dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaField equations in teleparallel spacetime: Einstein's Fernparallelismus approach towards unified field theory
| Authors | Tilman Sauer |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0405142 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0405142 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.hm.2005.11.005 |
| Journal | Historia Math. 33 (2006) 399-439 |
Abstract
A historical account of Einstein's 'Fernparallelismus' approach towards a unified field theory of gravitation and electromagnetism is given. In this theory, a space-time characterized by a curvature-free connection in conjunction with a metric tensor field, both defined in terms of a dynamical tetrad field, is investigated. The approach was pursued by Einstein in a number of publications that appeared in the period from summer 1928 until spring 1931. In the historical analysis special attention is given to the question of how Einstein tried to find field equations for the tetrads. We claim that it was the failure to find and justify a uniquely determined set of acceptable field equations which eventually led to Einstein's abandoning of this approach. We comment on some historical and systematic similarities between the 'Fernparallelismus' episode and the 'Entwurf' theory, i.e. the precursor theory of general relativity pursued by Einstein in the years 1912-1915.
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"abstract": "A historical account of Einstein\u0027s \u0027Fernparallelismus\u0027 approach towards a\nunified field theory of gravitation and electromagnetism is given. In this\ntheory, a space-time characterized by a curvature-free connection in\nconjunction with a metric tensor field, both defined in terms of a dynamical\ntetrad field, is investigated. The approach was pursued by Einstein in a number\nof publications that appeared in the period from summer 1928 until spring 1931.\nIn the historical analysis special attention is given to the question of how\nEinstein tried to find field equations for the tetrads. We claim that it was\nthe failure to find and justify a uniquely determined set of acceptable field\nequations which eventually led to Einstein\u0027s abandoning of this approach. We\ncomment on some historical and systematic similarities between the\n\u0027Fernparallelismus\u0027 episode and the \u0027Entwurf\u0027 theory, i.e. the precursor theory\nof general relativity pursued by Einstein in the years 1912-1915.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0405142",
"authors": [
"Tilman Sauer"
],
"categories": [
"physics.hist-ph",
"gr-qc"
],
"doi": "10.1016/j.hm.2005.11.005",
"journal_ref": "Historia Math. 33 (2006) 399-439",
"title": "Field equations in teleparallel spacetime: Einstein\u0027s Fernparallelismus approach towards unified field theory",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0405142"
},
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