Mass in general relativity
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General relativity does not offer a single definition of the term mass, but offers several different definitions that are applicable under different circumstances. Under some circumstances, the mass of a system in general relativity may not even be defined. The subtlety of this definition stems from the fact that the energy and momentum in a gravitational field cannot be unambiguously localized.: Ch. 20 As such, rigorous definitions of mass in general relativity cannot be not local as they are in classical mechanics or special relativity, but must make reference to the asymptotic nature of spacetime. A well-defined notion of mass exists for asymptotically flat spacetimes and for asymptotically anti-de Sitter space. However, these definitions must be used with care in other settings.