Pagina 138 de 212

We are now in a position to formulate more exactly the idea of

Minkowski, which was only vaguely indicated in Section XVII. In

accordance with the special theory of relativity, certain

co-ordinate systems are given preference for the description of

the four-dimensional, space-time continuum. We called these

"Galileian co-ordinate systems." For these systems, the four

co-ordinates _x, y, z, t_, which determine an event or-in other

words-a point of the four-dimensional continuum, are defined

physically in a simple manner, as set forth in detail in the

first part of this book. For the transition from one Galileian

system to another, which is moving uniformly with reference to

the first, the equations of the Lorentz transformation are valid.