Einstein, 1905 - 2005

More about the book

This book is the fourth in a series of lectures from the Séminaire Poincaré, aimed at physicists and mathematicians. The seminar provides current insights into significant topics in physics, covering both theoretical and experimental aspects along with historical context. Modeled after the Bourbaki seminar in mathematics, the Poincaré Seminar, held biannually at the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris, features pre-prepared contributions. Emphasizing pedagogy, the presentations are designed to be accessible to a broad audience of scientists. This volume, from the seventh seminar in 2005, focuses on Einstein’s 1905 papers and their enduring impact. It begins with an exploration of Einstein’s epistemological approach and the development of special relativity, offering a centenary perspective. The geometry of relativistic spacetime is thoroughly explained, and single photon experiments are highlighted as a remarkable demonstration of Einstein’s light quanta hypothesis. Additionally, an unpublished lecture by Einstein from 1910 provides valuable insights into statistical physics at the onset of quantum mechanics. The volume concludes with an essay discussing the historical, physical, and mathematical dimensions of Brownian motion. This publication aims to benefit the community of physicists and mathematicians at both graduate and professional levels.