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In physics and mathematics, the Lorentz group is the group of all Lorentz transformations of Minkowski spacetime, the classical and quantum setting for all (non-gravitational) physical phenomena. The Lorentz group is named for the Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz. For example, the following laws, equations, and theories respect Lorentz symmetry:
Lorentz transformations can be parametrized by rapidity φ for a boost in the direction of a three-dimensional unit vector ^ = (,,), and a rotation angle θ about a three-dimensional unit vector ^ = (,,) defining an axis, so ^ = (,,) and ^ = (,,) are together six parameters of the Lorentz group (three for rotations and three for boosts). The ...
The covariant formulation of classical electromagnetism refers to ways of writing the laws of classical electromagnetism (in particular, Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz force) in a form that is manifestly invariant under Lorentz transformations, in the formalism of special relativity using rectilinear inertial coordinate systems.
The derivative operators, and hence the energy and 3-momentum operators, are also non-invariant and change under Lorentz transformations. Under a proper orthochronous Lorentz transformation (r, t) → Λ(r, t) in Minkowski space, all one-particle quantum states ψ σ locally transform under some representation D of the Lorentz group: [13] [14]
Under a proper orthochronous Lorentz transformation x → Λx in Minkowski space, all one-particle quantum states ψ j σ of spin j with spin z-component σ locally transform under some representation D of the Lorentz group: [12] [13] () where D(Λ) is some finite-dimensional representation, i.e. a matrix.
The action of the Lorentz group on the space of field configurations (a field configuration is the spacetime history of a particular solution, e.g. the electromagnetic field in all of space over all time is one field configuration) resembles the action on the Hilbert spaces of quantum mechanics, except that the commutator brackets are replaced ...
The transformations between frames are the Lorentz transformations which (together with the rotations, translations, and reflections) form the Poincaré group. The covariant quantities are four-scalars, four-vectors etc., of the Minkowski space (and also more complicated objects like bispinors and others).
[R 43] [R 44] However, this covariance is restricted to certain areas such as electrodynamics, whereas the totality of natural laws in inertial frames is covariant under the Lorentz group. [R 45] In particular, by setting λ=1 the Lorentz group SO(1,3) can be seen as a 10-parameter subgroup of the 15-parameter spacetime conformal group Con(1,3).