The Lorentz Group, a Galilean Approach

Fields of Lorentz transformations on a space--time are related to tangent bundle self isometries. In other words, a gauge transformation with respect to the Minkowski metric on each fibre. Any such isometry can be expressed, at least locally, as the exponential $e^F$ where $F$ is antisymmetric with respect to the metric. We find there is a homotopy obstruction and a differential obstruction for a global $F$. We completely study the structure of the singularity which is the he...

A peculiar representation of the Lorentz group is suggested as a starting point for a consistent approach to relativistic quantum theory.

In these lecture notes we review the isomorphism between the (connected) Lorentz group and the set of conformal transformations of the sphere. More precisely, after establishing the main properties of the Lorentz group, we show that it is isomorphic to the group SL(2,C) of complex 2 by 2 matrices with unit determinant. We then classify conformal transformations of the sphere, define the notion of null infinity in Minkowski space-time, and show that the action of Lorentz trans...

Elementary methods are used to examine some nontrivial mathematical issues underpinning the Lorentz transformation. Its eigen-system is characterized through the exponential of a $G$-skew symmetric matrix, underlining its unconnectedness at one of its extremes (the hyper-singular case). A different yet equivalent angle is presented through Pauli coding which reveals the connection between the hyper-singular case and the shear map.

The quaternion spaces can be used to describe the property of electromagnetic field and gravitational field. In the quaternion space, some coordinate transformations can be deduced from the feature of quaternions, including Lorentz transformation and Galilean transformation etc., when the coordinate system is transformed into others. And some coordinate transformations with variable speed of light can be obtained in the electromagnetic field and gravitational field.

For a relativistic charged particle moving in a constant electromagnetic field, its velocity 4-vector has been well studied. However, despite the fact that both the electromagnetic field and the equations of motion are purely real, the resulting 4-velocity is seemingly due to a complex electromagnetic field. This work shows that this is not due to some complex formalism used (such as Clifford algebra) but is intrinsically due to the fact that the $o(3,1)$ Lie algebra of the L...

It is recently discovered that the usual transformations of the three-dimensional (3D) vectors of the electric and magnetic fields differ from the Lorentz transformations (LT) (boosts) of the corresponding 4D quantities that represent the electric and magnetic fields. In this paper, using geometric algebra formalism, this fundamental difference is examined representing the electric and magnetic fields by bivectors.

This article contains a digest of the theory of electromagnetism and a review of the transformation between inertial frames, especially under low speed limits. The covariant nature of the Maxwell's equations is explained using the conventional language. We show that even under low speed limits, the relativistic effects should not be neglected to get a self-consistent theory of the electromagnetic fields, unless the intrinsic dynamics of these fields has been omitted completel...

Starting from the well-known light-clock thought experiment to derive time dilation and length contraction, it is shown that finding the Lorentz Transformation requires nothing more than the most trivial vector addition formula. The form which is obtaine for the L.T. allows an easy derivation of the velocity and acceleration transformations which are also given.

In this work, we demonstrate explicitly the unified nature of electric and magnetic fields, from the principles of special relativity and Lorentz transformations of the electromagnetic field tensor. Using an operational approach we construct the tensor and its corresponding transformation law, based on the principle of relativity. Our work helps to elucidate concepts of advanced courses on electromagnetism for primary-level learners and shows an alternative path to derive the...