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Minkowski universe
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Figure 20: A unit disk in a Minkowski space. Some points X on the outward normal erected at the midpoint of a side AB are equidistant from all points of AB.
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Minkowski universe

physics
Also known as: Minkowskiā€™s spaceā€“time
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Figure 20: A unit disk in a Minkowski space. Some points X on the outward normal erected at the midpoint of a side AB are equidistant from all points of AB.
Figure 20: A unit disk in a Minkowski space. Some points X on the outward normal erected at the midpoint of a side AB are equidistant from all points of AB.

The Minkowski universe, also known as space-time, is a four-dimensional structure that combines space and time into a single continuum. This concept was introduced by mathematician Hermann Minkowski in 1908 as a way to reformulate Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity.1

In this model, the universe is described by four coordinates: x, y, z (representing length, width, and height) and ct (representing time). This framework is fundamental to modern physics, alongside quantum mechanics. Unlike the Newtonian view, where space and time are separate, the Minkowski universe posits that the time coordinate of one system depends on both the time and space coordinates of another relatively moving system. This means there is no absolute time, and simultaneity at different points in space is not absolute. The speed of light (c) is a constant in all inertial frames within this universe.231

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5 Britannica Sources
  1. relativity - Four-dimensional space-time
  2. cosmology - The Einsteinā€“de Sitter universe
  3. special relativity
  4. Euclidean space
  5. space-time

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