Temporal Interpretation
If the w-coordinate of the equation of the spherical cone is interpreted as the distance ct, where t is coordinate time and c is the speed of light (a constant), then it is the shape of the light cone in special relativity. In this case, the equation is usually written as:
which is also the equation for spherical wave fronts of light. The upper nappe is then the future light cone and the lower nappe is the past light cone.
Read more about this topic: Spherical Cone
Famous quotes containing the word temporal:
“Death is not an event in life: we do not live to experience death. If we take eternity to mean not infinite temporal duration but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present.”
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)