Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/ia/paper-4/10a/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ia Paper 4 10A a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For , define the Lorentz factor . A particle of rest mass hasThese expressions give the relativistic energy-momentum relation directly:so .
The four-momentum iswhere is the four-velocity, the proper-time derivative of . It is a four-vector, so its Minkowski metric norm is invariant under Lorentz transformations. Choose metric signature ; in the particle's rest frame, and . In any frame the same norm is . Equating the two yields the same relativistic energy-momentum relation. With the opposite metric convention both norm expressions change sign, leaving the energy relation unchanged.
New to topics? Read the docs here!