The geometry of special relativity -- a concise course. (Q456908): Difference between revisions

This is a remarkable introduction to special relativity. As the title indicates, the book is indeed very concise which makes it hard to follow for newcomers to the field. In return, it gives a surprisingly exhaustive account of the many topics in special relativity, including advanced ones like electrodynamics, the Lorentz group or variational principles. The introduction of the Lorentz transformation is particularly original, and based on properties of the Doppler effect deduced from isotropy, homogeneity and the invariance of the speed of light, instead of the more usual approach based on invariance of the space-time interval. Along this route, the author is able to obtain properties such as the law of addition of velocities, time dilation or length contraction even before introducing Cartesian coordinates or writing down the standard form of the Lorentz transformation. In effect, the author is deducing the Lorentz transformation in a null frame, where the boosts take a much simpler form. All in all, this book is enjoyable to read, and gives a detailed (but dense) account of many topics in special relativity in a short space. Although perhaps not suitable for a first introduction to the field, it is certainly thought provoking, which makes it a very valuable account on the topic.