Westman, Hans and Sonego, Sebastiano (2007) Coordinates, observables and symmetry in relativity. [Preprint]

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Abstract

We investigate the interplay and connections between symmetry properties of equations, the interpretation of coordinates, the construction of observables, and the existence of physical relativity principles in spacetime theories. Using the refined notion of an event as a "point-coincidence" between scalar fields that completely characterise a spacetime model, we also propose a natural generalisation of the relational local observables that does not require the existence of four everywhere invertible scalar fields. The collection of all point-coincidences forms in generic situations a four-dimensional manifold, that is naturally identified with the physical spacetime.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Westman, Hans Sonego, Sebastiano
Additional Information:	36 pages
Keywords:	Spacetime; events; general covariance; observables; hole argument; symmetry; relativity principles
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Depositing User:	Sebastiano Sonego
Date Deposited:	07 Dec 2007
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2010 15:15
Item ID:	3703
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Date:	November 2007
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/3703

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