Volume 15: Pages 350-351, 2002

Refutation of Another Seeming Refutation of Special Relativity

I. J. Good

1309 Lynn Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060‐3001 U.S.A.

The rule for the composition of collinear velocities in special relativity was stated by Hannon to be mathematically invalid because, in his view, it “violates the transitive law of algebra.” If the rule were invalid, the special theory would be refuted. He did not state by which relation “transitivity” was defined nor why intransitivity implies invalidity.

Keywords: composition of velocities, special relativity, transitivity

Received: November 28, 2002; Published online: December 15, 2008