Simon Jacques Prokhovnik

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SJ Prokhovnik (1980)

Simon Jacques Prokhovnik , also Simon James Prokhovnik (born June 15, 1920 in Paris , † June 20, 1994 in Sydney ), was an Australian mathematician , cosmologist and university professor. Internationally, he was recognized in professional circles through his publications in the field of theoretical physics in connection with the special theory of relativity .

Life

Prokhovnik was born in Paris (France) in 1920 as the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants. In 1931 the family moved on, first to New Zealand and finally to Melbourne, Australia, where Simon Prokhovnik lived for 24 years.

In Melbourne he worked for two years as an administrative clerk, then as a biochemist and analytical chemist , at times also as a teacher. Meanwhile, he completed a part-time study at the University of Melbourne and received there in the years 1944-46 the academic degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in mathematics and the honors degree in chemistry. Twenty years later he received a Master of Science degree from the same university .

From 1955 to 1981 Prokhovnik taught mathematics at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He then worked there until 1992 as a professor emeritus and taught cosmology . He placed particular emphasis on interdisciplinary teaching, including philosophical and political aspects of science. Since 1956 he was a member of the scientific society Royal Society of New South Wales .

Work on the theory of relativity

Prokhovnik was one of the main representatives of the incurred in the 1950 theory of re-lorentzianischen relativity (ger .: neo-Lorentzian relativity that) on the Lorentz ether theory and parts of Albert Einstein's contributions to the special theory of relativity is based (SRT).

He published various articles and books on the subject, in which he argued for the existence of an " ether ". Unlike colleagues such as Herbert E. Ives stressed Prokhovnik that Einstein's theory of relativity in itself is logically conclusive and that of Einstein assumptions made from - the full ( isotropic ) constancy of the speed of light and the generality of the physical laws of nature - inevitably the relativity of simultaneity follow . However, he himself assumed the possibility of an anisotropic speed of light and thus came to different conclusions, which spoke in favor of a “universal substratum” (the ether). He saw himself in the tradition of the Australian physicist Geoffrey Builder .

In his article “The Case for an Ether”, Prokhovnik discussed the so-called clock paradox (or twin paradox ), whereby - as he emphasized - the solution in his theory is completely possible with SRT means (p. 201). However, he claimed that his theory could give a clearer understanding of the situation (pp. 206-207). In addition, he tried (following JA Bastin) to derive the Lorentz contraction from a modified law of gravitation (pp. 201–204).

The "neo-Lorentzian" point of view advocated by Prokhovnik and others does not correspond to the generally accepted and learned interpretation of the special theory of relativity today.

The Logic of Special Relativity

This book, published in 1967, emerged against the background of the debate between proponents and critics of the theory of relativity in the 1950s and 60s and attempts to resolve the dispute. Prokhovnik presents the arguments of both sides, refutes the objections of critics such as Herbert Dingle and shows in detail the mathematical and logical consistency of the theory of relativity from three different perspectives: Einstein's SRT, the space-time representation of Hermann Minkowski and the Neo-Lorentzian theory (the latter as already previously published in "The Case for an Ether"). In doing so, he demonstrates in various ways that the representations are mathematically equivalent, all of which make the same physical predictions. In particular, he explains the reciprocity of the Lorentz transformations , which is difficult to understand intuitively, and tries, analogously to Builder, to prove that a unidirectional measurement of the speed of light is not possible.

Prokhovnik saw the cause of the dispute about the SRT and about paradoxes like the twin paradox in an inadequate understanding of the SRT, which in his opinion could be improved by taking into account the Lorentzian point of view.

Deviating from the classical ether theory and based on the astronomical knowledge of the time, Prokhovnik initially proposed the centers of gravity of the galaxies as fixed points for defining a fundamental reference system . He later developed this cosmological view of relativity in his book "Light in Einstein's Universe" against the background of new astronomical findings.

See also

Essential publications

  • The Case for an Aether , The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 14, No. 55 (Nov. 1963), pp. 195-207
  • Neo-Lorentzian relativity , Journal of the Australian Mathematical Society, Volume 5, Issue 02, May 1965, pp. 273-284
  • The Logic of Special Relativity , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1967, ISBN 978-0521059992 , also translated into French; second edition: New South Wales University Press, Sydney, 1978, ISBN 978-0909465728
  • Light in Einstein's Universe: The Role of Energy In Cosmology And Relativity , D. Reidel Publishing, Dordrecht, 1985, ISBN 978-9027720931
  • The Physical Interpretation of Special Relativity - a Vindication of Hendrik Lorentz , Zeitschrift für Naturforschung 48a (1993), pp. 925-931

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science, Issue No. 48, August 1994, ISSN  0158-9040
  2. ↑ Prokhovnik (1978)
  3. ↑ Prokhovnik (1963)
  4. ↑ Prokhovnik (1965)
  5. ↑ Prokhovnik (1963)
  6. ↑ Janssen, Michel: "Reconsidering a Scientific Revolution: The Case of Einstein versus Lorentz Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove it Note. In: Physics in Perspective . 4, 2002, pp. 421-446. Retrieved November 26, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tc.umn.edu
  7. ↑ Janssen, Michel & Balashov, Yuri: Presentism and Relativity . In: British Journal for the Philosophy of Science . 54, 2003, pp. 327-346.
personal data
SURNAME Prokhovnik, Simon Jacques
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Prokhovnik, Simon James
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian mathematician, cosmologist and university professor
DATE OF BIRTH June 15, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris
DATE OF DEATH June 20, 1994
Place of death Sydney