Foundations Of Special Relativity Kinematic Axioms For Minkowski Space Time

The aim of this monograph is to give an axiomatic development of Einstein's theory of special relativity from axioms which describe intuitive concepts concerning the kinematic behavior of inertial particles and light signals.

In Minkowski-Space the space-time of special relativity is discussed on the basis of fundamental results of space-time theory. This idea has the consequence that the Minkowski-space can be characterized by 5 axioms, which determine its geometrical and kinematical structure completely. In this sense Minkowski-Space is a prolegomenon for the formulation of other branches of special relativity, like mechanics, electrodynamics, thermodynamics etc. But these applications are not subjects of this book. Contents Basic properties of special relativity Further properties of Lorentz matrices Further properties of Lorentz transformations Decomposition of Lorentz matrices and Lorentz transformations Further structures on Ms Tangent vectors in Ms Orientation Kinematics on Ms Some basic notions of relativistic theories

The primary aim of this monograph is to clarify the undefined primitive concepts and the axioms which form the basis of Einstein's theory of special relativity. Minkowski space-time is developed from a set of independent axioms, stated in terms of a single relation of betweenness. It is shown that all models are isomorphic to the usual coordinate model, and the axioms are consistent relative to the reals.