ISSN:
1089-7658
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Mathematics
,
Physics
Notes:
In relativity, planes and two-forms play important roles in the description of physical configurations or objects. When these configurations or objects interact, or are superposed, the corresponding planes or two-forms appear associated by pairs, and the relative position of the pair allows the classification of the particular form of the interaction. Here it is shown that in Minkowski space a pair of planes may adopt 35 relative positions. This result allows the almost complete characterization of the dimension of the Lie (sub)algebras (of the Lorentz group) generated by a pair of two-forms in terms of the relative position of their invariant planes. Furthermore, it is shown that, apart from Patera et al. algebras F2 and F5 (for which the eigenvalues' ratios have to be computed as well), the position of their invariant planes is also sufficient to determine the algebra itself generated by two two-forms. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.531699
