Original: Maxwell 's equations have a close relation to special relativity : Not only were Maxwell 's equations a crucial part of the historical development of special relativity , but also , special relativity has motivated a compact mathematical formulation of Maxwell 's equations , in terms of covariant tensors .
Simplified: In special relativity , Maxwell 's equations for the vacuum are written in terms of four-vectors and tensors in the '' manifestly covariant '' form .