What math do you need to know before learning the theory of relativity?

If you look for the theory of relativity first: "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" or General Physics 1 (university textbook), you need to look at the relevant theorems with a skeptical eye to see what derivations cannot be confirmed. I think there are some feelings of derivatives, I have learned derivatives in middle school, it is enough, I learned the theory of relativity in my freshman year, there is no difficulty, but if I really want to see the problems inside, I need to see whether the basic knowledge is solid.

Special Relativity: Mathematical knowledge requires advanced mathematics, linear algebra (matrices), and some complex number theory is preferred.

General relativity: It needs to be deeper, and tensor analysis is required, Riemannian geometry, advanced mathematics, linear algebra (matrices), and the same is needed.

1.College physics does not talk about the theory of relativity, if you are a student in Jiangsu, college physics in the theory of relativity and classical mechanics is what you learn in high school physics, but there is just one more integral. Therefore, you must first learn integralism, which is "Advanced Mathematics".

2。Jiangsu's words have been learned from the Lorentz transformation, which is basic and used a lot. If you are from Jiangsu and have not learned, it is your teachers who have not taught well.

3。Special relativity doesn't use a lot of mathematics, so you don't need to learn anything else, and you'll look at it when you need to use it. At least from what I understand. Ignorance in the broad sense.

4.It is also laborious to understand some of his simplest derivation processes, let alone how to understand this conclusion, so you have to be prepared for a protracted battle.

5,。To sum up, the books to read: "Advanced Mathematics" integrals, the basics of chivalrous relativity in high school physics, and the Lorentz transform formula, these basic knowledge should be proficient. If you don't understand, you can ask me again, I'm also very interested in the theory of relativity.

The principle of special relativity: all laws of physics (laws of mechanics, electromagnetism, and other laws of interacting dynamics) are equivalent (equal) in all inertial frames of reference, and no inertial frame has a superior position, and there is no absolutely stationary frame of reference (ether), thus negating the "ether theory" and absolute space.

The principle of invariance of the speed of light: The speed of light in a vacuum is the same for any observer.

Equivalence principle: The kinetic effects of the inertial force field and the gravitational field are locally indistinguishable.

The principle of invariance of the speed of light states that the speed of light in a vacuum is the same for any observer.

In 1972, the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Bourde, Colorado, USA, used laser interferometry to determine the speed of light without a finger and obtained c = 299,792, m s, which was 100 times more accurate than the previous measurement and quantity. The remaining uncertainties are mainly due to the uncertainty in the definition of meters.

The key to all scholars studying the theory of relativity is to study its spiritual core, which expounds the true meaning and essence of science, contains the collision with the ideas of scientific giants, and is the closest exchange between different high-level people.

This requires that the person who reads these books must be self-conscious enough to recognize the physical things that exist in this world and the rules that exist between these things, which is the only way for scholars who read books that require deep thinking.

If the result is really like this, they must invest more time in their learning content in this area, and they must invest time in learning the theory of relativity, and if they only invest fragmented time, then the whole reading effect will be very poor.

As for the most important thing in ordinary times, readers only need to develop reading habits, and when reading difficult books such as the theory of relativity, readers also need to have enough energy not to get tired easily, so that they can continue to read, and readers also need to have enough understanding of relevant aspects to really read the flavor, which is actually determined by the nature of these books themselves.

Readers' comprehension, memory, and other aspects determine whether readers are suitable to read the theory of relativity, and many physical calculations in the theory of relativity have to be deduced by themselves.

This is the most real decisive factor in learning the theory of relativity, only to maintain a heart that is truly not dulled by the world, can really have the potential for deep learning, only people who can really endure loneliness, people who are willing to study hard, are suitable to get the nourishment of the theory of relativity, This is the charm of the theory beyond common sense, and at the same time it is the stage that all people need to go through, only people who really see the overall situation of the construction of science, will not be entangled in their surroundings. Invest your energy entirely in a book that has enough depth to learn.

The theory of relativity is divided into special relativity and general relativity. If you don't believe it, you can refer to the video where I used similar triangles in space-time to prove the time dilation formula in special relativity. I have told many middle school students about this, such as Zhu Kezhen Middle School in Zhejiang, Nanjing Middle School in Jiangsu, Rizhao No. 1 Middle School in Shandong, and so on.

Some middle school students can understand the special theory of relativity in this way.

However, general relativity is different, and to understand general relativity, one must have knowledge of differential geometry. Of course, the knowledge of differential geometry is not really that difficult, if you go to the class of Professor Liang Canbin, an expert in relativity theory at Beijing Normal University, he can reduce the difficulty of differential geometry to the level of the third year of high school. If I want to talk about general relativity, I once told a student named Huang Aotian, who just graduated from high school, and he can also understand general relativity and differential geometry, and he was not in college at that time.

Therefore, if you want to say how difficult differential geometry is, I don't think it's difficult, the key is whether there is a teacher to guide you.

In China, it is very difficult to teach yourself the theory of general relativity. There are very few people I know who really understand general relativity by self-study, and perhaps Professor Liu Liao is one of them.

It's hard to say that there aren't smart people in China, but it's not the mathematics that makes it difficult for general relativity, it's its way of thinking. This way of thinking is what the current Chinese still lack. General relativity is very different from other physical theories in that it studies time and space, and this underlying structure requires the following ways of thinking

Tensors. However, ordinary people can only vector and do not understand the properties of tensors, so they cannot teach themselves the general theory of relativity.

For the general public, there is no need to understand the theory of relativity! (unless you are a professional or a theoretical researcher), but it is necessary to know about the theory of relativity! Because it helps to improve the scientific literacy of the people.

I think the role of popular science is to let the general public know some necessary basic scientific knowledge, not to let the public understand!

I have time to read my articles "**A Little Objection to the Mass-Energy Formula E=MC2" and "Three Deficiencies of the Gravitational Formula F="."A jasper orchid chasing stars in Lingjing Lake"Can.

When learning the theory of relativity, you must preview it in advance, and you must take good notes, and you must also understand the relevant auxiliary courses to understand what the professional vocabulary in it means, and secondly, you must also see the interpretation of some experts, so that you can understand the meaning of the theory of relativity from many aspects.

It is important to note that you must fully understand what the theory of relativity is talking about, so that you can make more correct judgments. It can also make us have a better psychology.

We must pay attention to our own thoughts and make our thoughts active, so that we can better understand the theory of relativity, and we need to understand the central idea of the theory of relativity.

Forget about other physical concepts and focus on learning the theory of relativity in order to accept it.

It's best to teach high school or college physics for 20 years!

In college, "relativity" is placed in "electrodynamics", and you first study high school mathematics and physics, "advanced mathematics" and "general physics" in college, and then "electrodynamics".

I don't know if you have a foundation in advanced mathematics, but to learn to understand the theory of relativity, you need not only a foundation in physics but also a high foundation in mathematics.

Advanced mathematics is a basic course in college.

It is recommended that you read some books that strengthen mathematics, such as "Methods in Mathematical Physics", which is "Vector Analysis".

In physics, if you have studied physics thoroughly in college, it is recommended that you read "Electrodynamics", "Quantum Mechanics", "A Brief Introduction to Special and General Relativity", and if possible, read Einstein's ** on the theory of relativity.

If you only learn special relativity at the surface level, it is enough to add a little calculus to high school mathematics knowledge, you can read "Mechanics" (Zhao Kaihua. Peking University Press), at a deeper level, mathematics requires rotational transformations in linear algebra and complex numbers.

If you want to study the theory of relativity in a grand and professional way, then you need a certain foundation in mathematics.

Compare troublesome college basic math courses (linear algebra.

Further Mathematics. Spatially analytic geometry.

field theory) then advanced to general topology (mainly point set topology), preliminary differential geometry, and then graduate courses.

Differential topology. Differential geometry (including Riemannian geometry.

Tensor analysis, especially differential geometry and tease vertical finger closure analysis.

It is more difficult to learn, but it is the general theory of relativity.

The basics (must be learned.)

Otherwise, please just give up the general theory of relativity) If you just want to understand or popularize science casually, then all kinds of popular science knowledge about the theory of relativity can be. Unlimited.

It is necessary to know about junior high school knowledge, such as at least knowing the relationship between speed, distance, and time. Mathematics to know the square, Pythagorean theorem.

Solve math or physics problems in general velocity and encounter problems.

If I want to teach myself about the theory of relativity, I have a suggestion that at least I feel is important. Just look at the articles written by Einstein, but also the relevant content written by Lorenz, Maxwell and others. Don't look at the theory of relativity that other people have written.

At the moment I have found a very important problem, many other people also write about the theory of relativity** and explain the theory of relativity with their own ideas, but they are actually making changes to the theory of relativity that they feel they need.

Because many of the ** about the theory of relativity are not written by ordinary people, but are still written by some very influential scientists or physicists, although there are very obvious errors in them, no one has pointed out and corrected them, causing confusion among people who study the theory of relativity now.

Eventually, I came across a lot of questions about relativity, and I found that there was always repetition on simple questions. Later, it was discovered that some erroneous derivation processes were cited in university textbooks, including now. A complete departure from the original meaning of the theory of relativity.

This has caused a lot of paradoxes and confusion about the theory of relativity.

For example, there are some basic common senses that have been changed in the later conception of the derivator of relativity.

The motion is relative, if the velocity of A relative to B is v, the velocity (magnitude) of B relative to A must also be v, it is impossible that my velocity relative to you is v1, and your velocity relative to me is v2. Because there is no absolute velocity in the idea of relativity.

But this basic principle of relativity was changed by later interpreters of relativity. The velocity of A relative to B is V, and the velocity of B relative to A is U, and the two originally equivalent quantities become different quantities.

I just discovered these problems, because I have just received two people who have questioned me in the past few days, saying that I made a mistake when answering the relativity problem, I did not change the velocity, and the velocity seen on different motion systems should be different, so I should change the velocity first and then solve the problem.

I asked if your speed relative to me was v, and my velocity relative to you wouldn't be a? He said that if the speed of the two of us is not the same, of course it will be different!

I asked, why am I different from you and speed? He said: I am stationary, you are in motion, of course it is different. I said, then how do I feel that I am stationary and that you are in motion? He said that wasn't right, that we have different speeds in the universe.

At the end of the day, there's no getting rid of absolute speed. There is also the idea that the ether is still.

There are so many articles now that explain the theory of relativity with the concept of absolute motion that Einstein's theory of relativity is almost overwhelmed. Therefore, if you misunderstand other theories of relativity, you will fall into endless confusion. It's hard to really understand the theory of relativity anymore, and those bends can take you more than a dozen years to get out.

First of all, the special theory of relativity should be studied well, including the relativistic transformation of the electromagnetic field and the relativistic correction of Newtonian mechanics. Secondly, it is mathematically necessary: tensor analysis, Riemannian geometry or differential geometry of high-dimensional spaces, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, transformations of common coordinate systems, and solving systems of nonlinear partial differential equations. As for topology and functional combinations, I guess that's useful for a deeper understanding, but not for getting started.

This course is required for college physics majors, and it is a course, not a part of a certain class!

If other majors need to take the course "College Physics", they need to have a chapter on the theory of relativity, but they generally don't talk about it carefully, because the university physics teacher will not either.

In fact, there are few people in the world who dare to say that they fully understand the theory of relativity. Because the theory of relativity is largely beyond the realm of existing human perception.

Humans can only perceive low-speed mesoscopic phenomena. Low speed, that is, with human ability, even considering high-speed camera equipment, can only perceive the speed of kilometers per microsecond, that is, about 1,000 times the speed of sound, and the speed close to the speed of light discussed by the theory of relativity, human beings cannot perceive! The meso, that is, human beings cannot perceive the microscopic microscopic that is smaller than the atomic level and the macroscopic macroscopic that is larger than the galaxial level, and can only perceive the mesoscopic objects in between, and the maximum scope of application of the theory of relativity is the microscopic quantum mechanics part, and the macroscopic high-speed astronomical part, which human beings can only guess now, not directly perceive.

When I first started studying physics, I said that physics is based on experiments. However, the theory of relativity cannot be directly verified experimentally. It can only be indirectly proved that with the theoretical derivation of the theory of relativity, the phenomenon A should appear, and with the classical physical derivation, the phenomenon A will not appear, and then go to the experiment to see if A will appear.

Now it is proved that A will appear, so it is thought that the theory of relativity is correct, but in fact, it is not necessarily true. Perhaps the emergence of A should be explained by another theory, and the theory of relativity just happens to embody this phenomenon A. There is this possibility, because the theory of relativity cannot be directly verified.