Definition
The Lorentz factor is defined as:
where:
- v is the relative velocity between inertial reference frames,
- β is the ratio of v to the speed of light c.
- τ is the proper time for an observer (measuring time intervals in the observer's own frame),
- c is the speed of light.
This is the most frequently used form in practice, though not the only one (see below for alternative forms).
To complement the definition, some authors define the reciprocal:
see velocity addition formula.
Read more about this topic: Lorentz Factor
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