The Renaissance of General Relativity in Context

This contributed volume explores the renaissance of general relativity after World War II, when it transformed from a marginal theory into a cornerstone of modern physics. Chapters explore key historical processes related to the theory of general relativity, in addition to presenting a thorough treatment of the relevant science behind these episodes. A broad historiographical framework is introduced first, thus providing the broad context in which the given computational approaches and case studies occurred. Written by an international and interdisciplinary group of expert authors, these chapters will bring readers to a more complete understanding of Einstein’s theory. Specific topics include:

• Social and citation networks
• The Fock-Infeld dispute
• Wheeler’s turn to gravitation theory
• The position of general relativity in theories of fundamental interactions
• The pursuit of a quantum theory of gravity
• The emergence of dark matter in relation to cosmological models
• Institutional frameworks for gravitational wave search in Europe

The Renaissance of General Relativity in Context is ideal for historians, philosophers, and sociologists of science. Students and researchers in physics will also be interested in the topics explored.