Mach's Principle, formalized in Barbour-Bertotti theory, demonstrates that inertial standards emerge from the global mass distribution, not from a substantival spacetime structure.

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Barbour-Bertotti theory(as a formalization of Mach's Principle): A modern mathematical framework developed by physicists Julian Barbour and Bruno Bertotti that formalizes Mach's Principle and describes how the universe behaves without relying on fixed background space.
Ernst Mach(as the originator of the theory discussed): An Austrian physicist and philosopher (1838–1916) who argued that motion and forces only make sense when described relative to other objects, not relative to empty space itself.
Global mass distribution(as used in cosmology): The arrangement and amount of all the matter (stars, planets, galaxies, etc.) spread throughout the entire universe.
Inertial standards(as used in philosophy of physics): Reference frames or perspectives used in physics to describe motion; an inertial frame is one where objects at rest stay at rest unless pushed (relates to Newton's first law).

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