Lorentz and Poincaré invariance : 100 years of relativity / Jong-Ping Hsu, Yuan-Zhong Zhang.

Includes bibliographical references.

Machine generated contents note: Preface ix -- Acknowledgements xvii -- Remarks on the Development of the Lorentz and Poincare Invariance xxi -- Part I. Theoretical Implications of Lorentz and Poincare -- Invariance 1 -- 1. The Dawn of Lorentz and Poincare Invariance (1887-1905) 3 -- First Proposal of the Universal Speed of Light by Voigt in 1887 4 -- A. Ernst and J-P. Hsu -- The Ether and the Earth's Atmosphere 25 -- G.F. FitzGerald -- General Problem of Moving Matter Treated in Relation to -- the Individual Molecules 27 -- J. Larmor -- Moving Material System: Approximation Carried to the -- Second Order (Extract) 39 -- J. Larmor -- In Pursuit of the Electrodynamics for Moving Bodies 43 -- J-P. Hsu and T. Kleinschmidt -- 2. Special Relativity and its 4-Dimensional Symmetry (1904-1908) 55 -- Electromagnetic Phenomena in a System Moving with any Velocity -- less than that)f Light (Extract) 56 -- H.A. Lorentz -- Poincar6's Rendiconti Paper on Relativity. Part I 76 -- H.M. Schwartz -- On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies 116 -- A. Einstein -- The Principle of Relativity and the Fundamental Equations -- of Mechanics 143 -- M. Planck -- Space and Time 147 -- H. Minkowski -- The Theory of Relativity and Science (Extract) 162 -- W. Pauli -- Einstein's First Paper on Relativity 164 -- H.M. Schwartz -- On the Origins of the Special Theory of Relativity (Extract) 183 -- G. Holton -- 3. Inquiries Regarding the Constancy of the Speed of Light -- (1908-1910) 193 -- The Postulate of the Constancy of the Speed of Light -- Ritz's and Related Theories (Extract) 194 -- W. Pauli -- Critical Researches on General Electrodynamics (Extract) 196 -- W. Ritz -- 4. Extended Relativity and its 4-Dimensional Symmetry (1928-1997) 217 -- The Philosophy of Space and Time: Simultaneity (Extract) 218 -- H. Reichenbach -- Special Relativity in Anisotropic Space 226 -- W.F. Edwards -- Four-Dimensional Symmetry of Taiji Relativity and Coordinate -- Transformation Based on a Weaker Postulate for the -- Speed of Light. -- I 243 -- L. Hsu, J-P. Hsu and D.A. Schneble -- Four-Dimensional Symmetry of Taiji Relativity and Coordinate -- Transformation Based on a Weaker Postulate for the -- Speed of Light. -- II 258 -- J-P. Hsu and L. Hsu -- 5. The Splendid Union of Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics -- (1927-1949) 273 -- The Quantum Theory of the Emission and Absorption of Radiation 274 -- P.A.M. Dirac -- The Quantum Theory of the Electron 297 -- P.A.M. Dirac -- The Radiation Theories of Tomonaga, Schwinger, and Feynman 316 -- (with commentary) -- F.J. Dyson -- 6. The Lorentz and Poincar6 Groups and Their Implications (1939) 337 -- Symmetries, Quantum Lorentz Transformation and -- the Poincar6 Algebra 338 -- S. Weinberg -- Lorentz Group in Feynman's World -- -Wigner's Little Groups and Their Applications 351 -- Y.S. Kim and M.E. Noz -- 7. The Isotropy of the Speed of Light c: A Convenient Assumption -- (1963-1995) 377 -- Test Theories of Special Relativity 378 -- Y.Z. Zhang -- 8. Common Relativity and its 4-Dimensional Symmetry (1976-1983) 397 -- Common Time in a Four-Dimensional Symmetry Framework 398 -- J-P. Hsu and T.N. Sherry -- Questions on Universal Constants and Four-Dimensional Symmetry -- from a Broad Viewpoint -- I 418 -- J-P. Hsu -- News and Views (Extract) 434 -- (On Common Time and Common Relativity) -- Nature Editorial -- 9. The Aether and Relativistic Quantum Fields ( -1970) 437 -- Is There an Aether? 438 -- P.A.M. Dirac -- Vacuum as the Source of Asymmetry 441 -- T.D. Lee -- The New Ether 453 -- J.D. Bjorken -- 10. The Logically Simplest Theory of Relativity and -- its 4-Dimensional Symmetry (1990-1994) 469 -- Can One Derive the Lorentz Transformation from -- Precision Experiments? 470 -- L. Hsu -- A Physical Theory Based Solely on the First Postulate of Relativity 494 -- J-P. Hsu and L. Hsu -- Part II. Experiments for Lorentz and Poincare Invariance 507 -- 11. The Fizeau Experiment 509 -- 12. The Michelson-Morley Experiment 513 -- 13. The Wilson-Wilson Experiment 521 -- 14. The Kennedy-Thordike Experiment 527 -- 15. The Ives-Stilwell Experiment 531 -- 16. The Observation of the Muon Lifetime Dilation 537 -- 17. "Experimental Tests" of the Second Postulate of -- Special Relativity 541 -- 18. The Mass-Velocity Relation Experiment 549 -- 19. The Mass-Energy Relation Experiment 555 -- 20. The Thomas Precession Experiment 561 -- Appendices 567 -- A. Woldemar Voigt (1850-1919) 568 -- Von C. Runge -- B. George Francis FitzGerald (1851-1901) 570 -- J-P. Hsu -- C. Abbreviated Biographical Sketch of Walter Ritz (1878-1909) 572 -- R.S. Fritzius -- D. Hans Reichenbach (1891-1953): Principal Dates 574 -- M. Reichenbach -- E. The Most General Linear-Acceleration Transformation of 575 -- Spacetime Based on Limiting 4-Dimensional Symmetry -- J-P. Hsu.

Print version record.

This collection of papers provides a broad view of the development of Lorentz and Poincaré invariance and spacetime symmetry throughout the past 100 years. The issues explored in these papers include: (1) formulations of relativity theories in which the speed of light is not a universal constant but which are consistent with the four-dimensional symmetry of the Lorentz and Poincaré groups and with experimental results, (2) analyses and discussions by Reichenbach concerning the concepts of simultaneity, and physical time from a philosophical point of view, and (3) results achieved by the union of the relativity and quantum theories, marking the beginnings of quantum electrodynamics and relativistic quantum mechanics. Ten of the fundamental experiments testing special relativity are also discussed, showing that they actually support a four-dimensional spacetime based on broad Lorentz and Poincaré invariance which is more general than and includes the special theory of relativity. The generalization of the concepts of simultaneity, physical time and the nature of the speed of light within a four-dimensional spacetime framework leads to the conclusion that the symmetries embodied by the special theory of relativity can be realized using only a single postulate - the principle of relativity for physical laws.

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