SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND WORK IN PROGRESS

I. BOOKS

Published (authored):

  1. (2024) V. Petkov, Seven Fundamental Concepts in Spacetime Physics, 2nd ed. SpringerBriefs in Physics (Springer, Heidelberg 2024)
  2. (2021) V. Petkov, Seven Fundamental Concepts in Spacetime Physics, SpringerBriefs in Physics (Springer, Heidelberg 2021)
  3. (2013) V. Petkov, From Illusions to Reality: Time, Spacetime and the Nature of Reality (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2013). Reviews at: Amazon.com
  4. (2012) V. Petkov, Inertia and Gravitation: From Aristotle's Natural Motion to Geodesic Worldlines in Curved Spacetime (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2012). Reviews at: Amazon.com, Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.uk
  5. (2009) V. Petkov, Relativity and the Nature of Spacetime, 2nd ed. (Springer, Heidelberg 2009). Expanded and updated edition of the 2005 publication. Reviews at: Springer, Amazon, and Goodreads. Perhaps the best (in terms of depth) Amazon review by Gregorie Dupuis-McDonald; here is a screenshot.

Published (edited):

  1. (2021) V. Petkov (ed.), Hermann Weyl, Space-Time-Matter (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2021).
  2. (2021) V. Petkov (ed.), Louis de Broglie, Research on the Theory of Quanta (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2021).
  3. (2020) V. Petkov (ed.), Albert Einstein, Relativity: Meaning and Consequences for Modern Physics and for our Understanding of the World (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal). With an Introduction by Tian Y. Cao.
  4. (2020) V. Petkov (ed.), The Origin of Spacetime Physics, With a Foreword by Abhay Ashtekar (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2020).
  5. (2020) V. Petkov (ed.), James Jeans, The Mysterious Universe (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2020).
  6. (2020) V. Petkov (ed.), Erwin Schroedinger, Lectures on Physics and the Nature of Scientific Knowledge (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2020).
  7. (2020) V. Petkov (ed.), Hermann Minkowski, Spacetime: Minkowski's Papers on Spacetime Physics (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2020). Translated from the German by Gregorie Dupuis-Mc Donald, Fritz Lewertoff and Vesselin Petkov and edited (with an Introduction) by V. Petkov.
  8. (2020) V. Petkov (ed.), Max Planck, The Universe in the Light of Modern Physics. (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2020).
  9. (2020) V. Petkov (ed.), Max Planck, A Scientific Autobiography and Selected Lectures on Theoretical Physics. (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2020).
  10. (2020) V. Petkov (ed.), Max Planck, A Survey of Physics: A collection of lectures and essays. (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2020).
  11. (2019) V. Petkov (ed.), N. I. Lobachevsky, The Foundations of Geometry: Works on Non-Euclidean Geometry, (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2019). Translated from the Russian by Svetla Petkova. Foreword by Ivan A. Karpenko. Edited by V. Petkov. This volume contains three works by Lobachevsky on non-Euclidean geometry: "On the foundations of geometry", "Geometrical investigations on the theory of parallel lines", and "Pangeometry".
  12. (2018) V. Petkov (ed.), Albert Einstein, Relativity (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2018).
  13. (2017) V. Petkov (ed.), Arthur S. Eddington, Space, Time and Gravitation: An Outline of the General Relativity Theory (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2017). With a Foreword by Dennis Dieks.
  14. (2016) V. Petkov (ed.), Arthur S. Eddington, The Mathematical Theory of Relativity (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2016). With a Foreword by Abhay Ashtekar.
  15. (2015) V. Petkov (ed.), V. K. Frederiks, A. A. Friedmann, Foundations of the Theory of Relativity: Volume 1 Tensor Calculus (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2015)
    Translated from the Russian by Svetla Kirilova-Petkova and Vesselin Petkov. Edited (with an Introduction) by V. Petkov. This is the English translation of the first and the only published volume of a five-volume book project, brutally terminated by the untimely and tragic death of Alexander A. Friedmann on 16 September 1925.
  16. (2014) A. Ashtekar, V. Petkov (eds), Springer Handbook of Spacetime (Springer, Heidelberg 2014).
  17. (2014) V. Petkov (ed.), A. A. Friedmann, The World as Space and Time (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2014). Translated from the Russian by Svetla Kirilova-Petkova and Vesselin Petkov. Edited (with an Introduction) by V. Petkov. This is the first English translation of the book written by the great Russian physicist A. A. Friedmann who first showed in 1922 that Einstein's equations have solutions that describe a non-stationary Universe (later the experimental evidence did confirm that the Universe is expanding). The original Russian publication was in 1923.
  18. (2014) V. Petkov (ed.), A. A. Friedmann, Papers on Curved Spaces and Cosmology (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2014). Translated from the Russian and edited (with an Introduction) by V. Petkov. This volume includes a 28-page manuscript "On the Geometry of Curved Spaces" (dated 15 April 1922) which has not been published even in Russian.
  19. (2014) V. Petkov (ed.), Arthur S. Eddington, Report on the Relativity Theory of Gravitation (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2014). With a Foreword by Paul S. Wesson.
  20. (2012) V. Petkov (ed.), Hermann Minkowski, Space and Time: Minkowski's Papers on Relativity (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2012). Translated from the German by Fritz Lewertoff and Vesselin Petkov and edited (with an Introduction) by V. Petkov. Reviews at: Amazon.
  21. (2010) V. Petkov (ed.), Minkowski Spacetime: A Hundred Years Later (Springer, Heidelberg 2010); Reviews at: Springer and by T. Sauer, Metascience, November 2013, Volume 22, Issue 3, pp 591Ð594 (local file).
  22. (2010) V. Petkov (ed.), Space, Time, and Spacetime - Physical and Philosophical Implications of Minkowski's Unification of Space and Time (Springer, Heidelberg 2010}.
  23. (2007) V. Petkov (ed.), Relativity and the Dimensionality of the World (Springer, Heidelberg 2007). Reviews at: Springer, Amazon.

To be published:

  1. (2021) V. Petkov, Spacetime: The Unseen True Reality (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal)
  2. (tba) V. Petkov, Introduction to Spacetime Physics (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal), undergraduate physics textbook (due to unforeseen circumstances its publication was delayed).

In preparation and planned:

  1. V. Petkov, Philosophy of Science in Action, undergraduate textbook (advanced draft) intended to demonstrate with specific examples (mostly from physics) how meaningful and most importantly results-producing collaboration between scientists and philosophers is possible.
  2. V. Petkov, A Quest for Hidden Knowledge in Physics. A monograph intended to train researchers on how to extract important (but usually hidden) information from the existing theoretical and experimental evidence, which may significantly shorten the path to scientific discoveries. Planned (rough draft).


II. ARTICLES IN BOOKS

  1. (2018) On Relativistic Mass, published as an Appendix in: V. Petkov (ed.), Albert Einstein, Relativity (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2018).
  2. (2017) Could Minkowski have discovered the cause of gravitation before Einstein? In: A. S. Stefanov, M. Giovanelli (Eds), General Relativity 1916 - 2016. Selected peer-reviewed papers presented at the Fourth International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the publication of General Relativity, 30 May - 2 June 2016, Golden Sands, Varna, Bulgaria (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2017), pp. 33-50.
  3. (2017) Spacetime and Reality: Facing the Ultimate Judge. In: S. Wuppuluriand G. Ghirardi (Eds.), Space, Time and the Limits of Human Understanding (Springer, Heidelberg 2017) pp. 137-148.
  4. (2014) Physics as Spacetime Geometry - published as Chapter 8 in Springer Handbook of Spacetime (Springer, Heidelberg 2014), pp. 141-163
  5. (2012) Can Gravity be Quantized? - published as Appendix C in V. Petkov, Inertia and Gravitation: From Aristotle's Natural Motion to Geodesic Worldlines in Curved Spacetime (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2012).
  6. (2012) On Inertial Forces, Inertial Energy and the Origin of Inertia - published as Appendix B in V. Petkov, Inertia and Gravitation: From Aristotle's Natural Motion to Geodesic Worldlines in Curved Spacetime (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2012).
  7. (2009) "Physical Laws and Worldlines in Minkowski Spacetime". In: V. Petkov (ed.), Minkowski Spacetime: A Hundred Years Later.
  8. (2008) "Conventionality of Simultaneity and Reality". In: D. Dieks (ed.), The Ontology of Spacetime II (Elsevier, Amsterdam 2008); "Philosophy and Foundations of Physics" Series, Volume 4, pp. 175-185.
  9. (2007) "Relativity, Dimensionality, and Existence". In: V. Petkov (ed.), Relativity and the Dimensionality of the World, pp. 115-135.
  10. (2006) "Is There an Alternative to the Block Universe View?". In: D. Dieks (ed.), The Ontology of Spacetime (Elsevier, Amsterdam 2006); "Philosophy and Foundations of Physics" Series, Volume 1, pp. 207-228.
  11. (2005) "Can studying the inertial and gravitational properties of the electron provide us with an insight into its nature?" In: V. Simulik (ed.), What is the electron? Modern structures, theories, hypotheses, (Apeiron, Montreal), pp. 169-180.
  12. (1988) "Weyl's View on the Objective World." In: Exact Sciences and their Philosophical Foundations. Edited by W. Deppert, K. Hübner, A. Oberschelp, and V. Weidemann. Frankfurt am Main, Bern, New York, Paris: P. Lang, pp. 519-524.
  13. (1986) "The Flow of Time According to the Eleatic Philosophy and the Theory of Relativity". In: Structur und Dynamik wissenschaftlicher Theorien. Edited by C. Tögel. Frankfurt am Main, Bern, New York: P. Lang, pp. 121-149.


III. ARTICLES IN JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES

  1. (2016) V. Petkov, The Ultimate Judge: Time does not Flow since it is the Fourth Dimension of the Real World (Cog!to, June 2016)
  2. (2007) V. Petkov, "On the Reality of Minkowski Space" (free download). Foundations of Physics, Volume 37, Number 10 (October, 2007), pp. 1499-1502. Local file.
  3. (1995) S. K. Misra and V. Petkov, "Electron Paramagnetic and Muon Spin Resonance Studies in Fullerenes", Applied Magnetic Resonance, 8, pp. 277-310.
  4. (1995) S. K. Misra, Y. Chang, V. Petkov, S. Isber, S. Charar, C. Fau, M. Averous and Z. Golacki, "Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Eu2+ in the dilute magnetic semiconductor Pb1-xEux Se (x = 0.013) with a cubic structure", Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 7, pp. 9897-9904.
  5. (1989) V. Petkov, "Simultaneity, Conventionality and Existence". The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 40, pp. 69-76. Local file.
  6. (1987) V. Petkov, "On the Ontological Status of the Minkowski World". Darshana International, 27, No 2, pp. 32-38.
  7. (1987) V. Petkov, L. Nanova and V. Russanov, "Identifying the Corrosion Products of Tin-Bismuth Alloy Layers by Using the Mössbauer Spectroscopy Method." Corrosion Protection of Metals, 23, pp. 521-523 (in Russian).


IV. ARTICLES at the arXiv.org e-Print archive* and elsewhere

  1. (2012) Spacetime and Reality: Facing the Ultimate Judge.
  2. (2011) "Continuous and Discrete Aspects of Nature", Fourth prize of the 2011 FQXi (Foundational Questions Institute) Essay Contest "Is Reality Digital or Analog?"
  3. (2010) "Lessons from failures to achieve what was possible in the twentieth century physics", Fourth prize of the 2010 FQXi Essay Contest "What is Ultimately Possible in Physics?" Alernative download 1: arXiv:1001.4218v1; Alternative download 2: Google
  4. (2009) "Accelerating spaceships paradox and physical meaning of length contraction".
  5. (2008) "Time and Reality of Worldtubes".
  6. "Acceleration-dependent self-interaction effects as a possible mechanism of inertia".
  7. "On the nature of the force acting on a charged classical particle deviated from its geodesic path in a gravitational field".
  8. "Propagation of light in non-inertial reference frames".
  9. "Is the active gravitational mass of a charged body distance-dependent?".
* The results of papers 6-8 have been published in my book Relativity and the Nature of Spacetime 2ed. (Springer, 2009).


V. CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS

  1. (2018) "Can a worldview contradict experiment: can experiment decide whether spacetime represents an evolving present, a block universe or a growing block universe?", Fifth International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime, Resort Albena, near Varna, Bulgaria, 14-17 May 2018.
  2. (2017) "Minkowski's Program of Geometrizing Physics and General Relativity", First Hermann Minkowski Meeting on the Foundations of Spacetime Physics, Resort Albena, near Varna, Bulgaria, 15-18 May 2017. Here are the slides of my talk.
  3. (2016) "Might have Minkowski discovered the cause of gravity before Einstein?", Fourth International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime, Golden Sands, Varna, Bulgaria, May 30 - June 2, 2016. Here are the slides of my talk.
  4. (2010) Commentary on Kent Peacock's paper "Can Quantum Mechanics Unfreeze Time?" The Canadian Philosophical Association Congress 2010 (Concordia University, Montreal, May 30 - June 2, 2010).
  5. (2010) "Realism and explanation - the necessary common ground for a genuinely fruitful interaction between science and philosophy of science." Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science (Concordia University, Montreal, May 28-30, 2010)
  6. (2008) "Can the Growing Block Model of the Universe Save the Objectivity of Becoming?", Third International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime, Concordia University, Montreal, June 13-15, 2008.
  7. (2006) "Why presentism is definitely wrong", TaU (Time and Universe) Workshop, Concordia University, Montreal, June 12-13, 2006.
  8. (2006) "One-way Velocity of Light, Conventionality of Simultaneity, Dimensionality, and Existence", Second International Conference on the Ontology of Spacetime, Concordia University, Montreal, June 9-11, 2006.
  9. (2004) "Inertia as a manifestation of the reality of spacetime", First International Conference on the Ontology of Spacetime, Concordia University, Montreal, May 11-14, 2004.
  10. (2002) Commentary on Storrs McCall's paper "The 3D/4D Debate", The Canadian Philosophical Association Congress 2002, University of Toronto, May 25 - 28, 2002.
  11. (2001) "What is general relativity silent on?", 10th UK Conference on the Foundations of Physics, Queen's University, Belfast, UK, September 10-14, 2001.
  12. Petkov, V. (2001) "Does contemporary physics provide an experimentally supported theoretical basis for controlling inertia and gravitation - the ultimate goal of advanced propulsion?", First International Field Propulsion Meeting, University of Sussex, Brighton, England. 20-22 January 2001.
  13. Petkov, V. (1999) "Propulsion Through Electromagnetic Self-Sustained Acceleration". In Proceedings of the 35th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, June 20-24, 1999 , Los Angeles, California, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal, Washington, DC, paper no. AIAA-99-2144.
  14. Petkov, V. (1998) "On the Possibility of a Propulsion Drive Creation Through a Local Manipulation of Spacetime Geometry". In Proceedings of the 34th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, July 12-15, 1998, Cleveland, Ohio, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal, Washington, DC, paper no. AIAA-98-3142.
  15. Petkov, V. (1997) "Inertia, Gravitation and Electromagnetic Mass" A Symposium: Causality and Locality in Modern Physics and Astronomy: Open Questions and Possible Solutions in Honour of Jean-Pierre Vigier held at York University, Toronto, August 25-29, 1997.
  16. (1989) "Quantum Mechanics and the Special Theory of Relativity: On the Limits of their Validity." Philosophy of Science Conference. Dubrovnik, Croatia.
  17. (1988) "The Flow of Time - Objective or Minddependent?" XVIII World Congress of Philosophy, Brighton, England, August 21-27, 1988.
  18. (1987) "The Flow of Time and the Conventionality of Simultaneity". In: Abstracts of the 8th International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science. Moscow, Russia, August 17-22, 1987, Vol. 2, pp. 108-110.
  19. (1987) "What is the Quantum Mechanical Object?" In: Abstracts of the 8th International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science. Moscow, Russia, August 17-22, 1987, Vol. 2, pp. 142-145 (with A. Stefanov).


VI. TALKS AND ATTENDED CONFERENCES

  1. (2009) Bell's accelerating spaceships paradox and relativistic length contraction (Dedicated to the one hundredth anniversary of the publication of Hermann Minkowski's paper "Space and Time" in 1909) Montreal Joint High Energy Physics Seminars, Université de Montréal. Thursday, March 12, 2009.
  2. (2008) Spacetime and Reality: Hermann Minkowski's Discovery of Spacetime and its Implications for our Understanding of Reality. Public lecture at the end of the Third International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime organized by the International Society for the Advanced Study of Spacetime and the Montreal Inter-University Seminar on the History and Philosophy of Science. June 15, 2008.
  3. (2008) TaU (Time and Universe) Workshop, Concordia University, Montreal. June 11-12, 2008.
  4. (2007)