Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!cca!decvax!harpo!floyd!cmcl2!lanl-a!jlg 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.