ABSTRACT

This book provides an accessible, yet thorough, introduction to special and general relativity, crafted and class-tested over many years of teaching. Suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, this book provides clear descriptions of how to approach the mathematics and physics involved. It is also contains the latest exciting developments in the field, including dark energy, gravitational waves, and frame dragging.

The table of contents has been carefully developed in consultation with a large number of instructors teaching courses worldwide, to ensure its wide applicability to modules on relativity and gravitation.

Features:

  • A clear, accessible writing style, presenting a sophisticated approach to the subject, that remains suitable for advanced undergraduate students and above
  • Class-tested over many years
  • To be accompanied by a partner volume on ‘Advanced Topics’ for students to further extend their learning

chapter Chapter 1|26 pages

Relativity: A theory of space, time, and gravity

chapter Chapter 2|18 pages

Basic special relativity

chapter Chapter 3|12 pages

Lorentz transformation, I

chapter Chapter 4|12 pages

Geometry of Lorentz invariance

chapter Chapter 5|44 pages

Tensors on flat spaces

chapter Chapter 6|16 pages

Lorentz transformation, II

chapter Chapter 7|18 pages

Particle dynamics

chapter Chapter 8|18 pages

Covariant electrodynamics

chapter Chapter 9|12 pages

Energy-momentum of fields

chapter Chapter 10|8 pages

Relativistic hydrodynamics

chapter Chapter 11|14 pages

Equivalence of local gravity and acceleration

chapter Chapter 12|18 pages

Acceleration in special relativity

chapter Chapter 13|24 pages

Tensors on manifolds

chapter Chapter 14|34 pages

Differential geometry

chapter Chapter 15|14 pages

General relativity

chapter Chapter 16|8 pages

The Schwarzschild metric

chapter Chapter 17|22 pages

Physical effects of Schwarzschild spacetime

chapter Chapter 18|20 pages

Linearized gravity

chapter Chapter 19|16 pages

Relativistic cosmology