Workshop: In Pursuit of Gravitational Waves - Solving the Two-Body Problem in General Relativity

2025 provides a timely opportunity to reflect on one of general relativity’s most profound challenges: the relativistic two-body problem. From the discovery of the Hulse–Taylor pulsar in 1974, which provided evidence for gravitational radiation from binary systems, to the first detection of gravitational waves ten years ago, progress has emerged from a complex interplay of analytical, numerical, and experimental advances. This workshop brings together leading physicists, historians, and philosophers to examine the historical, conceptual, and methodological developments that have shaped this problem’s evolution. Highlighting how diverse research traditions, institutional contexts, and collaborative dynamics have influenced the paths of inquiry, it offers an opportunity not only to revisit landmark developments, but also to reflect on the evolving methods, collaborations, and conceptual challenges that have shaped this remarkable scientific journey.