Jeroen van van DongenCambridge University PressEdition: Reprint, 10/4/2018EAN 9781108703031, ISBN10: 1108703038Paperback, 223 pages, 24.6 x 16.8 x 1.3 cmLanguage: EnglishWhy did Einstein tirelessly study unified field theory for more than thirty years? In this book, the author argues that Einstein believed he could find a unified theory of all of nature's forces by repeating the methods he thought he had used when he formulated general relativity. The book discusses Einstein's route to the general theory of relativity, focusing on the philosophical lessons that he learnt. It then addresses his quest for a unified theory for electromagnetism and gravity, discussing in detail his efforts with Kaluza-Klein and, surprisingly, the theory of spinors. From these perspectives, Einstein's critical stance towards the quantum theory comes to stand in a new light. This book will be of interest to physicists, historians and philosophers of science.Introduction1. Formulating the gravitational field equations2. On the method of theoretical physics3. Unification and field theory4. Experiment and experience5. The method as directivesemivectors6. Unification in five dimensions7. The method and the quantumConclusionBibliographyIndex.
