Einstein's Theories of Relativity and Gravitation: A selection of material from the essays submitted in the competition for the Eugene Higgins prize of $5,000Bird, J. Malcolm (James Malcolm)
Philosophy
Einstein's Theories of Relativity and Gravitation: A selection of material from the essays submitted in the competition for the Eugene Higgins prize of $5,000
Bird, J. Malcolm (James Malcolm)
Relativity (Physics)
Thus, if Euclid has two points A and B in a plane, on opposite sides of
a line M, he will draw the line AB and without further formality speak
of the point C in which it intersects M. That it does so intercept M,
rather than in some way dodges it, is really an assumption as to the
nature of lines and planes. Or again, Euclid will speak of a point D
on the line AB, between or outside the points A and B, without making
the formal assumption necessary to insure that the line is "full" of
points so that such a point as D must exist. That such assumptions as
these are necessary follows from our previous remarks. If we think of
our geometry as dealing with "chings," "changs," and "chungs," or with
elements I, II and III, it is no longer in the least degree obvious
that the simplest property in the world applies to these elements. If
we wish any property to prevail we must state it explicitly.
With the postulates embodied in his definitions, those stated in his
axioms, and those which he reads into his structure by his methods of
proof, Euclid has a categorical set--enough to serve as foundation
for a geometry. We may then climb into Euclid's shoes and take the
next step with him. We follow him while he proves a number of things
about intersecting lines and about triangles. To be sure, when he
proves that two triangles are identically constituted by moving one of
them over on top of the other, we may protest on the ground that the
admission of motion, especially of motion thus imposed from without,
into a geometry of things is not beyond dispute. If Euclid has caught
our modern viewpoint, he will rejoin that if we have any doubts as to
the admissibility of motion he will lay down a postulate admitting it,
and we shall be silenced.
Having exhausted for the present the interest of intersecting lines,
our guide now passes to a consideration of lines in the same plane
that never meet. He defines such lines as parallel. If we object that
he should show the existence of a derived concept like this before
laying down a definition that calls for it to exist, he can show that
two lines drawn perpendicular to the same line never meet. He will
execute this proof by a special sort of superposition, which requires
that the plane be folded over on itself, through the third dimension
of surrounding space, rather than merely slid along upon itself.
We remain quiet while Euclid demonstrates that if two lines are cut by
any transversal in such a way as to make corresponding angles at the
two intersections equal, the lines are parallel. It is then in order
to investigate the converse: if the lines are parallel to begin with,
are the angles equal?
AXIOMS MADE TO ORDER
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