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How to define the components of the Poincare group?

Physics Asked by A. Map on May 17, 2021

I know that the Poincare group/inhomogeneous Lorentz group can be defined as:

$$
x^mu = (t,-x)
t rightarrow t^prime = gamma x + delta t + b^0
x rightarrow x^prime = alpha x + beta t + b^1
x^{mu prime} = R(b) L x
$$

and that it has to be invariant under Minkowski Metric
$$
ds^2 = c^2dt^2 – dx^2 = {ds^2}^prime = c^2{dt^2}^prime – {dx^2}^prime
$$

Usually I could use $$ x^prime = 0 x= vt$$ and use this in the metric and get the components of the Lorentz transformation, but I am not sure that using translation works too.

Can please someone try to explain to me how to get the Lorentz transformation assuming translation?

One Answer

Lorentz transformations relate two reference frames whose origins coincide. If there is a spacetime translation involved, then those two frames are not related via Lorentz transformation.


Starting from an inhomogeneous Lorentz transformation $x'^mu = Lambda^mu_{ nu} x^nu + b^mu$, consider an infinitesimal displacement $dx^mu$. In the transformed coordinates, the inhomogeneous term falls away and you are left with $dx'^mu = Lambda^mu_{ nu} dx^nu$, since

$$x'^mu-y'^mu = (Lambda^mu_{ nu} x^nu + b^mu) - (Lambda^mu_{ nu}y^nu + b^mu) = Lambda^mu_{ nu}(x^mu-y^mu)$$

From there, you can proceed as usual to derive the form of $Lambda$ from physical considerations.

Answered by J. Murray on May 17, 2021

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