Drawn from Feynman's introductory course of lectures on physics. The lectures delve into Einstein's theory of relativity and reveal modern theoretical physics. Originally published in 1997.
Part 1 Vectors: symmetry in physics; translations; rotations; vectors;
vector algebra; Newton's laws in vector notation; scalar product of vectors.
Part 2 Symmetry in physical laws: symmetry operations; symmetry in space and
time; symmetry and conservation laws; mirror reflections; polar and axial
vectors; which hand is right?; parity is not conserved!; antimatter; broken
symmetries. Part 3 The special theory of relativity: the principle of
relativity; the Lorentz transformation; the Michelson-Morley experiment;
transformation of time; the Lorentz contraction; simultaneity; four-vectors;
relativistic dynamics; equivalence of mass and energy. Part 4 Relativistic
energy and momentum: relativity and the philosophers; the twin paradox;
transformation of velocities; relativistic mass; relativistic energy. Part 5
Space-time: the geometry of space-time; space-time intervals; past, present
and future; more about four-vectors; four-vector algebra. Part 6 Curved
space: curved spaces with two dimensions; curvature in 3-dimensional space;
our space is curved; geometry in space-time; gravity and the principle of
equivalence; the speed of clocks in a gravitational field; the curvature of
space-time; motion in curved space-time; Einstein's theory of gravitation.
