1. The notation was developed around 1890 by Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro under the title absolute differential geometry . The tensor calculus achieved broader acceptance with the introduction of Einstein 's theory of general relativity , around 1915, which is formulated completely in the language of tensors.

Die physikalische Bedeutung der Tensoren begründet sich unter anderem in der Möglichkeit, hierüber forminvariante Gleichungen definieren zu können.