Hans Stephani

Hans Stephani (13 September 1925 – 20 May 2003) was a German physicist known for his work in general relativity, particularly exact solutions of Einstein's field equations.

Stephani received his doctorate in 1951 from the University of Jena under Friedrich Hund. He spent most of his career at the University of Jena, where he became a professor.

His most significant contribution is considered to be his systematic study and classification of exact solutions to Einstein's equations. He co-authored the influential book, Exact Solutions of Einstein's Field Equations, initially with Dietrich Kramer, Malcolm MacCallum, and later with Eduard Herlt. This book became a standard reference for researchers in general relativity, providing a comprehensive catalog of known solutions with detailed mathematical derivations. The book covers a vast range of spacetimes, from spherically symmetric solutions like the Schwarzschild solution to more complex cosmological and rotating solutions.

Stephani's work helped advance the understanding of the mathematical structure of general relativity and provided a valuable resource for theoretical physicists studying black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmology. His contributions remain highly cited and relevant in contemporary research.