The evolution of scientific thought from Newton to EinsteinD'Abro, A. (Aram)
Science
The evolution of scientific thought from Newton to Einstein
D'Abro, A. (Aram)
Relativity (Physics); Science -- Methodology
Proceeding by the same method as we did in the case of two dimensions,
we find that there now exist several invariant types of relations
between the ’s at every definite point and their variations
in value at all points near this one. The values of these expressions
remain unchanged when we alter our mesh-system; hence, as in the case
of the Gaussian curvature for two-dimensional space, they refer to the
geometry of the space itself and not to our choice of mesh-system. One
of these invariant expressions is the generalisation of the Gaussian
curvature extended to four dimensions. The others refer to new
types of curvatures which appear only in spaces of more than two
dimensions. It is impossible to represent these curvatures with a
two-dimensional surface because they then become identified with the
ordinary Gaussian curvature.[31] For this reason it was only when
curved spaces of more than two dimensions were studied that these new
forms of curvature were brought into prominence.
[Pg 97]
From what has been said we may anticipate marked complications when
we wish to study the geometry of a space of more than two dimensions.
Thus, we saw that in a two-dimensional space the Gaussian curvature
fully defines the geometry of the space. For instance, if the
Gaussian curvature vanishes throughout, the surface is Euclidean or
at least flat.[32] In the same way, if the Gaussian curvature is an
invariable positive or negative number throughout, the surface is one
of constant curvature, either positive, as with a sphere, or negative,
as with a pseudosphere.
But when we consider spaces of more than two dimensions, a knowledge
of the generalised Gaussian curvature throughout the space is no
longer sufficient to fix its geometry. While this curvature may
vanish or present the same non-vanishing value throughout, we cannot
infer therefrom that the space is necessarily flat or of constant
curvature. Thus, whereas the vanishing of the generalised Gaussian
curvature is a necessary condition for the space to be flat, it
is by no means sufficient. There is still room for a large measure of
indeterminateness in the actual geometry of the space.
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