Re: What is the history of relativity theory? (continuation of Poincare thread)


"Cl.Massé" <toto@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4318756d$0$2505$626a14ce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Now, Poincaré stuck to the principle that a body is contracted through
> > > its absolute motion, which is definitely different from Einsteins
> > > relativity.
>
> "Harry" <harald.vanlintel@xxxxxxx> a écrit dans le message de news:
> 43156e85$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> > Now that is an interesting point: it concerns a different *metaphysics*.
>
> It may or may not. Could somebody give a sketch of what would be the
> "Poincaré theory", with a complete and non contradictory set of
postulates,
> the working out and the physical predictions?

Yes and no - he made errors, but so did Einstein. About predictions: already
Lorentz had made a pertinent and correct prediction, and Einstein added a
few more - some correct, and some erroneous...

The only effect of different metaphysics on the calculations is related to
intuition, thus more easily finding the most convenient approach, or more
easily making one kind of mistake instead of another one...

> In particular, I'd like to
> know what the "constant force causing the contraction" corresponds to in
> Einsteins relativity. Without that, the dispute goes nowhere.

I'm against disputes on discussion boards. Perhaps you refer to what I
interpret as an erroneous understanding by Poincare related to length
contraction - it follows from the Maxwell equations, thus there is no
additional force (if he meant that) in the atomic equilibrium positions.

> > And exactly the same happend with Newton's theory: someone that I never
> > heard of removed absolute motion from Newton's theory, thus giving it
> > definitely a different metaphyisical interpretation by which necessarily
> > also the definition of uniform rectilinear motion had to be changed. But
> > that person was *not* given credit for Newton's theory of physics... and
I
> > wonder if anyone here even knows his(?) name!
>
> Galileo?

Certainly not, Newton came later!

Harald


.