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Relative-distance Machian theories

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 01 August 1974

Abstract

MACH'S principle, in essence, requires that the dynamical law of the Universe be expressed ultimately in terms only of the relative distances between the observable entities in the universe. Here I propose a general framework for constructing theories that satisfy this postulate automatically. A simple model shows how the Newtonian world picture can be satisfactorily ‘Machianised.’ In principle, one could attempt to Machianise the post-1905 world picture along similar lines.

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BARBOUR, J. Relative-distance Machian theories. Nature 249, 328–329 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/249328a0

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