MG15 - Talk detail

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Abstract

Thanks to the introduction of a general lagrangian, we derive a simple expression for the perihelion advance of Mercury (P.A.M) which can be applied to many historical examples, such as Gerber's 1902 ad-hoc model, Poincaré's 1906 application of his relativistic action, Einstein's probable test of his 1912 metric, Einstein-Besso 's 1914 application of the "entwurf" ... as well as to modern presentations. We argue that Einstein's failure to derive in his Zürich Note- book the right equations of general relativity has a physical rather than mathematical origin, which amounts to an incomplete application of 1895 Lorentz Transformations to his 1911 formulation of the Equivalence Principle. The P.A.M could have been already in his hands at that time.

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