This paper draws arresting conclusions from its analysis of a distinctive, and to the best of my knowledge novel, kinematic construction – an infinite set of inertial coordinate systems that is indexed by a continuous real parameter. It explains how the description of the straight-line trip of a light pulse varies among the members of this infinite set, and also – very importantly – how in my view the trip can be described without referring it to any inertial coordinate system, using coordinate-system-independent kinematic concepts that are implicit in the structure of travelling light. This multitude of comparisons brings out certain features of Einstein’s special theory of relativity that are not apparent when kinematic thought is confined to comparing the analytic perspectives of two inertial coordinate systems, as is the custom. It shows that there are reasonable alternatives to the definitions of length, duration, and velocity used by Einstein. It shows that the velocity of light, defined in Einstein’s way, varies parabolically over the infinite set of inertial coordinate systems. It provides an attractive coordinate-system-independent explanation of the behaviour of light in Sagnac and modified Sagnac experiments. It elaborates and validates my belief that inertial coordinate systems are commonly misused in a variety of ways. By avoiding these misuses of inertial coordinate systems, physicists can think in less artificial, less arbitrary, more faithful-to-nature ways.

这篇论文从对一个独特的、据我所知的新颖的运动学结构的分析中得出了引人注目的结论——一个由连续实参数索引的无限惯性坐标系。它解释了对光脉冲直线行程的描述如何在这个无限集合的成员之间变化，而且——非常重要的是——在我看来，如何在不参考任何惯性坐标系的情况下描述行程，使用坐标-系统无关的运动学概念，隐含在行车灯的结构中。这种大量的比较揭示了爱因斯坦狭义相对论的某些特征，当运动学思想仅限于比较两个惯性坐标系的解析视角时，这些特征并不明显，这是惯例。它表明，对于爱因斯坦使用的长度、持续时间和速度的定义，存在合理的替代方案。它表明，以爱因斯坦的方式定义的光速在惯性坐标系的无限集合上呈抛物线变化。它为 Sagnac 和修改后的 Sagnac 实验中的光行为提供了一个有吸引力的独立于坐标系的解释。它阐述并验证了我的信念，即惯性坐标系通常以多种方式被滥用。通过避免惯性坐标系的这些误用，物理学家可以以更少的人工、更少的武断、更忠实于自然的方式思考。在惯性坐标系的无限集合上呈抛物线变化。它为 Sagnac 和修改后的 Sagnac 实验中的光行为提供了一个有吸引力的独立于坐标系的解释。它阐述并验证了我的信念，即惯性坐标系通常以多种方式被滥用。通过避免惯性坐标系的这些误用，物理学家可以以更少的人工、更少的武断、更忠实于自然的方式思考。在惯性坐标系的无限集合上呈抛物线变化。它为 Sagnac 和修改后的 Sagnac 实验中的光行为提供了一个有吸引力的独立于坐标系的解释。它阐述并验证了我的信念，即惯性坐标系通常以多种方式被滥用。通过避免惯性坐标系的这些误用，物理学家可以以更少的人工、更少的武断、更忠实于自然的方式思考。