Albert Einstein spent years grappling with the challenge of explaining gravity as a warping of space-time, influenced by matter. This led him to tensors, geometric objects crucial not only in his theory of relativity, but also in areas like quantum mechanics, machine learning, and biology. A tensor is more than just an array of numbers; it has a deep geometric significance. For instance, a rank 2 tensor, like a matrix, can describe the forces acting on a block of steel. Tensors are functions that remain constant regardless of the coordinate system, making them essential for understanding complex geometric information beyond traditional mathematical representations.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-geometric-tool-that-solved-einsteins-relativity-problem-20240812/