Conceptual Foundations of Special and General Relativity
General Physics
2007-05-23 v2
Abstract
The k-calculus was advocated by Hermann Bondi as a means of explaining special relativity using only GCSE level mathematics and ideas. We review the central derivations, using proofs which are only a little more elegant than those in Bondi's books, and extend his development to include the scalar product and the mass shell condition. As used by Bondi, k is the Doppler red shift, and we extend the k calculus to include the gravitational red shift and give a derivation of Newton's law of gravity using only 'A' level calculus and basic quantum mechanics.
Cite
@article{arxiv.physics/9909048,
title = {Conceptual Foundations of Special and General Relativity},
author = {Charles Francis},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/9909048},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
9 pages, 12 diagrams