Four-vector ($U^{\mu }$)

A four-vector is a vector whose four vector components transform under a Lorentz transformation as $U^{\prime \mu }={\Lambda }^{\mu }{}_{\nu }{U}^{\nu }$. Its individual vector components generally change between inertial frames; the Minkowski metric combines them into invariant scalar products. Listing four quantities is not enough to make a four-vector: their transformation law matters.

The most direct example is the displacement between two spacetime events, written $(c\Delta t,\Delta x,\Delta y,\Delta z)$. Multiplying the time difference by the speed of light gives all four vector components the same length units. A position four-vector describes an event relative to a chosen origin, while a displacement does not depend on a common translation of the origin. Four-momentum and four-velocity use the same transformation rule for different physical quantities.

If a fixed component of a Lorentz four-vector vanishes in every Lorentz frame, the vector is zero. For its time component, arbitrary infinitesimal boosts force every spatial component to vanish; for a spatial component, first use rotations and then a boost. Applied to the incoming-minus-outgoing total four-momentum, this shows that energy balance in every inertial frame implies full four-momentum conservation. The statement fails for general tensors: a nonzero antisymmetric tensor has zero diagonal components in all frames.

The four-wavevector combines the angular frequency and spatial wavevector of a plane wave. Phase invariance gives $K^{\prime \mu }={\Lambda }^{\mu }{}_{\nu }{K}^{\nu }$. Under a boost $\mathbf{v}$, ${\omega }^{\prime }=\gamma (\omega -\mathbf{v}\cdot \mathbf{k})$, ${\mathbf{k}}_{\parallel }^{\prime }=\gamma ({\mathbf{k}}_{\parallel }-\omega \mathbf{v}/c^2)$ and ${\mathbf{k}}_{\perp }^{\prime }={\mathbf{k}}_{\perp }$. For metric signature $(+,-,-,-)$, $R_{\mu }{K}^{\mu }=\omega t-\mathbf{k}\cdot \mathbf{r}$ is a Lorentz scalar. A vacuum light wave has $K_{\mu }{K}^{\mu }=0$.

The wave phase labels a physical stage of an oscillation at a spacetime event. Treating it as a Lorentz scalar makes its gradient $K_{\mu }={\partial }_{\mu }\Phi$ a covector; raising the index gives the four-wavevector $K^{\mu }=(\omega /c,\mathbf{k})$. A boost along $x$ gives ${\omega }^{\prime }=\gamma (\omega -v{k}_x)$ and $k_x^{\prime }=\gamma (k_x-v\omega /c^2)$. Thus angular frequency and wavevector transform together rather than independently.

The spacetime coordinates of an event combine into a four-vector $X^a=(ct,x,y,z)$ under Lorentz transformations between inertial frames sharing an origin. For a massive particle, differentiation with respect to proper time gives its four-velocity. Under a spacetime translation, positions acquire an additive offset, while displacement four-vectors transform linearly under the Lorentz part.

In metric signature $(+---)$, a future-pointing timelike four-vector has positive time component larger than its spatial magnitude. Two such vectors have strictly positive Minkowski metric scalar product, since $P\cdot Q=P^0{Q}^0-\mathbf{P}\cdot \mathbf{Q}\ge P^0{Q}^0-|\mathbf{P}||\mathbf{Q}|>0$. In the opposite signature the scalar-product sign reverses, while the causal condition is the same. The future timelike cone is closed under addition, which rules out a null photon momentum equalling a sum of two massive future four-momenta.

The four-divergence of a four-vector field is the Lorentz scalar contraction ${\partial }_{\mu }{V}^{\mu }$. With $x^{\mu }=(ct,\mathbf{x})$, it equals $c^{-1}{\partial }_t{V}^0+\nabla \cdot \mathbf{V}$. The four-current has zero four-divergence, expressing local charge conservation.