ISBN : 9780198789475
This book is about the nature of space and time. It is the first textbook on Shape Dynamics, a new theory which describes the dynamics of gravity as the evolution of conformal 3-dimensional geometry. Shape Dynamics is equivalent to Einstein's General Relativity in those situations in which the latter has been tested experimentally, but the theory is based on different first principles. It differs from General Relativity in certain extreme conditions. Shape Dynamics allows us to describe situations in which the spacetime picture is no longer adequate, such as in the presence of singularities, when the idealization of infinitesimal rods measuring scales and infinitesimal clocks measuring proper time fails. This tutorial book contains both a quick introduction for readers curious about Shape Dynamics, and a detailed walk-through of the historical and conceptual motivations for the theory, its logical development from first principles and a description of its present status. It includes
1 Introduction; I. Historical Motivation; 2 Newton's bucket; 3 Origins of the Mach-Poincare Principle; II. Relational Particle Dynamics; 4 Barbour-Bertotti best matching; 5 Best matching: Technical details; 6 Hamiltonian formulation; III. Relational Field Theory; 7 Relativity without Relativity; 8 York's solution to the initial-value problem; 9 A derivation of Shape Dynamics; 10 Cotton-squared theory; IV. Shape Dynamics; 11 Historical interlude; 12 Shape Dynamics and the Linking Theory; 13 Solutions of Shape Dynamics; V. Appendices; A Arnowitt-Deser-Misner Gravity; B Other appendices