AnO(3, 1) approach to Maxwell's equations

Abstract

Using the principal series representations of the Lorentz group, a method parallel to that of Gelfand and Yaglom is suggested to obtain Maxwell's equations, which dispenses with the arbitrary introduction of a degenerate transformation with respect to which the photon equations are invariant. The method also gives subsidiary conditions which, in conjunction with the masslessness of the particle, yield the Lorentz condition and the correct values of photon polarization.