Pmb wrote:
"Dirk Van de moortel" wrote
in message ...
Special relativity can work with accelerated
objects and frames, but never mind.

The term "special relativity" was defined by Einstein to refer to the laws
of physics as they pertain to inertial systems, i.e. Principle of
Relativity: The laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames of
reference."

Yes. But that does not mean that SR cannot handle accelerated objects or
accelerated coordinates. Indeed, the basic rules of calculus can be used
to extend the laws known in an inertial frame to laws applicable in a
specific accelerated coordinate system. Such laws will, of course, be
different in each different type of accelerated coordinates, and their
form will be different from the form of the laws in an inertial frame.

To escape the tyranny of inertial frames one needs both the mathematical
machinery of GR (i.e. tensor analysis) and the physical laws of GR.


However you
can choose to use it as you see fit but its best to explain it as Einstein
did and why you disagree with Einstein.

Disagreement with Einstein is not important today -- he died over 50
years ago and is not the standard by which modern physics is performed.

We know now that SR's domain of applicability includes all aspects of
Minkowski spacetime, and doesn't include any other base manifold. Of
course SR is the local limit of GR in any manifold, but that is only
approximate.


Tom Roberts