Schwartz/Einstein
Einstein's comprehensive 1907 essay on relativity, part III
H. M. Schwartz
University of Arkansas Fayefteville, Arkunsas 72701 (Received 30 November 1976; accepted 4 April 1977)
This is the concluding part of the English rendition of Einstein's 1907 essay on relativity, of which part I appeared in the June 1977 issue of this Journal and part I1 in the September 1977 issue. It consists of a direct translation of the last part of the essay, part V, entitled "Principle of Relativity and Gravitation," and of a few added footnotes.
A. INTRODUCTION Einstein's 1907 essay on relativity' does not appear to be widely known. Yet, as noted in the Introduction to the first part of the present English rendition of this essay,2 it is of substantial interest both on didactic and historic grounds. Its didactic value, relating to the treatment of a number of basic topics in Special Relativity, is particularly in evidence in the portion of Einstein's essay that is dealt with in the second part of the present rendition.' Its historical importance is associated mainly with the genesis of special relativity, and also with the genesis of general relativity. Part V, the last part of Einstein's 1907 essay, contains Einstein's first published expression of his initial highly important seminal ideas on the latter subject. It is translated here, as far as seemed feasible, verbatim, with a few added mainly explanatory notes. It may perhaps not be amiss to point out here that the latter notes, as well as those presented in the other two parts of the present rendition, and in the partial translation of Einstein's first paper on relativity,4 have for their principal aim only the facilitating of a close reading of the respective fundamental papers of Einstein, whether historically or pedagogically motivated.5 As in the previous parts of this rendition all the original footnotes are labeled by lower-case roman letters, and the added footnotes by arabic numerals.
As far as we know, the
H. M. Schwartz
University of Arkansas Fayefteville, Arkunsas 72701 (Received 30 November 1976; accepted 4 April 1977)
This is the concluding part of the English rendition of Einstein's 1907 essay on relativity, of which part I appeared in the June 1977 issue of this Journal and part I1 in the September 1977 issue. It consists of a direct translation of the last part of the essay, part V, entitled "Principle of Relativity and Gravitation," and of a few added footnotes.
A. INTRODUCTION Einstein's 1907 essay on relativity' does not appear to be widely known. Yet, as noted in the Introduction to the first part of the present English rendition of this essay,2 it is of substantial interest both on didactic and historic grounds. Its didactic value, relating to the treatment of a number of basic topics in Special Relativity, is particularly in evidence in the portion of Einstein's essay that is dealt with in the second part of the present rendition.' Its historical importance is associated mainly with the genesis of special relativity, and also with the genesis of general relativity. Part V, the last part of Einstein's 1907 essay, contains Einstein's first published expression of his initial highly important seminal ideas on the latter subject. It is translated here, as far as seemed feasible, verbatim, with a few added mainly explanatory notes. It may perhaps not be amiss to point out here that the latter notes, as well as those presented in the other two parts of the present rendition, and in the partial translation of Einstein's first paper on relativity,4 have for their principal aim only the facilitating of a close reading of the respective fundamental papers of Einstein, whether historically or pedagogically motivated.5 As in the previous parts of this rendition all the original footnotes are labeled by lower-case roman letters, and the added footnotes by arabic numerals.
As far as we know, the