Einstein and General Relativity. The beginning of modern cosmology

The General Theory of Relativity has represented, together with quantum physics, the beginning of the so-called modern physics. Both disciplines have profound consequences in technology applied to everyday life. In addition, General Relativity has provided the foundations of modern cosmology. It establishes a frame of reference that has allowed the evolution from the Newtonian speculations of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries to the current cosmological model.

 

The lecture will present the ideas that led Einstein to develop the General Theory of Relativity, following the evolution that, from his initial work, allowed him to establish the field equation. Likewise, the cosmological consequences of Einstein's equation will be analyzed, from the first models to the currently accepted concordant model. In parallel, the theory will be contrasted with modern observations, which include the discovery of the predominance of the mysterious dark energy of unknown nature, which accelerates the expansion of the universe.