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From: jlg@lanl-a.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: The General Theory of Relativity and Cosmology
Message-ID: <349@lanl-a.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Jun-83 15:24:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: lanl-a.349
Posted: Fri Jun 10 15:24:48 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jun-83 12:41:27 EDT
Lines: 15


A steady state universe is not consistent with the general theory of
relativity.  The general theory predicts that the usiverse will be
gravitationally unstable and will therefore either expand or contract.  It
was this prediction which caused Einstein to introduce a cosmological term
in the theory in order to permit a steady state theory to work.  When
Hubble (and others) showed that the galaxies receeded at rates proportional
to their distances (so the universe is expanding) Einstein retracted his
cosmological terms and said that they should not have been introduced at
all.

The general theory has no prediction about continued expansion (open
universe) or eventual contraction (closed).  It also does not require
a finite universe.  The Big Bang theory also does not require a finite
universe, an infinite extent, very dense beginning is consistent.