| SPAC 205
From Space and Time to Space-Time: Understanding Relativity Spring 1999 TTh: 9:25-10:40 HB 227 |
Yuri Balashov
Office: 304 Herman Brown Hall Phone: 527-8750 x3409 yuri@ruf.rice.edu Office hours: MW 1:00-2:00 pm; TTh after class; or by appointment |
January 21--Introduction. Course overview and mechanics. COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE DUE. Readings: Sartori 1-5.
January 26--Events and space-time. Introduction to the Aristotelian framework. Readings: Geroch 3-10. Optional: Aristotle on space, time, and motion (on the web). INTRODUCTORY PROBLEM/QUESTION SET DUE.
January 28--Objects and processes in the Aristotelian space-time. Readings: Geroch 11-28; Sartori 139-141.
February 2--Objects and processes in the Aristotelian space-time: Light and its propagation. Readings: G. 28-36.
February 4--PROBLEM SET #1 DUE. From the Aristotelian to Galilean space-time. Readings: Geroch 37-45; Sartori 5-12. Optional: Newton and Galileo on space, time, and motion (on the web).
February 9--The Galilean view: a "democratic framework." Readings: Geroch 45-52; Sartori 12-16.
February 11--PROBLEM SET #2 DUE. Intermission-I: Philosophical reflection on the ideas of relativity, invariance, perspectivalism, and objectivity. Readings: None.
February 16--Difficulties with the Galilean view. Electromagnetic phenomena. Propagation of light. Ether theories. Readings: Sartori 26-29.
February 18--Historical background of special relativity. Student presentation: The Michelson-Morley experiment. Readings: Sartori 17-19; 26-46.
February 2--Historical background of special relativityócontíd. The postulates of relativity. Readings: Sartori 19-21, 48-54.
February 25--Intermission-II: How are scientific theories created, and how do they get confirmed and refuted by experiment? Einstein on theories as "free creations of the mind." The postulates of relativity: the Lorentz transformations. Readings: Sartori 97-103*. Review and catch-up.
March 2--MIDTERM EXAM
March 4--TBA.
Midterm recess
March 16--Building special relativity "from scratch": How to deal with space and time properly. Readings: Geroch 67-80.
March 18--Building special relativity "from scratch": The Interval. Readings: Geroch 80-92; Sartori 106-107.
March 23--Physical interpretation of the Interval. Readings: Geroch 93-112; Sartori 150-151.
March 25--PROBLEM SET #3 DUE. Consequences of Einsteinís principle of relativity: relativity of simultaneity. Readings: Geroch 113-124; Sartori 54-60, 103-104.
March 30--Consequences of Einsteinís principle of relativity: time dilation. Readings: Geroch 53-63, 124-140; Sartori 68-83, 104-105. Student presentation: The decay of muons.
Spring recess
April 6--Consequences of Einsteinís principle of relativity: length contraction, velocity addition. Readings: Geroch 140-158; Sartori 83-88, 105-106.
April 8--Relativity and Causality. Tachyons. Student presentation. Readings: Sartori 144-150.
April 13--PROBLEM SET #4 DUE. "Paradoxes" of relativity. Student presentation: The Pole and the Barn. Readings: Sartori 166-185.
April 15--"Paradoxes" of relativity. Student presentation: The Fast Walker. Readings: Sartori 185-190.
April 20--"Paradoxes" of relativity. Student presentation: The Twins. Readings: Sartori 192-200.
April 22--Special relativity and becoming. Readings: on the web.
April 27--Four-dimensional objects. Readings: on the web.
April 29--Concluding remarks. The reality of the space-time world. Readings: on the web.
FINAL TAKE-HOME DUE BY THE END OF THE FINALS WEEK.