Question on §3 of Einstein's 1905 paper

In summary, a user on PF posted a question about §3 of Einstein's paper "On the electrodynamics of moving bodies". The user was having trouble understanding a mathematical statement involving infinitesimally small values and requested an explanation or suggested topics in calculus to learn. However, the user later updated the post, stating that they were able to derive the solution on their own and no longer needed an answer.
  • #1
Brett Oertel
1
0
Hi guys,

This is my first time posting on PF!

I have a question on §3 of Einstein's paper "On the electrodynamics of moving bodies."My problem is with the following mathematical statements:

img22.gif


Hence, if x' is chosen to be infinitesimally small,

img23.gif


or

img24.gif
I have just finished high school, and whilst I have finished two other books which concerned Special Relativity (and understood them well) I think I do not know enough maths to understand what i pasted above. Could someone explain how he gets from step 1 to step 2 please?
Or, perhaps could someone tell me what topics in calculus I must learn in order to understand it myself?

Thanks!

EDIT: I found many other threads asking the exact same thing as me... Oops! I managed to derive it on my own so no answer is necessary :).
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
Brett Oertel said:
Oops! I managed to derive it on my own so no answer is necessary :).

Mind posting the derivation so others can see how it was done?
 

FAQ: Question on §3 of Einstein's 1905 paper

1. What is §3 of Einstein's 1905 paper?

§3 of Einstein's 1905 paper is a section titled "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" where Einstein introduces his theory of special relativity.

2. What is the significance of §3 in Einstein's 1905 paper?

§3 is significant because it presents a major breakthrough in our understanding of space and time, and fundamentally changed the way we think about the universe.

3. What is the main idea presented in §3 of Einstein's 1905 paper?

The main idea presented in §3 is that the laws of physics are the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion.

4. How did §3 of Einstein's 1905 paper impact the field of physics?

§3 of Einstein's 1905 paper revolutionized the field of physics by providing a new framework for understanding space and time, and laying the foundation for future developments in relativity and quantum mechanics.

5. What is the difference between §3 and the rest of Einstein's 1905 paper?

§3 is the most significant section of Einstein's 1905 paper, as it introduces the theory of special relativity. The rest of the paper discusses various applications and implications of this theory.

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