Special Relativity Theory and Cellular Automata: Light as a Cellular Automata Process

Abstract

A new formulation of special relativity is described. It is based on a postulate that the universe is a vast Cellular Automata (CA). We show that any CA model automatically leads to a maximum speed limit for the transfer of information from place to place in CA space, and hence leads to strict physical locality of all physical interactions. Furthermore, we show that the Lorentz transformation follows mathematically from CA theory, where photon propagation is postulated to be the simply shifting of the photon information pattern from cell to adjacent cell in every CA 'clock cycle' (which incidently is simplest possible CA 'motion'). Minkowski 4D flat space-time of special relativity can be seen as the direct consequence of the low level universal CA processes, seen by inertial observers with ordinary measuring instruments, and who are not aware of, and cannot measure with the true absolute units of CA space and time.