Four-vector problem

PAllen

Sure there is a dot product. It is defined by the metric. For example, if the metric is diag(1,-1/c^2, -1/c^2,-1/c^2), then the dot product of X and Y is:

x0*y0 - x1*y1/c^2 - x2*y2/c^2 - x3*y3/c^2

Wox

Depends on your definition of the dot product, but I see what you mean. But I don't see why [Ux/Ut,Uy/Ut,Uz/Ut] would correspond to a spatial velocity.

PAllen

In a metric space there is one definition of the dot product. The Euclidean one looks the way it does solely because the Euclidean metric is diag(1,1,1).

If U is some tangent vector, and x,y,z,t are unit vectors for some frame, then the dot product of U with such unit vectors expresses U in that frame basis. Then Ux/Ut gives the x speed (well, actually, x-speed/c , but that is just as good). Look at the tangent vector itself expressed in your starting coordinates (c-normed, canonic metric; works the same in any other convention):

U = gamma(c,u)

Ux = gamma * ux is not the x speed; but note Ux/Ut = ux/c. This feature will be true in any other basis. In particular, in an orthonormal basis with U itself taken as the time unit vector, you get spatial speed of zero - the particle has no spatial speed in its own basis.