Illustrated Special Relativity through Its Paradoxes: A Fusion of Linear Algebra, Graphics, and Reality

Download or read book Illustrated Special Relativity through Its Paradoxes: A Fusion of Linear Algebra, Graphics, and Reality written by John dePillis and published by American Mathematical Soc.. This book was released on 2013-12-31 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Assuming a minimum of technical expertise beyond basic matrix theory, the authors introduce inertial frames and Minkowski diagrams to explain the nature of simultaneity, why faster-than-light travel is impossible, and the proper way to add velocities. We resolve the twin paradox, the train-in-tunnel paradox, the pra-shooter paradox along with the lesser-known bug-rivet paradox that shows how rigidity is incompatible with special relativity. Since Einstein in his seminal 1905 paper introducing special relativity, acknowledged his debt to Clerk Maxwell, we fully develop Maxwell's four equations that unify the theories of electricity, optics, and magnetism. These equations also lead to a simple calculation for the frame independent speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum."--Cover.