The curvature problem in general relativity

This essay investigates the relationships among the metric, the connection, the curvature, and the covariant curvature derivatives in general relativity. The extent to which the connection or the curvature together, possibly with certain curvature derivatives, determines the metric is considered, as well as other related problems. Some topological aspects of the problem are included and some applications to holonomy and symmetry groups are given.This article received honorable mention from the Gravity Research Foundation for 1987.