Primary
Lorentz Factor ○◂｜Definition｜1st｜20251119205401-00-⌔
Lorentz factor
The Lorentz factor or Lorentz term (also known as the gamma factor1) is a dimensionless quantity expressing how much the measurements of time, length, and other physical properties change for an object while it moves. The expression appears in several equations in special relativity, and it arises in derivations of the Lorentz transformations. The name originates from its earlier appearance in Lorentzian electrodynamics – named after the Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz.2
It is generally denoted γ (the Greek lowercase letter gamma). Sometimes (especially in discussion of superluminal motion) the factor is written as Γ (Greek uppercase-gamma) rather than γ.
Printed 2026-06-28.
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Link to original Footnotes
“The Gamma Factor”. webs.morningside.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-14. ↩
Tyson, Neil deGrasse; Liu, Charles Tsun-Chu; Irion, Robert. “The Special Theory of Relativity”. One Universe. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2024-01-06. ↩
Secondary
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