The Third Lorentz Transformation as a Reformulation of Special Relativity

Abstract

Hyoungseok Koh*

This study derives the Lorentz transformation using a third method, distinct from the approaches of Lorentz and Einstein, without introducing Lorentz symmetry or the principle of relativity. First, following Einstein’s operational method, an arbitrary stationary frame is constructed using rigid rulers, atomic clocks, and light signals. Next, the Lorentz transformation is derived solely from the principle of the constancy of the speed of light. This derivation suggests that special relativity does not inherently require the denial of an absolute stationary frame. Accordingly, this study demonstrates that observer relativity and the absoluteness of inertial frames coexist within the Lorentz transformation and its inverse. The former arises from the shared use of light signals and atomic clocks, whereas the latter originates from the operational asymmetry that only the stationary frame employs rigid rulers for spatial measurement. This distinction is evident in the determination of the speed of light: the stationary frame determines it experimentally through round-trip light measurements, whereas moving frames define it axiomatically. Furthermore, while the Doppler effect illustrates observer relativity—where the observed frequency depends on the relative motion and direction—phenomena such as round-trip light experiments and electrostatic interactions between stationary and uniformly moving charges reveal the absoluteness of inertial frames. In conclusion, this study proposes a new theoretical framework—termed absolute relativity—that preserves the empirical successes of special relativity while maintaining physical consistency by restoring the concept of an absolute stationary frame.

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