Einstein on Singularities: Analysis versus Geometry

John Norton, Distinguished Professor, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh

Einstein's treatment of spacetime singularities is now sometimes viewed as haphazard and even ill-informed. Contrary to that view, I shall argue that his treatment fitted with a consistent program of research that privileged physical requirements and analytic expressions over geometric constructions, which he regarded as defeasible and of purely heuristic value.

 

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