General Relativity and Absolute Space
General Relativity and Absolute Space
In III.E.3, Sklar discussed the "non-Machian aspects" of general relativity. Although Sklar certainly added some new materials, the basic observation was already made by Adolf Gruenbaum in Chapter 14 of his Philosophical Problems of Space and Time (1963). This chapter is entitled "Has the General Theory of Relativity repudiated Absolute Space?"
In this, Gruenbaum clearly describes (1) the need for boundary conditions for solving Einstein equation, and argues (2) that the boundary conditions at infinity play the role of Newton's absolute space. Further, (3) he touches on Einstein's 1916 attempt (paper was published in 1917, and this was discussed by Hari Onoda in her graduation thesis) for avoiding this consequence by introducing the cosmological constant °ƒ into his equation, which yielded a closed universe; however, (4) de Sitter showed that, even with this modification, Einstein equation cannot satisfy Mach's principle.
Since Gruenbaum teaches us many other interesting points, and he is often more specific than Sklar, it is desirable that you read this chapter. His book was republished in 1974, as the second edition, with much additional materials; but the first three parts are a reprint of the first edition.
Last modified March 28, 2003. (c) Soshichi Uchii