starship-design: Formula page

[Timothy van der Linden <Shealiak@XS4ALL.nl>]

Hi Tom,

>>>>  gamma = 1/Sqrt[1-v^2/c^2]
>>>
>>>I can probably show you six or seven gamma formulas from the
>>>equation fields
>>  
>>The one on your page <http://members.aol.com/tjac780754/indexC.htm> does
>>contain only v and c as well. (It misses the squareroot though.)
> 
>I do not use the square root one as Einstein instructed it had problems of 
>returning imaginary solutions of real numbers and not just imaginary
numbers. 

If you trow away the root, then why not throw away the division as well?
That way you can also use v=c without getting a division error. Please
quote me a accesible reference where Einstein suggests removing the square
root in the way you do.

>He fixed the problem with a different derivative I was taught in 1968 at the 
>FAA Academy.

I don't consider imaginary numbers a problem. You can easily avoid getting
them by taking the absolute of the term inside the squareroot (thus
avoiding negative numbers). (You can also take the absolute afterwards in
this case.)

And I don't see where your reply has answered my remark about the formula
on your page having only the variable c, while you write that "gamma is a
complex variable with mass, velocity, time and spacial dimensions".

Timothy