In physics, the Lorentz transformation or Lorentz-Fitzgerald transformation describes how, according to the theory of special relativity, different measurements of space and time by two observers can be converted into the measurements observed in either frame of reference.
It is named after the Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz. It reflects the fact that observers moving at different velocities may measure different distances, elapsed times, and even different orderings of events.
The Lorentz transformation was originally the result of attempts by Lorentz and others to explain how the speed of light was observed to be independent of the reference frame, and to understand the symmetries of the laws of electromagnetism. Albert Einstein later re-derived the transformation from his postulates of special relativity. The Lorentz transformation supersedes the Galilean transformation of Newtonian physics, which assumes an absolute space and time (see Galilean relativity). According to special relativity, the Galilean transformation is a good approximation only at relative speeds much smaller than the speed of light.
The Lorentz transformation is a linear transformation. It may include a rotation of space; a rotation-free Lorentz transformation is called a Lorentz boost. Since relativity postulates that the speed of light is the same for all observers, the Lorentz transformation must preserve the spacetime interval between any two events in Minkowski space. The Lorentz transformation describes only the transformations in which the spacetime event at the origin is left fixed, so they can be considered as a hyperbolic rotation of Minkowski space. The more general set of transformations that also includes translations is known as the Poincaré group.
Read more about Lorentz Transformation: History, Lorentz Transformation For Frames in Standard Configuration, Visualizing The Transformations in Minkowski Space, Transformation of Other Physical Quantities, Special Relativity, Spacetime Interval, Derivation