# Tagged Questions

The curvature tag has no wiki summary.

5answers
2k views

### Laplace operator's interpretation

What is your interpretation of Laplace operator? When evaluating Laplacian of some scalar field at a given point one can get a value. What does this value tell us about the field or it's behaviour in ...
1answer
153 views

### Is spacetime flat inside a spherical shell?

In a perfectly symmetrical spherical hollow shell, there is a null net gravitational force according to Newton, since in his theory the force is exactly inversely proportional to the square of the ...
3answers
194 views

### Why Can We Observe Space Curvature / Warping At All?

I don't understand why we are able to see and measure curvature / warping of space at all. Space as I understand it determines distances between objects, so if space were "compressed" or warped, ...
2answers
354 views

### How can a point-like particle “feel” gravity, if locally the curvature of spacetime is always flat?

I imagine a point-like particle can only experience the local properties of spacetime. But locally there is no curvature and no gravity, as it is often stated that Locally, as expressed in the ...
1answer
520 views

### What is the stress energy tensor?

I'm trying to understand the Einstein Field equation equipped only with training in Riemannian geometry. My question is very simple although I cant extract the answer from the wikipedia page: Is the ...
3answers
694 views

### Does the curvature of spacetime theory assume gravity?

Whenever I read about the curvature of spacetime as an explanation for gravity, I see pictures of a sheet (spacetime) with various masses indenting the sheet to form "gravity wells." Objects which are ...
1answer
165 views

### Curvature of the Universe imaginary?

If the curvature of the universe is zero, then $$Ω = 1$$ and the Pythagorean Theorem is correct. If instead $$Ω> 1$$ there will be a positive curvature, and if $$Ω <1$$ there will be a negative ...
1answer
114 views

### Source term of the Einstein field equation

My copy of Feynman's "Six Not-So-Easy Pieces" has an interesting introduction by Roger Penrose. In that introduction (copyright 1997 according to the copyright page), Penrose complains that Feynman's ...
2answers
200 views

### Is the curvature of spacetime invariant? Could it be characterized as the ether?

I'm writing a paper for a Philosophy of Science course about GR/SR and I'm wondering if I can (1) characterize the curvature of spacetime as invariant and (2) argue that this is what Einstein referred ...
1answer
156 views

### Curvature and edge state

If the boundary of quantum hall fluid has non-constant curvature, how will it affect the edge state which is usually described in chiral Luttinger fluid?
3answers
138 views

### How do you tell if a metric is curved?

I was reading up on the Kerr metric (from Sean Carroll's book) and something that he said confused me. To start with, the Kerr metric is pretty messy, but importantly, it contains two constants - ...
2answers
207 views

### Space-time geometry and metric

I am confused in one question in general relativity, why we can always express a space-time geometry only by metric. It means a metric, which is just about distance in tangent space, can tell us all ...
3answers
113 views

### How scalar curvature of following spacetime can be equal to zero?

For an interval of this spacetime, $$ds^{2} = c^{2}dt^{2} - c^{2}t^{2}(d \psi^{2} + sh^{2}(\psi )(d \theta^{2} + sin^{2}(\theta )d \varphi^{2})),$$ scalar curvature is equal to zero. Also, Ricci ...
2answers
79 views

### How is the shape of the universe measured by scientists?

I would like to learn how scientists go about measuring the large-scale curvature of the universe to determine if the universe is closed 'i.e. spherical', flat, or open 'i.e. saddle shaped'. My ...
2answers
183 views

### What is the variation of Gauss-Bonnet term a total derivative of?

What is the variation of Gauss-Bonnet term total derivative of? i.e. Variation of Gauss-Bonnet combination $= \nabla_{\mu} C^{\mu}$. What's $C^{\mu}$ in 4-dimensions?
1answer
141 views

### Does the curvature of space-time cause objects to look smaller than they really are?

What's the difference between looking at a star from a black hole and looking at it from empty space? My guess is that the curvature of space-time distorts the wavelength of light thus changing the ...
0answers
57 views

### gravitational convergence of light

light has a non-zero energy-stress tensor, so a flux of radiation will slightly affect curvature of spacetime Question: assume a flux of radiation in the $z$ direction, in flat Minkowski space it ...
0answers
94 views

### Why does the overhand knot jam but the figure-8 knot doesn't?

After tensioning a rope with an overhand knot in it, it is often very hard if not impossible to untie it; a figure-8 knot, on the other hand, still releases easily. Why is that so? Most "knot and ...
2answers
370 views

### Where do I start with Non-Euclidean Geometry?

I've been trying to grok General Relativity for a while now, and I've been having some trouble. Many physics textbooks gloss over the subject with an "it's too advanced for this medium", and many ...
2answers
222 views

### asymptotic curvature of the universe and correlation with local curvature

There is not-so-rough evidence that at very large scale the universe is flat. However we see everywhere that there are local lumps of matter with positive curvature. So i have several questions ...
4answers
316 views

### Gravitation is not force?

Einstein said that gravity can be looked at as curvature in space- time and not as a force that is acting between bodies. (Actually what Einstein said was that gravity was curvature in space-time and ...
1answer
149 views

### Curvature, Omega, the Flatness problem, and the evolving shape of the universe

I'm a little confused by this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatness_problem Which seems to imply the universe is more curved now than it was soon after the Big Bang. Look at the graph on the right ...
2answers
92 views

### How/why can the cosmic background radiation measurements tell us anything about the curvature of the universe?

So I've read the Wikipedia articles on WMAP and CMB in an attempt to try to understand how scientists are able to deduce the curvature of the universe from the measurements of the CMB. The Wiki ...
1answer
117 views

### Material strain from spacetime curvature

Let's say that you moved an object made of rigid materials into a place with extreme tidal forces. Materials have a modulus of elasticity and a yield strength. Does the corresponding 3D geometric ...
2answers
82 views

### How can I vizualize and understand curved spaces in general relativity?

I'm taking a basic physics class and the teacher described space with a special table that has curves and black holes etc. He would throw a metal ball down onto it and the class would watch it circle ...
0answers
67 views

### Curvature and spacetime

Suppose that it is given that the Riemann curvature tensor in a special kind of spacetime of dimension $d\geq2$ can be written as $$R_{abcd}=k(x^a)(g_{ac}g_{bd}-g_{ad}g_{bc})$$ where $x^a$ is a ...
1answer
173 views

### Difference between $\partial$ and $\nabla$ in general relativity

I read a lot in Road to Reality, so I think I might use some general relativity terms where I should only special ones. In our lectures we just had $\partial_\mu$ which would have the plain partial ...
2answers
114 views

### What is the curvature of the universe?

What is currently the most plausible model of the universe regarding curvature, positive, negative or flat? (I'm sorry if the answer is already out there, but I just can't seem to find it...)
2answers
122 views

### Curved space or curved spacetime?

As I understand it, you can have time + flat space = curved spacetime. So, when one is trying to emphasise that there is a curvature to the space, is it more technically correct to say curved space ...
1answer
78 views

### Flat poster on a wall gaining curvature over time

Assuming you have a flat poster with no curvature, why is it that when you pin it to the wall (with thumbtacks) it gains curvature as seen in the picture below. When I put the poster up it was ...
2answers
254 views

### Equation of the saddle-like surface with constant negative curvature?

What is the equation for the saddle-like 2d surface (embeded in 3d Euclidean space with cartesian coordinates x, y and z) with constant negative curvature frequently used to illustrate open universe ...
1answer
202 views

### What bends fabric of space-time?

I know that mass can bend fabric of space-time, which causes gravity by making an object curve around a planet or star but is there anything else that can bend it? Other energy sources, forces ...
1answer
327 views

### $\pi$ and the Curvature of Space

If one draws a circle on a sphere and measures the ratio of the diameter to the circumference, that value varies depending on the diameter of the circle compared to the diameter of the sphere it is ...
1answer
148 views

### What's the difference between the equivalence principle and curvature of spacetime?

Calculating using the equivalence principle only accounts for half the deflection of light, whereas the other half is from curvature of space-time. But isn't the equivalence principle the same thing ...
2answers
140 views

### Galilean transformations and Frenet Frame

How I can prove that the curvature and torsion of a curve are invariant under the Galilean transformations? In my physics book a hint is the isometries of Galilean transformations, but it's still ...
1answer
145 views

### Curved lines in a picture (Photography)

My problem is when I take a picture (a close one) the straight edge looks a little curved. In a standard camera, like a CyberShot. I would like to know if there is some relationship between the ...
0answers
275 views

### de Sitter and anti de Sitter metric

Is the following correct for the distance $d$ from the origin $(0,0)$ to point $(t,x)$ in the 2-dimensional de-Sitter and anti de-Sitter spaces? Here, $t$ is time and the distance may be called the ...
1answer
280 views

### Superposition of Ricci scalars [closed]

Suppose I have two point/line singularities in spacetime (what is important to me is that they are localized). Also suppose I have some fields in spacetime and that the two singularities interact with ...
0answers
166 views

### A question about surface tension of membranes and their curvature

I'm reading a review about membranes properties and I have reach a section about fluid membranes. The section discuss the principal curvatures ($c_1, c_2$) and the spontaneous curvatures ($c_0$). ...
3answers
154 views

### Why geometrically four acceleration is a curvature vector of a world line? And what is proper acceleration?

Why geometrically four acceleration is a curvature vector of a world line? Geometrically, four-acceleration is a curvature vector of a world line. Therefore, the magnitude of the ...
1answer
66 views

### Is there a formula to work out how much the fabric of spacetime bends?

From my knowledge, a big mass (planet star etc) can bend the fabric of spacetime. Is there a formula that we can use to work out how much it bends?
1answer
189 views

### In what way is the Riemann curvature tensor related to 'radius of curvature'?

In Misner, Thorne & Wheeler, they say, in their delightful 'word equations' that \left(\frac{\mathrm{radius\,\, of \,\,curvature}}{\mathrm{of\,\, spacetime}}\right) = ...
2answers
155 views

### What is the Riemann curvature tensor contracted with the metric tensor?

Can the Ricci curvature tensor be obtained by a 'double contraction' of the Riemann curvature tensor? For example $R_{\mu\nu}=g^{\sigma\rho}R_{\sigma\mu\rho\nu}$.
1answer
103 views

### What is the curvature scalar $\Psi_{4}$?

What is the curvature scalar $\Psi_{4}$? Is it related to the scalar curvature $R$? What does its real and imaginary parts represent?
1answer
77 views

### Ricci scalars for space and spacetime, local and global curvature

If Ricci scalar describes the full spacetime curvature, then what do we mean by $k=0,+1,-1$ being flat, positive and negative curved space? Is $k$ special version of a constant "3d-Ricci" scalar? ...
2answers
190 views

### How to concile flat spacetime and big bang?

After reading How do we resolve a flat spacetime and the cosmological principle? I still remain perplex. Please excuse my ignorance and try explaining to me : I thought that basically, when we ...
1answer
431 views

### Is the curvature of space around mass independent of gravity?

Is the curvature of space caused by the local density of the energy in that area?Could gravity be a separate phenomenon only arising from the curvature of space? For instance if the density of energy ...
2answers
89 views

### Ricci tensor for a 3-sphere without Math packets

Let's have the metric for a 3-sphere: $$dl^{2} = R^{2}\left(d\psi ^{2} + sin^{2}(\psi )(d \theta ^{2} + sin^{2}(\theta ) d \varphi^{2})\right).$$ I tried to calculate Riemann or Ricci tensor's ...
0answers
97 views

### How to calculate Riemann and Ricci tensors for a sphere? [closed]

Let's have the metric for a sphere: $$dl^{2} = R^{2}\left(d\psi ^{2} + sin^{2}(\psi )(d \theta ^{2} + sin^{2}(\theta ) d \varphi^{2})\right).$$ I tried to calculate Riemann or Ricci tensor's ...
0answers
25 views

### How to prove the derive the expression for space part of Riemann tensor for homogeneous and isotropic space-time?

It's not a homework!! For spheric, hyperbolic and flat case $$dl^{2} = R^{2}\left(d \psi^{2} + sin^{2}(\psi )(d \theta^{2} + sin^{2}(\theta )d \varphi^{2})\right),$$  dl^{2} = R^{2}\left(d ...
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