On the inertial mass concept in special and general relativity

Inertial mass in relativity theory is discussed from a conceptual view. It is shown that though relativistic dynamics implies a particular dependence of the momentum of a free particle on its velocityin special relativity, which diverges as v approaches c, the inertial mass itself of a moving body remains constant, from any frame of observation. However, extension to general relativity does conceptually introduce variability of the inertial mass of a body, through a necessarily generally covariant field theory of inertia, when the Mach principle is incorporated into the theory of general relativity, as a theory of matter.