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''See [[Theory of Relativity]]'' for a more "general" description of relativity.''

<br>''See [[Theory of Relativity]]'' for a more "general" description of relativity.''

The '''General Theory of Relativity''' is an extension of [[Special theory of relativity|special relativity]], dealing with curved coordinate systems, accelerating frames of reference, curvilinear motion, and curvature of spacetime itself.  It could be said that general relativity is to special relativity as vector calculus is to vector algebra.  General relativity is best known for its formulation of gravity as a [[fictitious force]] arising from the curvature of spacetime.  In fact, "general relativity" and "Einstein's formulation of gravity" are nearly synonymous in many people's minds.

The '''General Theory of Relativity''' is an extension of [[Special theory of relativity|special relativity]], dealing with curved coordinate systems, accelerating frames of reference, curvilinear motion, and curvature of spacetime itself.  It could be said that general relativity is to special relativity as vector calculus is to vector algebra.  General relativity is best known for its formulation of gravity as a fictitious force arising from the curvature of spacetime.  In fact, "general relativity" and "Einstein's formulation of gravity" are nearly synonymous in many people's minds.

The general theory of relativity was first published by Marcel Grossman in 1913 and [[David Hilbert]] and [[Albert Einstein]] in 1916.

The general theory of relativity was first published by Marcel Grossman in 1913 and [[David Hilbert]] and [[Albert Einstein]] in 1916.

However, "even though General Relativity has passed many tests, most physicists don’t believe it is ultimately correct because it conflicts with [[quantum mechanics]]." [http://newsdesk.org/2010/08/conservapedia-calls-theory-of-relativity-a-liberal-conspiracy/]

However, "even though General Relativity has passed many tests, most physicists don’t believe it is ultimately correct because it conflicts with [[quantum mechanics]]." [http://newsdesk.org/2010/08/conservapedia-calls-theory-of-relativity-a-liberal-conspiracy/]

General relativity, like [[quantum mechanics]] (the other of the two theories comprising "modern physics") both have reputations for being notoriously complicated and difficult to understand.  In fact, in the early decades of the 20^th century, general relativity had a sort of cult status in this regard.  General relativity and quantum mechanics are both advanced college-level and postgraduate level topics.  Hence this article can't possibly give a comprehensive explation of general relativity at the expert level.  But we will attempt to give a rough outline, for lay people, of the general relativistic formulation of gravity.

General relativity, like [[quantum mechanics]] (the other of the two theories comprising "modern physics") both have reputations for being notoriously complicated and difficult to understand.  In fact, in the early decades of the 20^th century, general relativity had a sort of cult status in this regard.  General relativity and quantum mechanics are both advanced college-level and postgraduate level topics.  Hence this article can't possibly give a comprehensive explanation of general relativity at the expert level.  But we will attempt to give a rough outline, for lay people, of the general relativistic formulation of gravity.

In the [[weak field approximation]], where velocities of moving objects are low and gravitational fields are not very severe, the theory of general relativity is said to ''reduce to'' the law of universal gravitation. That is to say, under those circumstances the equations of general relativity are mathematically equivalent to the equations of Newtonian gravitation.

In the [[weak field approximation]], where velocities of moving objects are low and gravitational fields are not very severe, the theory of general relativity is said to ''reduce to'' the law of universal gravitation. That is to say, under those circumstances the equations of general relativity are mathematically equivalent to the equations of Newtonian gravitation.