Clearly, given the trouble that the traditional concept of space and time has brought to mankind's efforts to understand the physical universe, there ought to be a better way. Indeed, it would really be helpful, if we had an absolute reference, against which we could measure magnitudes of motion, thus avoiding the need for corrections altogether. However, as we know, there can be no special rest frame of reference relative to which all motion can be defined. The closest to such a thing, and the solution Einstein turned to, was Mach's idea of the array of fixed stars forming an absolute reference, but this concept too, is, in the final analysis, not satisfactory. Consequently, we need to go back to the drawing board and see what the options are.

The only known relationship of space and time is motion. In this relationship, time is the reciprocal of space. Larson's positing of this relationship as the sole constituent of the physical universe, existing in discrete units, and in three dimensions, leads to a concept of a progression of space, which corresponds to the familiar progression of time. That we can observe evidence of such a space progression in the motion of the distant galaxies, receeding away from us and each other at extreme velocities, lends credence to the assumption. Larson adds one other assumption to this motion: that it exists in discrete units. This means that we can quantify it as the ratio of two magnitudes that either are constantly increasing, or constantly decreasing.

In the case in which both space and time are increasing at the same rate, we can express the progression ratio as the unit ratio, s/t = 1/1; that is, for every increase in the number of space units, there exists a corresponding increase in the number of time units. This then is the initial condition of the motion. Notice the perfect symmetry inherent in this relationship of space and time. Also notice that the symmetry can be broken exactly two ways: the progression of one aspect or the other can be larger than unit ratio. For instance, the progression of time can be larger than unity, in which case s/t = 1/n, or the progession of space can be larger than unity, in which case s/t = n/1, where n > 1.

Of course, the magnitude of this universal motion depends upon the size of the space and time units we select. Since the constant speed of light plays such a central role in physical phenomena, it is reasonable to assume that the magnitude of the unit ratio, s/t = 1/1, is equal to c. This means that, if we can find the size of either the space unit, or the time unit, we can calculate the size of the unit of the reciprocal aspect. Larson selected the Rydberg constant for this purpose, since it also seems to play a central role in the phenomena of radiation of the hydrogen atom. The Rydberg frequency is 3.2899 x 10^15 Hertz, so the reciprocal of this frequency is a time unit equal to 3.03961 x 10^-16 seconds. The accepted value of the Rydberg constant has changed slightly since Larson's day, so this figure differs slightly from his.

For reasons which will be explained below, the actual unit of time, which Larson called the natural unit of time, that enters into the unit progression ratio, is half this value, which he calculated as 1.520655 x 10^-16 seconds, as seen in his publications. Hence, the natural unit of space is then calculated as c divided by the quantity of time, or 4.558816 x 10^-6 cm. So, the physical situation, at this point, is a constant increase of space/time, the magnitude of which is 2.997930 x 10^10 cm/sec, the speed of light (again, using the figures in Larson's publications, which have been slightly modified since.)

However, it's important to note, that this is nothing but a ratio of the discrete units of a scalar progression. There is no information in the equation, s/t = 1/1, indicating dimensions, and there is only one progression ratio. Nevertheless, the assumptions in the first postulate are that the motion of the universe exists in discrete units and in three dimensions. So, given that this universal progression is the initial state of our theoretical universe, the question is, how do we proceed and end up with discrete units of motion existing in three dimensions?

Notice that, in this initial state of unit motion, there is no reference frame, no structure against which the magnitude of the unit motion can be referenced. The state of the unit progression is all that exists at this point. It is the equivalent of nothing. In order for something to exist, in order for discrete (separate) units of motion to exist, there must be a deviation from this initial state of uniform motion. Earlier, it was pointed out that there are two possibilities, or "directions," in which the perfect symmetry of unit motion could be "broken." One possibility exists when the space/time progression ratio is greater than unity, (1+n)/1 and the other when it is less than unity, 1/(1+n).

(See continuation in following post)