Basic Relativity

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-viii

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2. From Time Dilation to E ₀ = mc ²

   • Péter Hraskó

   Pages 1-27

3. The Lorentz-Transformation

   • Péter Hraskó

   Pages 29-73

4. General Relativity

   • Péter Hraskó

   Pages 75-87

5. Concluding Remarks

   • Péter Hraskó

   Pages 89-91

6. Selected Problems to Chapter 1

   • Péter Hraskó

   Pages 93-100

7. Back Matter

   Pages 101-104

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This Brief presents a new way of introducing relativity theory, in which perplexing relativistic effects such as time dilation and Lorentz contraction are explained prior to the discussion of Lorentz-transformation. The notion of relativistic mass is shown to contradict the spirit of relativity theory and the true significance of the mass-energy relation is contrasted with the popular view of it. The author discusses the twin paradox from the point of view of both siblings. Last but not least, the fundamentals of general relativity are described, including the recent Gravity Probe B experiment.

• Einstein synchronization
• Gravity Probe B
• Mass-energy relation
• Notion of relativistic mass
• Novel approach to relativity
• Twin paradox

• University of Pécs, Szántó Kovács János u. 1/b, Hungary

  Péter Hraskó

Péter Hraskó received higher education in the Ural State Technological University in Yekaterinburg (former Sverdlovsk in USSR) and Ph. D. degree in physics in the KFKI Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics in Budapest (Hungary). He worked there until his retirement. He was also professor of the Theoretical Physics Department at the University of Pécs (Hungary). Péter Hraskó received the Prometheus Medal of the Hungarian Society of Physics for the Spreading of Scientific Knowledge.

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