- #1
Bas73
- 6
- 0
Hi,
I am working my way thought Hartle's Gravity. In Section 5.4 he states that "The straight lines along which free particles move in spacetime are paths of longest proper time" and proceeds to proof that "in flat space time the proper time is a curve of extremal proper time".
Can someone explain why it actually are the paths with longest proper time? Light travels along path with zero proper time. Is that a longest path (normal paths being negative)?
Thanks
Bas
I am working my way thought Hartle's Gravity. In Section 5.4 he states that "The straight lines along which free particles move in spacetime are paths of longest proper time" and proceeds to proof that "in flat space time the proper time is a curve of extremal proper time".
Can someone explain why it actually are the paths with longest proper time? Light travels along path with zero proper time. Is that a longest path (normal paths being negative)?
Thanks
Bas