The Wave Basis of Special Relativity

This book offers a simple, intuitive explanation of special relativity. Rather than merely describing the implications of Einstein's postulates, we derive the consequences of special relativity from the wavelike behavior of matter, which is consistent with ordinary physical processes in Galilean spacetime. Topics covered include time dilation, length contraction, Lorentz transformations, four-vectors, and relativistic Doppler shifts. All these aspects of special relativity are direct consequences of the wave nature of matter, and do not imply any interdependence between physical space and physical time. Instead, the strange properties of measured space and measured time in special relativity are artifacts of measurement that naturally arise when using waves (including matter waves) to make measurements.. Properties of matter waves, including the de Broglie wavelength, are also analyzed. The book includes a simple handheld paper model that can be used to visually demonstrate the laws of special relativity.