Although general relativity is not the only relativistic theory of gravity, it is the simplest theory that is consistent with experimental data. General relativity's predictions have been confirmed in all observations and experiments to date. Examples of such differences include gravitational time dilation, the gravitational redshift of light, and the gravitational time delay. 'The predictions of general relativity differ significantly from those of classical physics, especially concerning the passage of time, the geometry of space, the motion of bodies in free fall, and the propagation of light. The relation is specified by the Einstein field equations, a system of partial differential equations. In particular, the curvature of spacetime is directly related to the four-momentum ( mass-energy and linear momentum) of whatever matter and radiation are present. It unifies special relativity and Newton's law of universal gravitation, and describes gravity as a property of the geometry of space and time, or spacetime. It is the state-of-the art description of gravity in modern physics. 'General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. 695 & 696.Ī summary of the different aspects of the theory linked to more details on different aspects follows: Norman Library of Science and Medicine (1991) nos. This separate edition went through several reprintings which are easily confused with the first printing.

There are three different issues-the journal publication, the true offprint from the journal (extremely rare), and a commercially published offprint or separate edition. In 1916 Albert Einstein published Der Grundlage der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie in the periodical, Annalen der Physik issued from Leipzig. This was the first exposition of general relativity.įrom the bibliographical standpoint, the publication of this work is rather unusual for a journal article.

Einstein published theory of relativity