Gravity for the Not So Gifted

Can someone who has no mathematical background understand gravity? I don’t think so. What about someone who has studied maths at high school level only? They can handle Special Relativity with the level of maths they already have, but when it comes to General Relativity, it isn’t enough. Either learn about tensors, or give up. A third option is offered in this book, which deals with gravity using Special Relativity only. This requires an unusual approach, and I would be surprised if the developmental procedures used in Parts 2, 3 and 4 can be found elsewhere.

There is a remark attributed to the physicist Richard Feynman which made an impression on me when I first came across it many years ago. No exact quote is available, but the essence of what he said is this: If you can’t find a way to explain something without resorting to technical terms or concepts unfamiliar to the person you are explaining it to, then you don’t really understand it yourself.

The challenge was to deal with this topic, bearing in mind the targeted reader, in a way that remains faithful to this view. So I sincerely hope that after reading this book, you understand something about gravity. Because if you still don’t get it, then I probably don’t get it.

Poate cineva care nu are fond matematic sa inteleaga gravitatia? Nu cred.