The curvature tensor is a mathematical object that measures the intrinsic curvature of a Riemannian manifold, capturing how much the geometry of the manifold deviates from being flat. It provides a way to quantify how geodesics, or the shortest paths between points, diverge or converge in the presence of curvature. This tensor is fundamental in understanding the geometric properties of spaces and plays a critical role in general relativity and the study of gravitational fields.
congrats on reading the definition of curvature tensor. now let's actually learn it.