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From Einstein's 1905 postulates to the geometry of flat space‐time
Author(s) -
Mermin N.D.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
annalen der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1521-3889
pISSN - 0003-3804
DOI - 10.1002/andp.200410122
Subject(s) - minkowski space , simultaneity , einstein , special relativity , theory of relativity , physics , classical mechanics , space (punctuation) , theoretical physics , principle of relativity , geometry , mathematics , four force , mathematical physics , computer science , operating system
Minkowski diagrams in 1+1 dimensional flat space‐time are given a strictly geometric derivation, directly from two gedanken experiments incorporating the principle of the constancy of the velocity of light and the principle of (special) relativity. Rectangles of photon trajectories play a central role in determining the simultaneity convention and in establishing the invariance of the interval.