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Another Post Conserning GR

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Posted by Mark on October 1, 2001 17:30:11 UTC

I've heard of theoretical physicists manipulating Einstein's gravitational field equations in varying numbers of dimensions. For example, there is a three dimensional analogue where the curvature in a vacuum is completely determined by the flow of the force generators (energy and momentum). Formulated in four dimensions, however, Einstein's GR yields extra terms responsible for curvature, other than just energy alone. These extra terms, If I'm correct, are interpreted as "gravitational radiation." My question is: what happens if Einstein's GR is formulated in a number of dimensions, where two or more are treated as time? So four dimensions would be a space-time having two dimensions as time and two as space (2+2 as opposed to 3+1 dimensions). What would be the implications and consequences? Has this curiosity ever been addressed by physicists, and is it even possible to find solutions to GR in this type of dimensional arrangement?

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