A Student's Guide to General Relativity

Author: Norman Gray
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316873765
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 166

Book Description
This compact guide presents the key features of general relativity, to support and supplement the presentation in mainstream, more comprehensive undergraduate textbooks, or as a re-cap of essentials for graduate students pursuing more advanced studies. It helps students plot a careful path to understanding the core ideas and basics of differential geometry, as applied to general relativity, without overwhelming them. While the guide doesn't shy away from necessary technicalities, it emphasises the essential simplicity of the main physical arguments. Presuming a familiarity with special relativity (with a brief account in an appendix), it describes how general covariance and the equivalence principle motivate Einstein's theory of gravitation. It then introduces differential geometry and the covariant derivative as the mathematical technology which allows us to understand Einstein's equations of general relativity. The book is supported by numerous worked exampled and problems, and important applications of general relativity are described in an appendix.

A Student's Guide to Special Relativity

Author: Norman Gray
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108834094
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 231

Book Description
A compact yet informative exploration of Special Relativity and its core ideas, also providing a preparatory route into General Relativity.

A Student's Guide to Einstein's Major Papers

Author: Robert E Kennedy
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199694036
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 326

Book Description
In 1905 Albert Einstein produced breakthrough work in three major areas of physics (atoms and Brownian motion, quanta, and the special theory of relativity), followed, in 1916, by the general theory of relativity. This book develops the detail of the papers, including the mathematics, to guide the reader in working through them.

An Illustrated Guide to Relativity

Author: Tatsu Takeuchi
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521141001
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Book Description
Presents a step-by-step explanation of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity through a series of diagrams rather than equations.

An Introduction to General Relativity

Author: L. P. Hughston
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521339438
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 196

Book Description
This textbook provides an introduction to general relativity for mathematics undergraduates or graduate physicists. After a review of Cartesian tensor notation and special relativity the concepts of Riemannian differential geometry are introducted. More emphasis is placed on an intuitive grasp of the subject and a calculational facility than on a rigorous mathematical exposition. General relativity is then presented as a relativistic theory of gravity reducing in the appropriate limits to Newtonian gravity or special relativity. The Schwarzchild solution is derived and the gravitational red-shift, time dilation and classic tests of general relativity are discussed. There is a brief account of gravitational collapse and black holes based on the extended Schwarzchild solution. Other vacuum solutions are described, motivated by their counterparts in linearised general relativity. The book ends with chapters on cosmological solutions to the field equations. There are exercises attached to each chapter, some of which extend the development given in the text.

A Student's Guide to Vectors and Tensors

Author: Daniel A. Fleisch
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521171908
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 206

Book Description
Vectors and tensors are among the most powerful problem-solving tools available, with applications ranging from mechanics and electromagnetics to general relativity. Understanding the nature and application of vectors and tensors is critically important to students of physics and engineering. Adopting the same approach used in his highly popular A Student's Guide to Maxwell's Equations, Fleisch explains vectors and tensors in plain language. Written for undergraduate and beginning graduate students, the book provides a thorough grounding in vectors and vector calculus before transitioning through contra and covariant components to tensors and their applications. Matrices and their algebra are reviewed on the book's supporting website, which also features interactive solutions to every problem in the text where students can work through a series of hints or choose to see the entire solution at once. Audio podcasts give students the opportunity to hear important concepts in the book explained by the author.

Gravity from the Ground Up

Author: Bernard Schutz
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139457349
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 490

Book Description
This book invites the reader to understand our Universe, not just marvel at it. From the clock-like motions of the planets to the catastrophic collapse of a star into a black hole, gravity controls the Universe. Gravity is central to modern physics, helping to answer the deepest questions about the nature of time, the origin of the Universe and the unification of the forces of nature. Linking key experiments and observations through careful physical reasoning, the author builds the reader's insight step-by-step from simple but profound facts about gravity on Earth to the frontiers of research. Topics covered include the nature of stars and galaxies, the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, black holes, gravitational waves, inflation and the Big Bang. Suitable for general readers and for undergraduate courses, the treatment uses only high-school level mathematics, supplemented by optional computer programs, to explain the laws of physics governing gravity.

Introduction To General Relativity And Cosmology

Author: Christian G Boehmer
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
ISBN: 1786341204
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 287

Book Description
Introduction to General Relativity and Cosmology gives undergraduate students an overview of the fundamental ideas behind the geometric theory of gravitation and spacetime. Through pointers on how to modify and generalise Einstein's theory to enhance understanding, it provides a link between standard textbook content and current research in the field.Chapters present complicated material practically and concisely, initially dealing with the mathematical foundations of the theory of relativity, in particular differential geometry. This is followed by a discussion of the Einstein field equations and their various properties. Also given is analysis of the important Schwarzschild solutions, followed by application of general relativity to cosmology. Questions with fully worked answers are provided at the end of each chapter to aid comprehension and guide learning. This pared down textbook is specifically designed for new students looking for a workable, simple presentation of some of the key theories in modern physics and mathematics.

A Student's Guide to General Relativity

Author: Norman Gray
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107183464
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 165

Book Description
Vectors, tensors and functions -- Manifolds, vectors and differentiation -- Energy, momentum and Einstein's equations

Advanced Lectures on General Relativity

Author: Geoffrey Compère
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 303004260X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 148

Book Description
These lecture notes are intended for starting PhD students in theoretical physics who have a working knowledge of General Relativity. The four topics covered are: Surface charges as conserved quantities in theories of gravity; Classical and holographic features of three-dimensional Einstein gravity; Asymptotically flat spacetimes in four dimensions: BMS group and memory effects; The Kerr black hole: properties at extremality and quasi-normal mode ringing. Each topic starts with historical foundations and points to a few modern research directions.