Mach principle

The statement that the inertial properties of each physical body are determined by all the other physical bodies present in the Universe. In classical mechanics it is, on the contrary, considered that the inertial properties of a body, for instance, its mass, are not affected by the presence or absence of other bodies. The principle was formulated by E. Mach in 1896 (see [1]) as the outcome of a critical analysis of the foundations of classical mechanics; however, Mach did not provide a mathematical formulation of this principle. Several non-equivalent mathematical formulations of the principle are known.

References

[1]	E. Mach, "The science of mechanics" , Open Court (1893)
[2]	A. Einstein, "Ernst Mach" Phys. Zeitschr. , 17 : 7 (1916) pp. 101–104

References

[a1]	J.A. Wheeler, "Geometrodynamics and the issue of the final state" C.M. DeWitt (ed.) B.S. DeWitt (ed.) , Relativity, groups and topology , Gordon & Breach (1964) pp. 315–520