The Minkowski metric equation with a metric triangle applied to the twin paradox

Among the popular paradoxes in relativity, the twin paradox stands out as one of the most famous and the most frequently taught in secondary school and higher education. This article suggests that instructors present the twin paradox to their students based on the Minkowski metric equation with a metric triangle instead of the Lorentz transformation. We show that explaining the twin paradox using the Minkowski metric equation with its Euclidean geometric interpretation in ( τ , x / c ) plane should lead to a deeper understanding of such concepts as coordinate time, proper time, and universal simultaneity and experiential simultaneity.