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- Publications
- Influence
Physical Relativity: Space-Time Structure from a Dynamical Perspective
- H. Brown
- Physics
- 2005
1. Overview 2. The physics of coordinate transformations 3. The relativity principle and the fable of Albert Keinstein 4. The trailblazers 5. Einstein's principle-theory route to the Lorentz… Expand
- 277
- 54
Minkowski space-time: A glorious non-entity
It is argued that Minkowski space-time cannot serve as the deep structure within a ``constructive'' version of the special theory of relativity, contrary to widespread opinion in the philosophical… Expand
Two Miracles of General Relativity
- James Read, H. Brown, D. Lehmkuhl
- Mathematics
- 1 November 2018
We approach the physics of minimal coupling in general relativity, demonstrating that in certain circumstances this leads to (apparent) violations of the strong equivalence principle, which states… Expand
Are Gauge Symmetry Transformations Observable?
- Katherine A. Brading, H. Brown
- Mathematics
- The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
- 1 December 2004
In a recent paper in this journal, Kosso ([2000]) discussed the observational status of continuous symmetries of physics. While we are in broad agreement with his approach, we disagree with his… Expand
The Origins of Time-asymmetry in Thermodynamics: The Minus First Law
This paper investigates what the source of time-asymmetry is in thermodynamics, and comments on the question whether a time-symmetric formulation of the Second Law is possible.
Boltzmann's H-theorem, its discontents, and the birth of statistical mechanics
- H. Brown, Wayne C. Myrvold, J. Uffink
- Physics
- 1 May 2009
A comparison is made of the traditional Loschmidt (reversibility) and Zermelo (recurrence) objections to Boltzmann's H-theorem, and its simplified variant in the Ehrenfests’ 1912 wind-tree model. The… Expand
Chapter 4: Minkowski Space-Time: A Glorious Non-Entity
It is argued that Minkowski space-time cannot serve as the deep structure within a “constructive” version of the special theory of relativity, contrary to widespread opinion in the philosophical… Expand
The origin of the spacetime metric: Bell's `Lorentzian pedagogy' and its significance in general relativity
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the `Lorentzian Pedagogy' defended by J.S. Bell in his essay ``How to teach special relativity'', and to explore its consistency with Einstein's thinking from… Expand
Dynamical versus variational symmetries: understanding Noether's first theorem
- H. Brown, P. Holland
- Physics
- 10 June 2004
It is argued that awareness of the distinction between dynamical and variational symmetries is crucial to understanding the significance of Noether's 1918 work. Special attention is paid, by way of a… Expand