curvature of space

American  

noun

Physics, Astronomy.

1. (in relativity) a property of space near massive bodies in which their gravitational field causes light to travel along curved paths.

2. (in cosmology) a large-scale property of the universe that has an algebraic sign that depends upon whether the density of matter and radiation of the universe exceeds, equals, or is less than the critical density, leading, respectively, to a closed universe with a positive sign, a flat universe with value zero, or an open universe with a negative sign.

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Etymology

Origin of curvature of space

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Furthermore, the bubble could not be controlled by occupants of the spaceship itself because they would lose contact with the outside world, owing to the extremely strong curvature of space around them.

From Scientific American • Jul. 13, 2021

Note that the red lines in each diagram show what happens in each kind of space—they are initially parallel but follow different paths depending on the curvature of space.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

Will Albert Einstein’s energy-mass equation continue its connection to the curvature of space time?

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2015

Einstein's theory of relativity, which explains gravity as the curvature of space, also gets a few nods.

From Reuters • Jan. 15, 2012

The curvature of the rubber sheet is not only a curvature of space, but a curvature of time as well.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife