 in the mathematical field of differential geometry, the riemann curvature tensor or riemannâchristoffel tensor (after bernhard riemann and elwin bruno christoffel) is the most common method used to express the curvature of riemannian manifolds. it associates a tensor to each point of a riemannian manifold (i.e., it is a tensor field), that measures the extent to which the metric tensor is not locally isometric to that of euclidean space. the curvature tensor can also be defined for any pseudo-riemannian manifold, or indeed any manifold equipped with an affine connection. it is a central mathematical tool in the theory of general relativity, the modern theory of gravity, and the curvature of spacetime is in principle observable via the geodesic deviation equation. the curvature tensor represents the tidal force experienced by a rigid body moving along a geodesic in a sense made precise by the jacobi equation. the curvature tensor is given in terms of the levi-civita connection \nabla by the following formula: :r(u,v)w=\nabla_u\nabla_v w - \nabla_v \nabla_u w - \nabla_{[u,v]} w where [u,v] is the lie bracket of vector fields. for each pair of tangent vectors u, v, r(u,v) is a linear transformation of the tangent space of the manifold. it is linear in u and v, and so defines a tensor. occasionally, the curvature tensor is defined with the opposite sign. if u=\partial/\partial x^i and v=\partial/\partial x^j are coordinate vector fields then [u,v]=0 and therefore the formula simplifies to :r(u,v)w=\nabla_u\nabla_v w - \nabla_v \nabla_u w . the curvature tensor measures noncommutativity of the covariant derivative, and as such is the integrability obstruction for the existence of an isometry with euclidean space (called, in this context, flat space). the linear transformation w\mapsto r(u,v)w is also called the curvature transformation or endomorphism. the curvature formula can also be expressed in terms of the second covariant derivative defined as: : \nabla^2_{u,v} w = \nabla_u\nabla_v w - \nabla_{\nabla_u v} w which is linear in u and v. then: : r(u,v)=\nabla^2_{u,v} - \nabla^2_{v,u} thus in the general case of non-coordinate vectors u and v, the curvature tensor measures the noncommutativity of the second covariant derivative. ==geometrical meaning== ===informally=== imagine walking around the bounding white line of a tennis court with a stick held out in front of you. when you reach the first corner of the court, you turn to follow the white line, but you keep the stick held out in the same dire
Curvature_(mathematics) Riemannian_geometry Tensors_in_general_relativity