Last Modified: 2002 October 21
Charlie Torres / charlie@phys.utb.edu
The Meaning of Einstein's Equation
Prof. John Baez, University of California, Riverside
General relativity is all about geometry, yet the simple geometrical significance of Einstein's equations is sometimes lost amid a profusion of tensor calculus. Here we explain in simple terms what
Gμν = 8 π G Tμν
really means. We then use this to explain why gravity attracts, why tidal forces stretch in one direction while squashing in another, and why pressure makes large stars want to collapse. We also give a heuristic explanation of the basic equation of the big bang cosmology.