Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity - incorrect physical assumptions in the explanation of time dilation!

This article analyzes the standard textbook explanation of time dilation using the light-clock thought experiment (Figures 1-3). It is shown that the literature assumes that a light signal propagates in a zigzag path and follows the light source. The author argues that a light signal moves with constant speed c and in the same direction regardless of the motion of the source, as illustrated in Figures 4-6 for one tick-tack. The paper presents the relation $t = 2L/c = 2x/v$ and discusses why, according to this analysis, there is no time dilation. For a critique of this argument see Rousseau (2024) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23197266, which analyzes a different setup involving two inertial reference frames than the single light-clock setup presented here. Independent researcher, Sweden.