Simon J Prokhovnik
Simon J. Prokhovnik | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 15, 1920 |
| Died | June 20, 1994 |
| Residence | NSW, NSW |
| Nationality | Polish Jewish |
| Known for | Philosophy of Science, Relativity, Cosmology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Professor of Mathematics |
Simon Jacques (James) Prokhovnik was born in Paris in 1920 to Polish-Jewish parents, and after migration to Australia (at age 11) received his BA and MS at Melbourne, became a high school math teacher, and later a professor of mathematics at Melbourne University and the University of New South Wales, Sydney, in the School of Mathematics. He also worked for many years as an industrial chemist and biochemist. In addition to The Logic of Special Relativity, he wrote over forty-five papers including some on the problems of learning and teaching.
Prokhovnik first opposed, and then agreed with [php2/index.php?tab0=Edit&tab1=Members&tab2=Display&id=720 Geoffrey Builder] in the circa 1957 controversy concerning relativity and the twin paradox. Following the Penzias and Wilson discovery of the cosmic background radiation (1965), Prokhovnik was the first to publish a book, The Logic of Special Relativity (Melbourne University Press, 1967), in which he argued that light is uniquely isotropic with the CBR frame. Prokhovnik died in 1994 from motor-neurone disease. Although Prokhovnik may be an obscure figure in the US, he is well known in Europe, particularly by the likes of [php2/index.php?tab0=Edit&tab1=Members&tab2=Display&id=295 Dr. Franco Selleri] et al.
Articles:
- "The Physical Interpretation of Special Relativity - A Vindication of Hendrik Lorentz", Z. Naturforsch, V48-A: 925-931 (1993).
- "Mathematics and Reality (Review of W. Salmon: Space, Time and Motion)", The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, V28, N2, pp. 189-194 (Jun 1977).
- [1974]: Int.Jour.Th.Phys.9,291.
- [1973]: Found.Phys.3, 351.
- [1976]: Found.Phys.6, 687-705.
- [1980]: Found.Phys.10, 197-208.
- [1988]: 'Nature & Implications of RWM', in: Duffy & Wegener, eds.: Recent Advances in Relativity Theory I, Hadronic Press, Fl., US, ISBN 1-57485-047-4.
- The Case for an Aether, The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 14, No. 55 (Nov. 1963), S. 195-207
- Neo-Lorentzian relativity, Journal of the Australian Mathematical Society, Volume 5, Issue 02, May 1965, S. 273-284.
Abstracts
- 1994 - "The Influence of Idealism in 20th Century Physics"
- 1993 - "The Nature of Friedmann Universes "
- 1987 - "The Mathematical and Physical Self-Consistence of Special Relativity"
- 1986 - "Comment on MacRoberts' Evaluation of Special Relativity"
- 1980 - "Book Review: Eppur Si Muove by Stefan Marinov"
- 1980 - "[[Does Neo-Lorentzian Relativity Exist?
]]"
- 1979 - "[[International Conference on Contemporary Modifications
to the Special Theory of Relativity ]]"
- 1979 - "Letter to the Editor"
