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I've seen the terms tensor calculus and tensor analysis both being used - what is the difference?
Tensor calculus and tensor analysis are terms often used interchangeably, but they have distinct historical contexts. Tensor calculus, developed by Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro in the 1890s, was originally titled absolute differential calculus and became widely known through the 1900 publication of "Méthodes de calcul différentiel absolu et leurs applications." The term tensor analysis gained prominence in the 20th century, particularly with the advent of Einstein's general relativity, which is fundamentally expressed using tensors. The evolution of these terms reflects the broader acceptance and application of tensor concepts in mathematics and physics.
PREREQUISITESMathematicians, physicists, and students of advanced mathematics who seek to understand the historical context and applications of tensor calculus and tensor analysis.
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History
The concepts of later tensor analysis arose from the work of Carl Friedrich Gauss in differential geometry, and the formulation was much influenced by the theory of algebraic forms and invariants developed during the middle of the nineteenth century.[18]The word "tensor" itself was introduced in 1846 by William Rowan Hamilton[19] to describe something different from what is now meant by a tensor.[Note 3] The contemporary usage was introduced by Woldemar Voigt in 1898.[20]
Tensor calculus was developed around 1890 by Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro under the title absolute differential calculus, and originally presented by Ricci in 1892.[21] It was made accessible to many mathematicians by the publication of Ricci and Tullio Levi-Civita's 1900 classic text Méthodes de calcul différentiel absolu et leurs applications (Methods of absolute differential calculus and their applications).[22]
In the 20th century, the subject came to be known as tensor analysis, and achieved broader acceptance with the introduction ofEinstein's theory of general relativity, around 1915. General relativity is formulated completely in the language of tensors. Einstein had learned about them, with great difficulty, from the geometer Marcel Grossmann.[23] Levi-Civita then initiated a correspondence with Einstein to correct mistakes Einstein had made in his use of tensor analysis. The correspondence lasted 1915–17, and was characterized by mutual respect:
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