Gravity as spacetime curvature (Q1579188)

This article discusses the interpretation of gravitational phenomena in terms of properties of the spacetime geometry in general relativity. It outlines Einstein's way to a geometrodynamical theory starting from the spacetime structure of special relativity in contrast to the absolute structure of space and time in Newtonian gravity. The guiding principle for Einstein was the equivalence principle which postulates the equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass. In the resulting theory coordinates have less importance than in classical theories and the spacetime is a locally Minkowskian manifold. Freely falling test particles move on geodesics. The geometric interpretation of gravity is contrasted to an argument of Feynman that gravity can be understood as the action of a spin 2 particle, the graviton on Minkowski spacetime. The coordinates of the spacetime of special relativity, however, do not have physical relevance in this case. The main difference of a theory with a Minkowskian background to general relativity is that the topology of the possible spacetimes is confined by the flat background in the former case. The Schwarzschild solution and the closed Friedmann-Lemaitre universe would have to be excluded. Observations are however not yet conclusive whether Feynman's interpretation has to be rejected since topologies not compatible with a flat background can be found in nature.