Abstract
The general Lorentz transformation, the relation between observations made in different frames, involves the three components of the relative velocity of the two frames and three parameters describing the relative orientation of the frames. A simpler description is known in which the six parameters are encoded in four complex numbers subject to a single algebraic constraint. This description is tied to the transformation of the directions of light propagation and underscores how closely related special relativity is to light propagation. This form of the transformation, which is particularly useful for dealing with the aberration of light is usually introduced through advanced mathematical formulations. We show that the basic idea, in addition to being useful, is quite simple.
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