From Pythagoras to Einstein

K. O. Friedrichs

Mathematical Association of America | 1975 | 97 páginas | RAR - PDF | 2,89 Mb

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The main thread running through this somewhat unorthodox approach to the special theory of relativity is the Pythagorean theorem. It appears in its most elementary geometric form in the very beginning of this monograph. Then it reappears in algebraic garb, it is further modified and finally reinterpreted to play the role of one of the main characters in the special theory of relativity.

The first four chapters are easily accessible to high school sophomores or juniors. The remaining part of the book may be a little difficult for students who never studied physics, although the author actually employs only the notion of impact and presupposes no background in physics. With the aid of the vector geometry introduced earlier, he leads the reader from the impact conservation laws to the famous formula e = mc²

Contents
Preface
Introduction
Signed Numbers 13
Vectors 17
Components and Coordinates. Spaces of Higher Dimension 31
Momentum and Energy. Elastic Impact 41
Space and Time Measurement in the Special Momentum and Energy in the Special Theory of The Pythagorean Theorem 5
Inelastic Impact 55
Theory of Relativity 63
Relativity. Impact 79