Ordering Events in Minkowski Space

Abstract

We are given k points (events) in (n+1)-dimensional Minkowski space. Using the theory of hyperplane arrangments and chromatic polynomials, we obtain information the number of different orders in which the events can occur in different reference frames if the events are sufficiently generic. We consider the question of what sets of orderings of the points are possible and show a connection with sphere orders and the allowable sequences of Goodman and Pollack.