RE: Brace yourselves for gravitational waves
February 12, 2016 at 1:36 pm
(This post was last modified: February 12, 2016 at 1:40 pm by Alex K.)
The mathematics of general relativity is taken wholesale and with only minor modification from the works on differential geometry of CF Gauss and his pupil Bernhard Riemann, as well as some developments by Tullio Levi-Civita and Ricci . Einsteins genius was in developing a physical intuition what gravity should be like if it adheres to the equivalence principle, and then ask the mathematicians (in particular his old buddy M. Grossmann) what they have that fits his requirements. In the early phase, he got important physical inspiration from the ideas of Ernst Mach (the guy the speed is named after). In the final stages, he was almost beaten by David Hilbert, whi had a perfect grasp of the mathematics of his time and followed a more abstract approach to derive the field equation.
Of course he was based on Newton in the sense that certainly the very first thing he did with his theory ideas was to check whether they reproduced the Newtonian physics in the limit of weak gravity and low speeds.
Of course he was based on Newton in the sense that certainly the very first thing he did with his theory ideas was to check whether they reproduced the Newtonian physics in the limit of weak gravity and low speeds.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
