There is considerable misunderstanding in the literature concerning time in classical electrodynamics. The following conceptual exposition focuses on three points: advanced radiation exists mathematically but not physically; there exists an asymmetry of time due to radiation; and the equations of motion of charged particles are invariant under time reversal. These three points are mutually consistent.

1.
F.
Rohrlich
, “
Time reversal invariance and the arrow of time in classical electro-dynamics
,”
Phys. Rev. E
72
,
057601
1
(
2005
).
2.
F.
Rohrlich
, “
Causality, the Coulomb field, and Newton’s law of gravitation
,”
Am. J. Phys.
70
(
4
),
411
414
(
2002
).
3.
See, for example,
J. D.
Jackson
,
Classical Electrodynamics
, 3rd ed. (
Wiley
, New York,
1999
).
4.
F.
Rohrlich
, “
Solution of the classical electromagnetic self-energy problem
,”
Phys. Rev. Lett.
12
,
375
377
(
1964
).
5.
F.
Rohrlich
,
Classical Charged Particles
(
Addison-Wesley
, New York,
1965, 1990
). The time reversal transformation given on pp. 248ff, is incorrect. See the Appendix.
6.
F.
Rohrlich
, “
Realism despite cognitive antireductionism
,”
Int. Stud. Phil. Sci.
18
,
73
88
(
2004
).
7.
J. M.
Jauch
and
F.
Rohrlich
,
The Theory of Photons and Electrons
, 2nd ed. (
Addison-Wesley
, New York,
1955
) (
Springer-Verlag
, New York,
1976
).
8.

See Ref. 7, Appendix A1. These photon propagators have various names: Feynman propagator DF or causal propagator Dc are the most common.

9.
J. A.
Wheeler
and
R. P.
Feynman
,
Rev. Mod. Phys.
17
,
157
181
(
1945
);
J. A.
Wheeler
and
R. P.
Feynman
,
Rev. Mod. Phys.
21
,
425
433
(
1949
).
10.
W.
Panofsky
and
M.
Phillips
,
Classical Electricity and Magnetism
, 2nd ed. (
Addison-Wesley
, New York,
1962
), p.
395
.
11.
See, for example,
D. J.
Griffith
,
Introduction to Electrodynamics
, 3rd ed. (
Prentice-Hall
, Englewood, NJ,
1999
), p.
425
.
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