Conference on the Interpretations of Relativity Theory, Budapest, 7-9 Sept. 2007

[Laszlo Ropolyi]

On behalf of

the Institute for Philosophical Research of the Hungarian Academy of 
Sciences,

the Department of History and Philosophy of Science of Loránd Eötvös 
University

and the School of Computing & Technology of  University of Sunderland

the International Organizing Committee announces the international meeting

"Mathematics, Physics and Philosophy in the Interpretations of Relativity 
Theory"  - Budapest, Hungary, 7-9. September 2007.

The President of the International Organizing Committee is
Dr. Laszlo Szekely,
Institute for  Philosophical Research, Hungarian  Academy of  Sciences, 
Budapest

The Committee includes:

Dr. J. Czerniawski, Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, 
Krakow, Poland
Dr. M.C. Duffy, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, United Kingdom
Dr. L. Kostro, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Dr. L. Ropolyi, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary
Dr P. Rowlands, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Dr L. Szekely, Institute for  Philosophical Research, Hung. Ac. of  Sci. 
Budapest, Hungary.
Dr. H.L. Szoecs, Berzsenyi College, Hungary
Dr. M. Wegener, University of Arhus, Arhus, Denmark.

Conference-coordinator: L. Szekely
E-mail: Sz_L at ludens.elte.hu


GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE CONFERENCE

The objective of the conference is to deliberate the mathematical, 
physical and philosophical elements of different understandings of 
Relativity Theory; the physical and philosophical arguments and 
commitments shaping its interpretations, including its applications, 
especially those in relativistic cosmology and relativistic quantum 
theory. The organizing committee is open for examination of recent 
advantages in the interpretational problems of Relativity Theory, as well 
as, for analysis of the cultural, ideological and philosophical factors 
that have roles in its evolution, and development of the modern physical 
world view determined to a considerable extent by that theory. The 
conference intends to review the fruitfulness of orthodox Relativity, as 
developed from the Einstein-Minkowski formulation, and to suggest how 
history and philosophy of science clarify the relationship between the 
accepted relativistic formal structure and the various physical 
interpretations associated with it.

While the organizing committee encourages critical investigations and 
welcomes both Einsteinian and non-Einsteinian (Lorentzian, etc.) 
approaches, including the recently proposed ether-type theories, it is 
assumed that the received formal structure of the theory is valid and 
anti-relativistic papers will not be accepted. Metaphysical consideration 
connected to Relativity Theory may be included into the program only if it 
definitely contributes to the clarification of the mathematical, physical 
and philosophical aspects of the theory and is kept closely related to 
science.

The meeting was initiated by Professor Duffy, the establisher and 
organizer of the regular meetings on the Physical Interpretation of 
Relativity Theory (PIRT) in London, and should contribute to the series of 
PIRT meetings by discussing the usual PIRT themes with a special emphasis 
on the philosophical aspects but not excluding mathematical and physical 
approaches. The organizing committee equally waits for contributions by 
mathematicians, physicists and philosophers and hopes that the meeting 
will give opportunity to establish communication among researchers of the 
region and those of other parts of the world working in this field.

The standard length of an address will be 30 minutes but there will be 
provision for longer contributions by invited speakers (circa 40  minutes) 
and shorter contributions (circa 20 minutes).

DEADLINES

Please indicate your intention to participate in the meeting to the 
organizing committee as early as possible. If you want to deliver a paper, 
you should submit an abstract of 2000-4000 characters length to the 
conference-coordinator by 30 April. The International Organizing Committee 
will pre-select the papers to be delivered at the meeting on the basis of 
the submitted abstracts. The full text versions of pre-selected papers 
should be submitted by June 15. (If you can.t finish your paper by this 
deadline, please contact the organizing committee.) The final decision on 
the conference program will be made on the basis of full text versions and 
the organizing committee reserves the right to refuse contributions, if 
their full text versions will be considered inappropriate.

REGISTRATION

Those wishing to participate in the meeting are requested to submit a 
completed registration form to the conference-coordinator and to pay a 
registration fee.

Registration fee for participants: 110 Euros before June 30, 130 Euros 
after this date, for accompanying persons, 55 and 65 Euros, respectively.

The registration fee should be paid with bank transfer in Euros, US 
Dollars or GB Pounds to the bank account of the conference (see below) or 
with cash at the conference site.

The participation fee covers the rental of conference facilities, 
conference materials, coffee breaks and refreshments.

When the registration fee arrives on the account, participants will 
receive a certificate via e-mail and, on request, they also will be 
provided with a formal, printed invoice corresponding to the rules of EU 
and Hungary.

To those who have transferred the registration fee but whose papers the 
Organizing Committee does not accept, the fee will be retransferred, 
should they decide not to attend the meeting.

CONFERENCE VENUE

The lectures will take place at the campus of the Faculty of Science of 
Eötvös University, on the bank of the river Danube, South of the 
historical centre of Budapest, in the Eötvös Lecture Room (Building  Block 
North, ground floor 083) Address: 1117 Budapest, XI., Pázmány Péter sétány 
1/c. (See the map  and the satellite image at the web site of the 
conference.)

ACCOMODATION

The registration fee does not include accommodation. On request the 
organizers will help you to book room in a student hostel (dormitory) or 
in a hotel.

ENQUIRIES

All enquiries, and completed registration forms, together  with 
abstracts should be sent to:

Conference  Co-ordinator:   Dr. L. Szekely
Postal Address:
Institute for Philosophical Research
P.O. Box 594, Budapest-62, Hungary, 1398

E-mail: Sz_L at ludens.elte.hu

http://www.phil-inst.hu/PIRT_Budapest 
http://www.phil-inst.hu/PIRT.Budapest

Submissions to the website should be sent to the Conference-Coordinator, 
Dr. Laszlo Szekely.


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