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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 tensor is built up from the metric tensor and its partial derivatives; thus, given the stress–energy tensor, the Einstein field equations are a system of ten partial differential equations in which the metric tensor can be solved for.
The Einstein field equations are a system of coupled, nonlinear partial differential equations. In general, this makes them hard to solve. In general, this makes them hard to solve. Nonetheless, several effective techniques for obtaining exact solutions have been established.
The exact form of the metric g μν depends on the gravitating mass, momentum and energy, as described by the Einstein field equations. Einstein developed those field equations to match the then known laws of Nature; however, they predicted never-before-seen phenomena (such as the bending of light by gravity) that were confirmed later.
Einstein's field equations: = where the Ricci curvature tensor = and the scalar curvature = relate the metric (and the associated curvature tensors) to the stress–energy tensor. This tensor equation is a complicated set of nonlinear partial differential equations for the metric components.
In general relativity, an electrovacuum solution (electrovacuum) is an exact solution of the Einstein field equation in which the only nongravitational mass–energy present is the field energy of an electromagnetic field, which must satisfy the (curved-spacetime) source-free Maxwell equations appropriate to the given geometry.
Usually, field equations are postulated (like the Einstein field equations and the Schrödinger equation, which underlies all quantum field equations) or obtained from the results of experiments (like Maxwell's equations). The extent of their validity is their ability to correctly predict and agree with experimental results.
In general relativity, a scalar field solution is an exact solution of the Einstein field equation in which the gravitational field is due entirely to the field energy and momentum of a scalar field. Such a field may or may not be massless , and it may be taken to have minimal curvature coupling , or some other choice, such as conformal coupling .