Einstein's Theory of Relativity: Can Wormholes Exist?

[Yosty22]

I have heard all over that Einstein's equations could allow a wormhole to exist. That is, it is consistent with our current laws of physics for a wormhole to theoretically exist. My question is, however: What in the equation, or in the solution to an equation, makes the person solving it say: "Oh, this solution means that you can connect two areas of space-time with this 'wormhole'"? What in the solutions allows someone to see that something like this is possible?

Thank you in advanced for your comments.

 

[tom.stoer]

Perhaps this definition is a good starting point

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormhole#Definition

It describes how a wormhole is defined in the topological sense. Then the answer to your question "What in the solutions [of Einstein's equations] allows someone to see that something like this is possible?" is simply that the solution has a wormhole-topology, simply b/c it has been constructed in that way.

 

[bcrowell]

General relativity doesn't really put any constraints on the spacetimes you can construct. You can pick any manifold and any metric you like. The real issues are (a) does that spacetime imply the existence of matter with exotic properties (such as negative mass), and (b) could realistic initial conditions in our universe lead to it (e.g., through gravitational collapse)? The answers to both questions appear to be no in the case of traversable wormholes.