The Physical and Mathematical Foundations of the Theory of Relativity: A Critical Analysis

This unique textbook offers a mathematically rigorous presentation of the theory of relativity, emphasizing the need for a critical analysis of the foundations of general relativity in order to best study the theory and its implications.The transitions from classical mechanics to special relativity and then to general relativity are explored in detail as well, helping readers to gain a more profound and nuanced understanding of the theory as a whole. After reviewing the fundamentals of differential geometry and classical mechanics, the text introduces special relativity, first using the physical approach proposed by Einstein and then via Minkowski’s mathematical model.The authors then address the relativistic thermodynamics of continua and electromagnetic fields in matter - topics which are normally covered only very briefly in other treatments - in the next two chapters.The text then turns to a discussion of general relativity by means of the authors’ unique critical approach, underli