The Riemann Tensor, R-Mu-Nu, Is a Four-Index Riemannian Tensor.

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Einstein came up with the idea that gravity is the curvature of spacetime. We know that Einstein first proposed it was R-mu-nu, before he eventually said one-half R-g- mu-nu. But while he was struggling with that last step, his friend Gertigan invited him to a lecture by mathematician David Hilbert. He learned just enough mathematics for the sake of mathematics and got into general relativity.

My little pandemic-lockdown contribution to the world was a series of videos called The Biggest Ideas in the Universe. The idea was to explain physics in a pedagogical way, concentrating on established ideas rather than speculations, with the twist that I tried to include and explain any equations that seemed useful, even though no prior mathematical knowledge was presumed. I’m in the process of writing a series of three books inspired by those videos, and the first one is coming out now: The Biggest Ideas In The Universe: Space, Time, and Motion. For this solo episode I go through one of the highlights from the book: explaining the mathematical and physical basis of Einstein’s equation of general relativity, relating mass and energy to the curvature of spacetime. Hope it works!

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