Professor Herman Bondi, one of the proponents of the Steady State Theory, presented this volume as an account that would establish cosmology as a distinct branch of physics. First published in 1952, just a few years after the term the Big Bang was coined, it represents an important stage in the development of cosmology. With detailed discussions of different theories including Newtonian cosmology, relativistic cosmology and kinematic relativity, it gives a remarkable insight into scientific thought at this crucial time. It will be most useful to anyone with an interest in the history of science or the progression of scientific ideas.
Preface; Part I. Principles of Cosmology: 1. Physics and cosmology; 2. The cosmological principle; Part II. Observational Evidence: 3. The background light of the sky; 4. The problem with inertia; 5. Observations of distant nebulae; Appendix: the K-term of the red shift; 6. Astrophysical and geophysical data; 7. Microphysics and cosmology; Part III. Cosmological Theories: 8. Theoretical concepts; 9. Newtonian cosmology; 10. Relativistic cosmology; 11. Kinematic relativity; 12. The Steady-State Theory; 13. The theories of Eddington, Dirac and Jordan; 14. The present position in cosmology; Bibliography; Index.