2022Unpublished venueOpen access

How Does Spacetime “Tell an Electron How to Move”?

G. N. Ord

Open full text 0 citations

Abstract

Minkowski spacetime provides a background framework for the kinematics and dynamics of classical particles. How the framework implements the motion of matter is not specified within special relativity. In this paper we specify how Minkowski space can implement motion in such a way that ’quantum’ propagation occurs on appropriate scales. This is done by starting in a discrete space and explicitly taking a continuum limit. The argument is direct and illuminates the special tension between ’rest’ and ’uniform motion’ found in Minkowski space, showing how the formal analytic continuations involved in Minkowski space and quantum propagation arise from the same source.

Open-access reader

About this research paper

What this paper is about

Minkowski spacetime provides a background framework for the kinematics and dynamics of classical particles. How the framework implements the motion of matter is not specified within special relativity. In this paper we specify how Minkowski space can implement motion in such a way that ’quantum’ propagation occurs on appropriate scales. This is done by starting in a discrete space and explicitly taking a continuum limit. The argument is direct and illuminates the special tension between ’rest’ and ’uniform motion’ found in Minkowski space, showing how the formal analytic continuations involved in Minkowski space and quantum propagation arise from the same source.

Why it matters

A significance statement is not available in the OpenAlex record.

Key contribution

A contribution statement is not available in the OpenAlex record.

Method / approach

Method details are not available in the OpenAlex metadata.

Main findings

Findings are not separately available in the OpenAlex metadata.

Limitations

Limitations are not available in the OpenAlex metadata.

Applications

Application details are not available in the OpenAlex metadata.

Available abstract

Minkowski spacetime provides a background framework for the kinematics and dynamics of classical particles. How the framework implements the motion of matter is not specified within special relativity. In this paper we specify how Minkowski space can implement motion in such a way that ’quantum’ propagation occurs on appropriate scales. This is done by starting in a discrete space and explicitly taking a continuum limit. The argument is direct and illuminates the special tension between ’rest’ and ’uniform motion’ found in Minkowski space, showing how the formal analytic continuations involved in Minkowski space and quantum propagation arise from the same source.

Key concepts: Minkowski space, Special relativity, Spacetime, Physics, Motion (physics), Classical mechanics, Limit (mathematics), Space (punctuation)

Related papers

Back to paper searchBrowse research topicsOriginal source
How Does Spacetime “Tell an Electron How to Move”? — Research Paper | ScholarLens