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The Einstein field equations (EFE) may be written in the form: [5] [1] + = EFE on a wall in Leiden, Netherlands. where is the Einstein tensor, is the metric tensor, is the stress–energy tensor, is the cosmological constant and is the Einstein gravitational constant.
The Einstein–Hilbert action in general relativity is the action that yields the Einstein field equations through the stationary-action principle. With the (− + + +) metric signature , the gravitational part of the action is given as [ 1 ]
In general relativity, an exact solution is a solution of the Einstein field equations whose derivation does not invoke simplifying assumptions, though the starting point for that derivation may be an idealized case like a perfectly spherical shape of matter.
Next, notice that only 10 of the original 14 equations are independent, because the continuity equation ; = is a consequence of Einstein's equations. This reflects the fact that the system is gauge invariant (in general, absent some symmetry, any choice of a curvilinear coordinate net on the same system would correspond to a numerically ...
Einstein's equations can also be solved on a computer using sophisticated numerical methods. [1] [2] [3] Given sufficient computer power, such solutions can be more accurate than post-Newtonian solutions. However, such calculations are demanding because the equations must generally be solved in a four-dimensional space.
In theoretical physics and applied mathematics, a field equation is a partial differential equation which determines the dynamics of a physical field, specifically the time evolution and spatial distribution of the field. The solutions to the equation are mathematical functions which correspond directly to the field, as functions of time and space.
The Einstein tensor allows the Einstein field equations to be written in the concise form: + =, where is the cosmological constant and is the Einstein gravitational constant. From the explicit form of the Einstein tensor , the Einstein tensor is a nonlinear function of the metric tensor, but is linear in the second partial derivatives of the ...
The metric tensor is a central object in general relativity that describes the local geometry of spacetime (as a result of solving the Einstein field equations). Using the weak-field approximation, the metric tensor can also be thought of as representing the 'gravitational potential'. The metric tensor is often just called 'the metric'.