Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/26/83; site ihuxr.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!microsoft!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!hocda!spanky!burl!we13!ihnp4!ihuxr!lew From: lew@ihuxr.UUCP Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: preferred frames in Relativity Theory Message-ID: <507@ihuxr.UUCP> Date: Fri, 15-Jul-83 15:05:06 EDT Article-I.D.: ihuxr.507 Posted: Fri Jul 15 15:05:06 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 19-Jul-83 12:36:33 EDT Organization: BTL Naperville, Il. Lines: 20 This is a followup to an article which appeared in net.misc and net.religion as part of the "Earth Centered Universe" discussion. cca!charlie stated that, "According to relativity theory ... there is no prefered frame of reference. This means that a stationary earth (the universe spins around it) is as valid a model as any other." The first statement is a misconception. Both special and general relativity give special status to inertial frames. The special theory only deals with a flat space-time (globally inertial frames) and the general theory shows how to patch together LOCALLY inertial frames into a curved global frame. This is accomplished independently of any special coordinate system. Each coordinate system has a different metric from which it is possible to calculate the physical (i.e. invariant) properties of the space. It's true that an earth-centered coordinate system is as good as any other (in general relativity) but this does not constitute a "model". The model is provided by the theory of general relativity itself. Lew Mammel, Jr. ihuxr!lew