The space-time continuum as the basic model of the surrounding reality

The concept of "space-time continuum"is one of the central in the modern perception of the physical picture of the world. This theory is based on the representation of the modern world from the point of view of four basic dimensions - three of them refer to spatial characteristics, and the fourth - to temporal ones.

Spatio-temporal continuum as the maina model describing the surrounding reality, claims to create as much as possible a more comprehensive picture of the world. At the same time, there are constantly emerging theories that put individual positions of this theory or the whole concept as a whole in doubt.

The basis for the modern concept ofspace and time was laid even more than a hundred years ago when the general theory of relativity of Einstein came to light. Based on its provisions, Einstein himself and his followers came to the conclusion that each of the three spatial characteristics, as well as the time continuum, are equivalent to each other, therefore, it depends only on the observer which of them will be taken as the reference frame.

Movement, space and time areThe characteristics of the surrounding reality, which are constantly changing. The main mechanism by which these elements interact with all physical bodies is gravity.

The primary concept characterizingthe space-time continuum, according to Einstein's theory, is an "event," which is nothing more than a point that has specific characteristics and has clear spatial and temporal coordinates.

All these points are not randomly distributed, but inexact correspondence with the basic axioms underlying this theory. The most important axioms are the concept of ordering, topological axioms, the main principle of which is the dimension principle, the axioms of admissible coordinate systems, and all the basic arithmetic axioms.

The space-time continuum isnon-stop, constantly changing its appearance variety. At the same time, it is of a three-dimensional nature and, depending on certain external conditions, can change its curvature.

A special place in this theory is given to the temporarycontinuum. Many scientists do not agree that it has the same rights and can be the same reference system as spatial characteristics - length, width, height. But the whole point is that one of the fundamental provisions of the theory of relativity is to recognize the dependence of time on the speed of the observer's movement, which is in the initial reference point. Thus, we get that the time continuum directly depends on spatial characteristics, as, however, the latter depend on the time itself.

If for our planet the four-dimensional spaceis quite familiar and understandable, then at the level of the Universe many scientists allocate much more levels. For example, one of the first versions of the famous "superstring theory" implied the inevitability of the existence of 27 measurements. Today their number has decreased to ten, although the characteristics of the "extra" measurements themselves have become much more complicated.