6 Mar
2011
6 Mar
'11
10:07 p.m.
On 3/6/11, Fred lunnon <fred.lunnon@gmail.com> wrote:
--- this time I carelessly assumed it must refer to the Cartesian linear group.
As I recall, Einstein was rather fond of the term in discussing relativity, but I don't remember why. Weyl, too. Perhaps the term "linear" means "first degree" rather than "vector space homomorphism." In any event, the constant term can be given a nominal vector coefficient and that is the equivalent of using projective space. Altogether you get the semidirect product of rotations (or suchlike) and translations. Isn't Wikipedia wonderful? "The Father of all Lies!" -hvm