Relativity posts
Dual Euclidean transformations are required to transform six dimensions of length and duration: one Euclidean transformation for length space with time and one Euclidean transformation for duration space with distance. The two Euclidean transformations are: x′ = x − vt and z′ = z − ws where x and x′ are length space vectors, t …
Attempted derivations of the Lorentz transformation in the previous post here, which is similar to the light wavefronts approach here, do not work. The reason is that independent and dependent variables are treated alike, but they are not. I suspect this applies to all derivations of the Lorentz transformation. Let us look at the first …
The following is generalized from the explanation of Galilean invariance here. Chorocosm (inertial frames) Among the axioms from Newton’s theory are: (1) There exists an original inertial frame in which Newton’s laws are true. An inertial frame is a reference frame in uniform motion relative to the original inertial frame. (2) All inertial frames share …
The length part of the Galilean transformation is: with the relative velocity v. The time part of the Galilean transformation is: so that time is the same for all observers. Einstein made time relative and symmetric with length (at least in one dimension) by assuming an absolute speed of light, c. With β = v/c …
This builds on the post Lorentz transformation derivations but given the round-trip light postulate (RTLP) here which states: The mean round-trip speed of light in vacant space is a constant, c, which is independent of the motion of the emitting body. From this empirical principle the round-trip Lorentz transformations may be derived, which are of the …
Part 1 is here. C Measures of motion A motion in RN is a differentiable mapping x: I → RN, where I is an interval on the real axis. The derivative is called the velocity vector at the point r0 ∈ I. The second derivative is called the acceleration vector at the point r0. We …
Mathematical methods of classical mechanics, part 2 Read More »
Two opposite velocities — or lenticities — are invariant over time and space. The standard Galileian transformation in the space-time domain is Velocity u transforms as Velocity is not invariant relative to a single inertial observation, but it is relative to observations with opposite relative velocities: That is Harmonic velocities are opposites and so are …
This post follows James Rohlf’s Modern Physics from α to Z0 (p.104-105). See also the slides here. The Galilean transformations are applied here to 3D space and 3D time in this case because both space and time are independent arguments. Start with the standard configuration for relativity in which motion is parallel to the x-t axis. The …
There are two kinds of independent variables: (1) functional independent variables, and (2) physical independent variables. To avoid confusion an independent variable it is standard that a variable be of both kinds, since being of one kind does not imply being of the other kind. A physical independent in an experiment remains the independent variable …
The following is based on section 3.3.2 of Electricity and Magnetism for Mathematicians by Thomas A. Garrity (Cambridge UP, 2015). See also blog post Relative Motion and Waves by Conrad Schiff. The classical wave equation is consistent with the Galilean transformation in the context of space and time duality. Reflected electromagnetic waves are also consistent with …
