Why Maths Matters: Why Spacetime Matters

Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity tells us that we should think of space and time together as a single four-dimensional shape, called spacetime. Furthermore, spacetime is a *curved* four-dimensional shape – the curvature of spacetime is what causes the force of gravity.

But the mathematics that lets us describe and analyse higher-dimensional curved shapes, Riemannian Geometry, was not invented by Einstein: it was there already, waiting for him to use it. Today, pure mathematics is still the language of physics, with new mathematics underpinning advances in superconductors, quantum theory, gravitational waves, and more.