Minkowski metric (${\eta }_{\mu \nu }=\mathrm{diag}(-1,1,1,1)$)

With the mostly-plus metric signature $(-,+,+,+)$ and coordinates $X^{\mu }=(ct,x,y,z)$, the Minkowski metric is the nondegenerate bilinear formIt is a symmetric bilinear form, but not a positive-definite bilinear form. For example, $U=(1,1,0,0)$ is nonzero yet $U\cdot U=0$, making it a null vector. This does not make the Minkowski metric degenerate: some other vectors have nonzero pairing with $U$.

Applied to infinitesimal displacements, the Minkowski metric givesFor a timelike curve, a clock records $d\tau =\sqrt{-d{s}^2}/c$. For a null curve, $d{s}^2=0$. For spacelike separation, the positive Minkowski interval measures a different kind of separation. A Lorentz transformation preserves this form, expressed in matrix notation by ${\Lambda }^T\eta \Lambda =\eta$, although it need not preserve ordinary Euclidean distance in the four-component coordinate list.

Use signature $(+---)$ and future-pointing timelike vectors $U,V$. Their time components exceed their spatial magnitudes, so the same holds for their sum by the Euclidean triangle inequality. In the rest frame of $U$, write $U=(a,0)$, $a=\sqrt{g(U,U)}>0$, and let $b=\sqrt{g(V,V)}>0$. Then $g(U,V)=a{V}^0\ge ab$. Expanding the squared norm of $U+V$ proves the displayed inequality. Equality requires $V$ to have zero spatial component in this frame, equivalently $V$ is a positive scalar multiple of $U$. The shared future time orientation is essential.

The squared interval between two events in Minkowski spacetime is the quadratic form of their coordinate difference under the Minkowski metric. In signature $(-,+,+,+)$ it is $-c^2\Delta t^2+|\Delta \mathbf{x}{|}^2$. Lorentz transformations preserve this quadratic form; timelike, spacelike and null separation correspond to negative, positive and zero values.

The opposite metric signature $(+,-,-,-)$ reverses the sign of the Minkowski interval, giving $c^2\Delta t^2-|\Delta \mathbf{x}{|}^2$; the physical classification and proper time stay the same. State the convention before using a sign to identify a separation. With the mostly-plus convention here, a straight clock segment has $s^2=-c^2\Delta {\tau }^2$, while a light signal has $s^2=0$. ^[ref].

Two distinct spacetime events have timelike separation when their displacement has negative Minkowski interval in metric signature $(-,+,+,+)$, equivalently $c|\Delta t|>|\Delta \mathbf{x}|$. A massive observer can connect them along a straight timelike curve. If the later spacetime event has $\Delta t>0$, every Lorentz transformation in the orthochronous Lorentz group keeps it later. The elapsed proper time on the straight inertial segment is $\sqrt{-s^2}/c$.

In the light-second units of the Minkowski spacetime example, $O$ to $A$ has $s^2=(-4^2+3^2){\mathrm{ls}}^2=-7{\mathrm{ls}}^2$. Its straight moving clock therefore records $\sqrt{7}\mathrm{s}$, approximately $2.646\mathrm{s}$, while the coordinate time difference is $4\mathrm{s}$. Coordinate time and proper time answer different questions.

Distinct spacetime events have null separation when their displacement has zero Minkowski interval, equivalently $c|\Delta t|=|\Delta \mathbf{x}|$. They can be joined by a straight vacuum light ray. Their nonzero displacement is a null vector, so the zero squared interval does not mean that the spacetime events coincide. For example, $(t,x)=(3\mathrm{s},3\mathrm{ls})$ is null separated from the origin.

For mostly-plus signature, $x^{+}=(x^{D-1}+x^0)/\sqrt{2}$ and $x^{-}=(x^{D-1}-x^0)/\sqrt{2}$ give $d{s}^2=2d{x}^{+}d{x}^{-}+d{x}^{I}d{x}^I$. In this convention raising a plus or minus derivative exchanges the two labels.

The Minkowski norm is the Lorentz-invariant quadratic form $U\cdot U={\eta }_{\mu \nu }{U}^{\mu }{U}^{\nu }$.

This quadratic form belongs to the geometry of Minkowski spacetime; the spacetime itself is a broader concept than this squared norm.

The light cone of a spacetime event $O$ consists of $O$ together with the spacetime events having null separation from it. In the coordinates of an inertial frame centered on $O$, it obeysFor $t>0$ it traces an expanding spherical flash of light, with radius $ct$ at time $t$; for $t<0$ it describes possible incoming light rays. A spacetime diagram with one spatial coordinate shows the two lines $x=\pm ct$. The apparent $45^{\circ }$ angle uses equal scales for $x$ and $ct$ and is not a separate physical angle.

The light cone is the boundary, while its interior has timelike separation from $O$. An outgoing light ray follows the boundary; a future-directed massive observer's world line remains inside it. The exterior has spacelike separation: no signal travelling at or below the speed of light can connect its spacetime events directly to $O$. This separates possible causal influence from merely being assigned a later coordinate time.

In the diagram, $A=(4\mathrm{s},3\mathrm{ls})$ is inside the future boundary, $N=(3\mathrm{s},3\mathrm{ls})$ is on it, and $B=(2\mathrm{s},3\mathrm{ls})$ is outside. Their squared Minkowski intervals are respectively $-7,0,5$ in ${\mathrm{ls}}^2$. Thus $B$ occurs later than $O$ in the displayed inertial frame while still being unable to receive a light-speed-or-slower signal sent from $O$.

The usefulness is immediate for an experiment: a detector's reading can depend on a source event only if a causal influence can reach it. A Lorentz boost changes coordinates but preserves this classification. For a boost with $\beta =0.8$ and Lorentz factor $\gamma =5/3$, applying the Lorentz transformation gives, in light-second length units,The corresponding squared Minkowski intervals remain $-7,0,5$. In particular $B$ is now earlier than $O$, which is allowed for spacelike separation; $A$ remains later.

The past light cone of a spacetime event $O$ is the past-directed part of its light cone. In Minkowski spacetime, its spacetime events satisfy $|\Delta \mathbf{x}|=-c\Delta t$ with $\Delta t<0$. They are the possible emission events of light rays arriving at $O$. The interior also contains events that can send slower signals to $O$. The retarded potential of a moving point electric charge, given by the Liénard–Wiechert potential, uses the emission event where the source's world line intersects this boundary.

The future light cone is the future-directed part of the light cone of a spacetime event. Its boundary consists of the events reached by outgoing light rays. Events reached by slower causal signals lie inside the boundary; relativistic causality forbids a controllable signal from reaching the spacelike exterior.

The speed of light $c$ is the invariant speed of every inertial frame and the limiting speed of causal propagation in special relativity.

A one-way speed of light measurement assigns a travel time between spatially separated emission and reception events and therefore requires a distant-clock synchronization convention. In an inertial frame, Einstein synchronisation assigns the vacuum value $c$ in either direction. A completed-loop comparison such as the Sagnac effect is a different observable.

A light-second is a unit of length: the distance vacuum light travels in one second. It is useful in a spacetime diagram because a time of one second corresponds to a $ct$ coordinate of one light-second, making the slopes $x=\pm ct$ of the light cone particularly easy to read. The unit is a distance, rather than an elapsed time.

Null directions are tangent directions of the light cone; their Minkowski squared norm is zero.

A direction represented by a nonzero null vector has zero Minkowski norm. Such directions form the generators of the light cone.

A null curve has tangent $u$ satisfying $g(u,u)=0$. It represents the possible spacetime path of a light signal.

Its nonzero tangent is a null vector at every regular point; this distinguishes the curve from a single null direction.

A null geodesic is both a null curve and a geodesic. In geometric optics, light rays follow null geodesics.

In a flat two-dimensional Penrose diagram, a straight line tangent to a null vector; with radial metric tensor $-d{T}^2+d{X}^2$ it is $T-X=\mathrm{constant}$ or $T+X=\mathrm{constant}$. Such lines represent radial null geodesics after a conformal transformation.

A radial null geodesic in a spherically symmetric spacetime has zero angular momentum and fixed angular coordinates. Its projection is a null curve of the two-dimensional radial Lorentzian metric.