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1990•American Journal of PhysicsRequires access

The twin paradox revisited

Tevian Dray

Open publisher page 41 citations

Abstract

The twin paradox of special relativity results from failing to recognize the fundamental asymmetry between the two twins: One and only one twin changes direction and thus undergoes acceleration. What happens if the universe is closed, so that the twin in the rocket can return to Earth without changing direction? The twin paradox is reformulated in a closed universe (a cylinder) and then resolved by showing that there is still a (much more subtle!) asymmetry between the two twins.

About this research paper

What this paper is about

The twin paradox of special relativity results from failing to recognize the fundamental asymmetry between the two twins: One and only one twin changes direction and thus undergoes acceleration. What happens if the universe is closed, so that the twin in the rocket can return to Earth without changing direction? The twin paradox is reformulated in a closed universe (a cylinder) and then resolved by showing that there is still a (much more subtle!) asymmetry between the two twins.

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OpenAlex reports 41 citations for this work. Citation counts describe recorded attention and do not establish research quality.

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Available abstract

The twin paradox of special relativity results from failing to recognize the fundamental asymmetry between the two twins: One and only one twin changes direction and thus undergoes acceleration. What happens if the universe is closed, so that the twin in the rocket can return to Earth without changing direction? The twin paradox is reformulated in a closed universe (a cylinder) and then resolved by showing that there is still a (much more subtle!) asymmetry between the two twins.

Key concepts: Physics, Twin paradox, Asymmetry, Theoretical physics, Acceleration, Universe, Theory of relativity, Classical mechanics

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