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Albert Einstein derived the theory of special relativity in 1905,[1] from principle now called the postulates of special relativity. Einstein's formulation is said[by whom?] to only require two postulates, though his derivation implies a few more assumptions.
The idea that special relativity depended only on two postulates, both of which seemed to follow from the theory and experiment of the day, was one of the most compelling arguments for the correctness of the theory (Einstein 1912: "This theory is correct to the extent to which the two principles upon which it is based are correct. Since these seem to be correct to a great extent, ...")[2]
- ^ Einstein, Albert (1905). "Zur elektrodynamik bewegter körper" [On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies]. Annalen der Physik. 17 (10): 891–921. Bibcode:1905AnP...322..891E. doi:10.1002/andp.19053221004.
- ^ Einstein, A. (1912). "Relativität und Gravitation. Erwiderung auf eine Bemerkung von M. Abraham" [Relativity and Gravitation: Reply to a comment by M. Abraham]. Annalen der Physik. 343 (10): 1059–1064. Bibcode:1912AnP...343.1059E. doi:10.1002/andp.19123431014. ISSN 0003-3804. S2CID 120162895.