A Short Course in General Relativity

James Foster

ISBN 10: 0387942955 / ISBN 13: 9780387942957

Published by Springer-Verlag New York Inc., 1995

About this Item

This text is suitable for a one-semester course in general relativity for advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students. It clarifies mathematical aspects of the subject without sacrificing physical understanding. Many examples and problems help guide the student.

Seller Inventory # CIN0387942955G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Short Course in General Relativity
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
• Publication Date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0387942955
• ISBN 13: 9780387942957
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: B&W Equations And Diagrams
• Edition: 2nd Edition
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

Suitable for a one-semester course in general relativity for senior undergraduate or beginning graduate students, this text clarifies the mathematical aspects of Einstein's general theory of relativity without sacrificing physical understanding. The text begins with an exposition of those aspects of tensor calculus and differential geometry needed for a proper exposition of the subject. The discussion then turns to the spacetime of general relativity and to geodesic motion, comparisons and contrasts with Newton's theory being drawn where appropriate. A brief consideration of the field equations is followed by a discussion of physics in the vicinity of massive objects, including an elementary treatment of black holes. Particular attention is paid to those aspects of the theory that have observational consequences. The book concludes with brief introductory chapters on gravitational radiation and cosmology, and includes an appendix that reviews the special theory of relativity. In preparing this new edition, the authors have made extensive revisions to the original text. In particular, the first three chapters -- covering coordinate systems, tensors and the geometry of curved spaces -- have been completely rewritten to make the material readily accessible to physics students. Many examples, exercises and problems help guide the student through the theory.

About the Author

J.D. Nightingale is Emeritus Professor of Physics at the State University of New York, College at New Paltz. J. Foster is recently retired Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Sussex. Both have extensive teaching experience in applied mathematics and theoretical physics. Prof. Nightingale's research interests tend towards the physical and cosmological consequences of general relativity, while Prof. Foster's tend towards the more mathematical aspects, such as exact solutions.