Albert einstein essay pdf

Editorial introduction to the special issue "The Renaissance of Einstein’s Theory of Gravitation".

Roberto Lalli

European Physical Journal H, 2017

Einstein’s 1915 theory of gravitation, also known as General Relativity, is now considered one of the pillars of modern physics.

It contributes to our understanding of cosmology and of fundamental interactions between particles. But that was not always the case. Between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, General Relativity underwent a period of stagnation, during which the theory was mostly considered as a stepping-stone for a superior theory.

In a special issue of EPJ H just published, historians of science and physicists actively working on General Relativity and closely related fields share their views on the process, during the post-World War II era, in particular, which saw the “Renaissance” of General Relativity, following progressive transformation of the t