Concept information
Preferred term
Einstein field equation
Definition(s)
- In the general theory of relativity, the Einstein field equations (EFE; also known as Einstein's equations) relate the geometry of spacetime to the distribution of matter within it. The equations were published by Einstein in 1915 in the form of a tensor equation which related the local spacetime curvature (expressed by the Einstein tensor) with the local energy, momentum and stress within that spacetime (expressed by the stress–energy tensor). Analogously to the way that electromagnetic fields are related to the distribution of charges and currents via Maxwell's equations, the EFE relate the spacetime geometry to the distribution of mass–energy, momentum and stress, that is, they determine the metric tensor of spacetime for a given arrangement of stress–energy–momentum in the spacetime. The relationship between the metric tensor and the Einstein tensor allows the EFE to be written as a set of nonlinear partial differential equations when used in this way. The solutions of the EFE are the components of the metric tensor. The inertial trajectories of particles and radiation (geodesics) in the resulting geometry are then calculated using the geodesic equation. (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_field_equations)
Broader concept(s)
Narrower concept(s)
Synonym(s)
- Einstein equation
In other languages
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French
-
équation d'Einstein
URI
http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/MDL-JH7BW0ND-X
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