmological Special Relativity

Cosmological Special Relativity
Author: Moshe Carmeli
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2002
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9810249365

This book presents Einstein's theory of space and time in detail, and describes the large-scale structure of space, time and velocity as a new cosmological special relativity. A cosmological Lorentz-like transformation, which relates events at different cosmic times, is derived and applied. A new law of addition of cosmic times is obtained, and the inflation of the space at the early universe is derived, both from the cosmological transformation. The relationship between cosmic velocity, acceleration and distances is given. In the appendices gravitation is added in the form of a cosmological general relativity theory and a five-dimensional unified theory of space, time and velocity. This book is of interest to cosmologists, astrophysicists, theoretical physicists, mathematical physicists and mathematicians.

The Special Theory of Relativity

The Special Theory of Relativity
Author: David Bohm
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 260
Release: 1996
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780415148092

The book presents the theory of relativity as a unified whole. By showing that the concepts of this theory are interrelated to form a unified totality David Bohm supplements some of the more specialist courses which have tended to give students a fragmentary impression of the logical and conceptual nature of physics as a whole.

The Relativity of All Things

The Relativity of All Things
Author: Laurent Nottale
Publisher:
Total Pages: 372
Release: 2019-03-28
Genre:
ISBN: 9780578456508

Translated into English for the first time, this brilliant French bestseller by eminent astrophysicist Laurent Nottale presents the theory of scale relativity, which offers a framework for the unification of quantum theory and relativity through fractal geometry. Updated and revised, with a new afterword by philosopher of science Charles Alunni, The Relativity of All Things is the first of Nottale's popularly accessible works available to English-language readers."To describe the ideas of relativity and quantum mechanics without a single mathematical formula is a veritable feat of magic. . . . With a philosophical audacity that only non-philosophers can possess, Nottale finds that the essence of the principle of relativity is in fact the affirmation of the existence of universal laws applied at every scale. . . . His task is enormous. He proposes that the theory of relativity and that of quantum mechanics, with the radical schism between their findings and methods of thinking, can be reconciled. . . . Nottale's methodological innovation is truly revolutionary. To bring it to fruition, he weds the mathematics of fractals with the theory of relativity. . . . Nottale's approach shows us that we are far from the 'end of science': we are perhaps only at its recommencement." Basarab Nicolescu, Business Digest"Einstein himself explicitly considered that a realistic approach to the quantum problem could go through the introduction of non-differentiability in physics. In 1948, he wrote in a letter to Wolfgang Pauli: 'Maybe someone will find out another possibility, provided he searches with enough perseverance.' Laurent Nottale is very precisely this 'someone'! Read and study this wonderful theory, let yourself be carried away by its beauty, its depth, and its major experimental implications, which are nothing less than fundamental for the future of science, and for philosophy." Charles Alunni, Director, Laboratoire Disciplinaire Pensée des Sciences at the École Normale Supérieure"Since the birth of quantum theory, physicists have been challenged with the development of a unified theory of quantum mechanics and relativity, with no general consensus on the best way forward. To progress further, we have to confront deep questions about space and time, quantum theory, and cosmology, which take theory back into contact with experiment. The theory of scale relativity offers a serious contribution to the debate on unification, offering an intuitive insight into how these theories could be fundamentally linked through space-time geometry." Philip Turner, Director, Centre for Plant Science and Biopolymer Research, Edinburgh Napier University"Laurent Nottale proposes that we look at the concept of fractals to make relativity, extended further yet, the fundamental principle on which to base quantum mechanics. After the relativity of time and space, he has tackled the relativity of scale, putting into question much of what we thought we knew." Pierre Bonnaure, Futuribles"Developments in geometry have often enabled progress in physics, especially when concerning relativity. Non-Euclidean geometry, geometrical systems where the plane is a sphere, made it possible for Einstein to devise his theory of curved space. Today, a new geometry, fractal geometry, allows us to propose a theory of fractal space." Idées clés, by Business Digest

The Einstein Equations and the Large Scale Behavior of Gravitational Fields

The Einstein Equations and the Large Scale Behavior of Gravitational Fields
Author: Piotr T. Chruściel
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 500
Release: 2004
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9783764371302

Accompanying DVD-ROM contains the electronic proceedings of the summer school on mathematical general relativity and global properties of solutions of Einstein's equations held at Cargèse, Corsica, France, July 20-Aug. 10, 2002.

The Emergence of Spacetime in String Theory

The Emergence of Spacetime in String Theory
Author: Tiziana Vistarini
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2019-06-12
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1134842406

The nature of space and time is one of the most fascinating and fundamental philosophical issues which presently engages at the deepest level with physics. During the last thirty years this notion has been object of an intense critical review in the light of new scientific theories which try to combine the principles of both general relativity and quantum theory—called theories of quantum gravity. This book considers the way string theory shapes its own account of spacetime disappearance from the fundamental level.

The Perfect Theory

The Perfect Theory
Author: Pedro G. Ferreira
Publisher: HMH
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2014-02-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0547554907

“One of the best popular accounts of how Einstein and his followers have been trying to explain the universe for decades” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Physicists have been exploring, debating, and questioning the general theory of relativity ever since Albert Einstein first presented it in 1915. This has driven their work to unveil the universe’s surprising secrets even further, and many believe more wonders remain hidden within the theory’s tangle of equations, waiting to be exposed. In this sweeping narrative of science and culture, an astrophysicist brings general relativity to life through the story of the brilliant physicists, mathematicians, and astronomers who have taken up its challenge. For these scientists, the theory has been both a treasure trove and an enigma. Einstein’s theory, which explains the relationships among gravity, space, and time, is possibly the most perfect intellectual achievement of modern physics—yet studying it has always been a controversial endeavor. Relativists were the target of persecution in Hitler’s Germany, hounded in Stalin’s Russia, and disdained in 1950s America. Even today, PhD students are warned that specializing in general relativity will make them unemployable. Still, general relativity has flourished, delivering key insights into our understanding of the origin of time and the evolution of all the stars and galaxies in the cosmos. Its adherents have revealed what lies at the farthest reaches of the universe, shed light on the smallest scales of existence, and explained how the fabric of reality emerges. Dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and string theory are all progeny of Einstein’s theory. In the midst of a momentous transformation in modern physics, as scientists look farther and more clearly into space than ever before, The Perfect Theory exposes the greater relevance of general relativity, showing us where it started, where it has led—and where it can still take us.

What Is Relativity?

What Is Relativity?
Author: Jeffrey Bennett
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 203
Release: 2014-03-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0231537034

A renowned astrophysicist’s approachable introduction to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity and its application in our daily lives. It is commonly assumed that if the Sun suddenly turned into a black hole, it would suck Earth and the rest of the planets into oblivion. Yet, as prominent author and astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett points out, black holes don't suck. With that simple idea in mind, Bennett begins an entertaining introduction to Einstein's theories of relativity, describing the amazing phenomena readers would actually experience if they took a trip to a black hole. The theory of relativity reveals the speed of light as the cosmic speed limit, the mind-bending ideas of time dilation and curvature of spacetime, and what may be the most famous equation in history: E = mc2. Indeed, the theory of relativity shapes much of our modern understanding of the universe. It is not “just a theory”―every major prediction of relativity has been tested to exquisite precision, and its practical applications include the Global Positioning System (GPS). Amply illustrated and written in clear, accessible prose, Bennett's book proves anyone can grasp the basics of Einstein's ideas. His intuitive, nonmathematical approach gives a wide audience its first real taste of how relativity works and why it is so important to science and the way we view ourselves as human beings. “Well-written and uniquely readable . . . Bennett carefully avoids bombastic statements and “spectacularization” of the subject.” —Alberto Nicolis, Columbia University “I have read lots of introductions to relativity, but none is as clear and compelling as this one.” —Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute