Simultaneity as an invariant equivalence relation

DOI10.1007/S10701-012-9674-4zbMATH Open1257.83005arXiv1202.6578OpenAlexW3106346199MaRDI QIDQ1929883FDOQ1929883

Authors: Marco Mamone Capria 

Publication date: 10 January 2013

Published in: Foundations of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: This paper deals with the concept of simultaneity in classical and relativistic physics as construed in terms of group-invariant equivalence relations. A full examination of Newton, Galilei and Poincar'e invariant equivalence relations in $R^4$ is presented, which provides alternative proofs, additions and occasionally corrections of results in the literature, including Malament's theorem and some of its variants. It is argued that the interpretation of simultaneity as an invariant equivalence relation, although interesting for its own sake, does not cut in the debate concerning the conventionality of simultaneity in special relativity.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1202.6578

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zbMATH Keywords

simultaneityspecial relativityinvariant equivalence relationsMalament's theorem

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Philosophical and critical aspects of logic and foundations (03A05) Equations of motion in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C10) Special relativity (83A05)

Cites Work

• General Relativity for Mathematicians
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Mappings of spaces with families of cones and space-time transformations
• David Malament and the conventionality of simultaneity: a reply
• Spatial directions, anisotropy and special relativity
• Conventionality of simultaneity: Malament's result revisited
• Uniqueness of Simultaneity

Cited In (6)

• On the fundamental theorem of the theory of relativity
• The relativistic invariance of 4D-shapes
• Absolute distant simultaneity in special relativity
• The conventionality of simultaneity in the light of the spinor representation of the Lorentz group
• Simultaneity in Minkowski spacetime: from uniqueness to arbitrariness
• Simultaneity, conventialism, general covariance, and the special theory of relativity

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