Mach principle
E90362
Mach principle is a philosophical and physical concept proposing that local inertial properties of matter are determined by the large-scale distribution of mass and energy in the universe.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
philosophical concept
→
physical principle → |
| associatedWith |
critique of absolute space
→
relational view of space → |
| category |
concept in foundations of physics
→
concept in philosophy of space and time → |
| concerns |
inertial frames of reference
→
origin of inertia → relation between local physics and global universe → |
| coreIdea |
inertia arises from interaction with the mass of the universe
→
local inertial properties are influenced by the large-scale distribution of matter → |
| criticizes |
Newtonian absolute space
→
substantivalism about spacetime → |
| debatedBy |
Albert Einstein
→
Dennis Sciama → Julian Barbour → Wolfgang Rindler → |
| field |
philosophy of science
→
theoretical physics → |
| hasInterpretation |
inertia as interaction with gravitational field of the universe
→
spacetime geometry determined by matter distribution → |
| hasVariant |
inertial frame Machian formulations
→
strong Mach principle → weak Mach principle → |
| historicalOrigin |
late 19th century
→
|
| influenced |
Albert Einstein
→
Brans–Dicke theory → development of general relativity → relational mechanics → various scalar–tensor theories of gravity → |
| influencedBy |
Newton’s bucket argument
→
critique of classical mechanics → |
| involves |
definition of inertial frames via distant matter
→
global properties of the universe → mutual interaction of masses → |
| namedAfter |
Ernst Mach
→
|
| notFullyRealizedIn |
standard general relativity
→
|
| partiallyRealizedIn |
certain cosmological solutions of general relativity
→
|
| proposedBy |
Ernst Mach
→
|
| relatedTo |
Lense–Thirring effect
→
cosmology → equivalence principle → general covariance → inertial frame dragging → |
| status |
not precisely formulated as a single unique law
→
partly heuristic → subject of ongoing debate → |
| supports |
relationalism about motion
→
|
Referenced by (2)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Ernst Mach
→
|
hasConceptNamedAfter |
|
Ernst Mach
→
|
notableIdea |