Exposing the Kinematic Oversight in Special Relativity : A Geometric Resolution

This paper exposes a foundational omission in Special Relativity: the theory constrains speed but never provides an intrinsic rule for how a moving frame should change direction under acceleration. For over a century, SR has relied on external constructions—Fermi–Walker transport, concatenated boosts, and Wigner rotation—that operate correctly but do not arise from SR’s own geometry. The CARD framework shows that this omission originates from treating velocity space as flat. By modeling velocity space as the curved hyperbolic manifold implied by SR’s invariant constraint, we derive and prove—from first principles and with full geometric rigor—the intrinsic directional transport law supplied by the manifold’s torsion‑free Levi‑Civita connection. This intrinsic transport rule explains effects such as Thomas precession as geometric holonomy rather than artifacts of frame switching. Restoring the correct geometry proves the oversight is real, resolves SR’s long‑standing kinematic gap, and completes the theory’s structure from first principles.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-09-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22296856
Primary Topic
Relativity and Gravitational Theory
Type
preprint
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
preprint

Exposing the Kinematic Oversight in Special Relativity : A Geometric Resolution

Gary A. Marszalek
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Relativity and Gravitational Theory
preprint

Exposing the Kinematic Oversight in Special Relativity : A Geometric Resolution

Gary A. Marszalek
preprint en

Abstract

This paper exposes a foundational omission in Special Relativity: the theory constrains speed but never provides an intrinsic rule for how a moving frame should change direction under acceleration. For over a century, SR has relied on external constructions—Fermi–Walker transport, concatenated boosts, and Wigner rotation—that operate correctly but do not arise from SR’s own geometry. The CARD framework shows that this omission originates from treating velocity space as flat. By modeling velocity space as the curved hyperbolic manifold implied by SR’s invariant constraint, we derive and prove—from first principles and with full geometric rigor—the intrinsic directional transport law supplied by the manifold’s torsion‑free Levi‑Civita connection. This intrinsic transport rule explains effects such as Thomas precession as geometric holonomy rather than artifacts of frame switching. Restoring the correct geometry proves the oversight is real, resolves SR’s long‑standing kinematic gap, and completes the theory’s structure from first principles.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Relativity and Gravitational Theory
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.