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One says that the Minkowski metric is valid '''locally''', but it fails to give a measure of distance over extended distances. It is not valid '''globally'''. In fact, in general relativity the global metric itself becomes dependent on the mass distribution and varies through space. The central problem of general relativity is to solve the famous [[Einstein field equations]] for a given mass distribution and find the distance formula that applies in that particular case. Minkowski's spacetime formulation was the conceptual stepping stone to general relativity. His fundamentally new outlook allowed not only the development of general relativity, but also to some extent [[quantum field theories]].
== Mass–energy equivalence
{{Main|Mass-energy equivalence}}
{{Expand section|date=October 2007}}
Einstein showed that mass is simply another form of energy. The energy equivalent of rest mass ''m'' is ''mc''<sup>2</sup>. This equivalence implies that mass should be interconvertible with other forms of energy
==Applications==
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