Existence in Spacetime and the Lorentz Transformations (Slide set)

Abstract

This talk introduces an equivalence relation that directly connects the concept of existence to physics. After introducing a reinterpretation of length contraction and time dilation, meant to bring attention to four spacetime principles which have so far not received much attention, the ontic equivalence relation is derived from the four principles. An important implication of the ontic equivalence relation is that it opens the possbility for something to exist without existing in spacetime. Also, though it is formally derived only for Minkowski spacetime, it may be applicable to a far wider range of spacetimes because the principles from which it is derived are so natural and obvious.