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The Relativity Principle and the Isotropy of Boosts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2022

Tim Budden
Tim Budden*
Affiliation:
Oxford University
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Extract

In 1905 Einstein derived the Lorentz transformations linking inertial coordinate systems. He took as his central principles the relativity principle (RP) and the light postulate (LP), and assumed along the way a symmetry that has become known as ‘spatial isotropy’ (Berzi and Gorini 1969). This symmetry will be defined below but it basically requires that boosting has the same effect whether to the right or left or to the north or south etc. Since it really is a symmetry about boosts I shall call it ‘boost isotropy'.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relativistic kinematics (both Einsteinian and Galilean) resulting from implementing RP but breaking with the venerable tradition of implementing ‘boost isotropy’.

Type
Part XIII. Spacetime
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1992 , Issue 1: Volume One: Contributed Papers 1992 , 1992 , pp. 528 - 541
Copyright
Copyright © 1992 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

1

I wish to thank Jeremy Butterfield for comments on a previous draft, Andrew Hodges for help with the maths and particularly Harvey Brown for lots of help and stimulating discussion. Any errors are my responsibility.

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