Is Weyl unified theory wrong or incomplete?

TL;DR

This paper revisits Weyl's unified theory of gravity and electromagnetism, addressing Einstein's objections and exploring the concept of proper time to assess the theory's physical viability.

Contribution

It provides a nuanced discussion on the notion of proper time in Weyl's theory, challenging the traditional view that the theory is fundamentally flawed.

Findings

Re-examination of Einstein's second clock effect critique

Analysis of proper time concept in Weyl's geometry

Implication that Weyl's theory may be more viable than previously thought

Abstract

In 1918, H. Weyl proposed a unified theory of gravity and electromagnetism based on a generalization of Riemannian geometry. In spite of its elegance and beauty, a serious objection was raised by Einstein, who argued that Weyl's theory was not suitable as a physical theory . According to Einstein, the theory led to the prediction of a "second clock effect", which is not observed by experiments. We briefly revisit this point and argue that a preliminary discussion on the very notion of proper time is needed in order to consider Einstein's critical point of view.