Talk:Minkowski spacetime

Grammar bad

Under "History", the following phrase appears, "In 1905, and later published in 1906...". The grammar might be improved.

Add a forward reference to definition of "scalar product" at first use of symbol for scalar product

In section "Causal structure" the greek symbol "eta", is used without explanation or reference. Add a named link "scalar product" at the use of symbol "eta". "scalar product" is defined later on in the article. Johanwiden (talk) 10:17, 14 March 2024 (UTC)

I have know added the forward link to section "Scalar product". Johanwiden (talk) 13:22, 9 May 2024 (UTC)

"Lightlike" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Lightlike has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2024 October 2 § Lightlike until a consensus is reached. 1234qwer1234qwer4 13:16, 2 October 2024 (UTC)

Requested move 26 May 2026

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. Per WP:COMMONNAME. Appears we also have another article for the pure mathematics side of things. (closed by non-admin page mover) ⹃Maltazarian ^{ᚾparley$\lor$investigateᛅ} 13:38, 2 June 2026 (UTC)

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Minkowski space → Minkowski spacetime – Due to concerns raised at Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Physics#Minkowski_spacetime. –LaundryPizza03 (dc̄) 04:56, 26 May 2026 (UTC)

• Support and leave a dab page here: Minkowski spacetime and geometry of numbers. (Minkowski space (number field) should be redirected to geometry of numbers, including a merge of anything useful.) Sławomir Biały (talk) 13:57, 26 May 2026 (UTC)

  Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Minkowski space (number field). –LaundryPizza03 (dc̄) 20:06, 26 May 2026 (UTC)

• Support. In mathematics, "Minkowski space" is the usual option, but Minkowski spacetime is widely used in physics and popular works. I think spacetime would be more descriptive for laypeople.--ReyHahn (talk) 15:43, 26 May 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose: The criterion Recognizability does not apply to Minkowski spacetime (see WP:CRITERIA). The original space-time was Minkowski space (1908). The term spacetime evolved from there. A count of usage would show Minkowski space more common than the other phrase. As for Geometry of numbers, the phrase Minkowski space is not applicable. — Rgdboer (talk) 23:36, 26 May 2026 (UTC)

I don't understand your last sentence. Minkowski space (number field) is an article that exists. It is about the "number" part of Minkowski's Geometrie der Zahlen, although its orphan status and rather content-poor geometry of numbers article might not make that clear to the reader. (Which is one reason for a merge.) Sławomir Biały (talk) 05:16, 27 May 2026 (UTC)

We rarely use terms for what they were called in the original work.--ReyHahn (talk) 07:51, 27 May 2026 (UTC)

• Support as Minkowski spacetime is the more specific and less ambiguous term, and also more common once you eliminate the false positives like "Minkowski space-time" . As Minkowski said, "Raum für sich und Zeit für sich völlig zu Schatten herabsinken und nur noch eine Art Union der beiden soll Selbständigkeit bewahren" (space for itself and time for itself shall completely reduce to a mere shadow, and only some sort of union of the two shall maintain independence). And if we're going by the title of Minkowski's 1908 talk, well, that's "Raum und Zeit", not "Raum". Dropping the "time" from the name obscures the physics. Stepwise Continuous Dysfunction (talk) 04:56, 27 May 2026 (UTC)
• Support: meets WP:COMMONNAME and the name might be better than the old one, and "Minkowski spacetime" is mentioned in the article. ~ŤheŴubṂachine-840≈ ● ✒️ 19:06, 27 May 2026 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

outside

In 1908 Minkowski presented his ideas outside at a lecture …

Outside of what? His skull and notebooks? —Antonissimo (talk) 02:12, 30 May 2026 (UTC)

Hah, maybe "I should go outside now" was in my mind while typing ;-).  Done, thanks Johnjbarton (talk) 15:50, 30 May 2026 (UTC)

In 1908 Minkowski touched grass … —Antonissimo (talk) 04:50, 31 May 2026 (UTC)