General Relativity: An Introduction for Physicists · Problem 1.6

The spacetime of special relativity — Hobson, Efstathiou & Lasenby

Physics · composition-of-boosts

Problem

An inertial frame

S'

is related to

S

by a boost of speed

u

in the positive

x

-direction. Similarly,

S''

is related to

S'

by a boost of speed

v

in the

y'

-direction. Find the transformation relating the coordinates

(ct, x, y, z)

and

(ct'', x'', y'', z'')

and hence describe how

S

and

S''

are physically related.