The Meaning of Relativity
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1922
- Language
- German
- Length
- Short · 170 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Formidable5 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Meaning of Relativity, translated by Edwin Plimpton AdamsPrinceton University Press, 2005The fifth edition, with the appendices Einstein added up to 1954 and an introduction by Brian Greene.
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The text of four lectures Einstein gave at Princeton in May 1921, the most concise technical statement of his theory that he wrote himself. It moves from the space and time of pre-relativity physics through the special theory to the general theory and its field equations, using tensor calculus throughout. Later editions added appendices on cosmology and on his attempts at a unified field theory, the last written in the final year of his life.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Meaning of Relativity are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.


