Why Einstein Introduced the Cosmological Constant
| Abstract | With the discovery that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, Einstein’s cosmological constant, which he once supposedly called his biggest blunder, is making a remarkable comeback. Einstein’s introduction of this constant had little to do with cosmology. It was part of yet another failed attempt to eliminate absolute space from physics. It took the Dutch astronomer Willem de Sitter only a few days to blow the idea out of the water. It took Einstein over a year to concede the point. In the process Einstein and De Sitter produced the first two models of relativistic cosmology, the Einstein cylinder universe and the De Sitter hyperboloid universe | |||||||||
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Similar books and articlesQuentin Smith (1988). The Uncaused Beginning of the Universe. Philosophy of Science 55 (1):39-57.
Christopher Ray (1990). The Cosmological Constant: Einstein's Greatest Mistake? Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 21 (4):589-604.
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David J. Baker (2005). Spacetime Substantivalism and Einstein's Cosmological Constant. Philosophy of Science 72 (5):1299-1311.
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