Possible title: Could Discontinuous Spacetime Explain Gravity?

[Donald Marks]

According to current theory, high concentrations of matter warp space-time and create gravity.
The Einstein field equations EFE describe the fundamental interaction of gravitation as a result of spacetime being curved by matter and energy.
Would not a reinterpretation of the EFE lead to the following alternative explanation of how matter collects to form planets and stars? Rather than matter collecting, distorting space-time and thereby creating gravity effect, could discontinuous areas of SpaceTime result in concentrated areas of gravity which then attract collections of matter?

 

[Nugatory]

Would not a reinterpretation of the EFE lead to the following alternative explanation of how matter collects to form planets and stars? Rather than matter collecting, distorting space-time and thereby creating gravity effect, could discontinuous areas of SpaceTime result in concentrated areas of gravity which then attract collections of matter?

No, because there are no discontinuous areas of spacetime in the theory.
The Oppenheimer-Snyder solution to the Einstein field equations describes how infalling matter behaves in general relativity.

 

[mfb]

In addition, there would be no reason why those regions of spacetime should exactly follow the matter in literally all experiments (including those where matter is accelerated by other forces, like electromagnetism). Unless the matter (more precisely, the stress energy tensor) itself is the source of gravity.

 

[Donald Marks]

No, because there are no discontinuous areas of spacetime in the theory.
The Oppenheimer-Snyder solution to the Einstein field equations describes how infalling matter behaves in general relativity.

It is my understanding that discontinuous areas of spacetime are not excluded in the theory. Discontinuities could not in practicality be excluded by observation.

 

[PeterDonis]

It is my understanding that discontinuous areas of spacetime are not excluded in the theory.

Where are you getting that understanding from? Spacetime is a continuous 4-dimensional manifold in GR.

Discontinuities could not in practicality be excluded by observation.

Why not?

I think you need to be much more precise in explaining exactly what you mean by "discontinuities in spacetime".