Philosophy of physics. Space and Time (Q2901290)

This is a book on that part of the philosophy of physics, which is related to the classical (i.e. non-quantum) structure of space and time. It should be mentioned that the philosophy of quantum theory is the subject of another book by the same author. For a further philosophical book by him see [\textit{T. Maudlin}, Truth and paradox. Solving the riddles. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2004; Zbl 1083.03002)].NEWLINENEWLINEIts mathematics is confined to give some few formulas like the special relativistic line element and the tensor form of the Einstein field equation, and several figures to elucidate the text like space-time diagrams for explaining the twin paradox and the Möbius strip to elucidate the existence of non-orientable surfaces.NEWLINENEWLINEHere are the topics of the book in more detail: Chapter 1 gives some history of the metaphysics of absolute space and time, chapter 2 deals with Newton's laws, chapter 3 is on Galilean space-time, chapter 4 is on special relativity, chapter 5 discusses the constancy of the speed of light and the related measurement problems, chapter 6 is on general relativity, and the final chapter 7 deals with the direction and the topology of time. The appendix presents some calculations related to special relativity.NEWLINENEWLINEWithin the text, many mathematical notions are explained in words, where mathematicians would have preferred to add a related sequence of definitions of the notions plus formulas, but probably his kind of presentation has its own readership.