In what year did Albert Einstein publish his general theory of relativity? Einstein published the completed theory in 1916.
Einstein presented the defining field equations to the Prussian Academy of Sciences during November 1915. Those equations formed the central mathematical basis of general relativity, which is why 1915 is often cited as the theory’s completion or introduction.
The comprehensive paper, “The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity,” was published in Annalen der Physik in 1916. It supplied the fuller exposition of the theory and is the publication most directly associated with the question’s wording.
Thus, 1915 refers to Einstein’s presentation of the final field equations, while 1916 refers to publication of the completed general theory. Among the listed choices, 1916 is the more precise answer to when he published it.