Product Description

There is little doubt that Einstein's theory of relativity captures the imagination. Not only has it radically altered the way we view the universe, but the theory also has a considerable number of surprises in store. This is especially so in the three main topics of current interest that this book reaches, namely: black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmology. The main aim of this textbook is to provide students with a sound mathematical introduction coupled to an understanding of the physical insights needed to explore the subject. Indeed, the book follows Einstein in that it introduces the theory very much from a physical point of view. After introducing the special theory of relativity, the basic field equations of gravitation are derived and discussed carefully as a prelude to first solving them in simple cases and then exploring the three main areas of application. Einstein's theory of relativity is undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements of the human mind. Yet, in this book, the author makes it possible for students with a wide range of abilities to deal confidently with the subject. Based on the author's fifteen years experience of teaching this subject, this is achieved by breaking down the main arguments into simple logical steps. The book includes numerous illustrative diagrams and exercises (of varying degrees of difficulty), and as a result this book makes an excellent course for any student coming to the subject for the first time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #344917 in Books
• Published on: 1992-08-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Customer Reviews

An ideal text book for general relativity
I can heartily recommend this book for all sorts of reasons. The first thing that strikes you is the layout. There is lots of space allowing derivations to be followed easily. Important equations are highlighted and referenced well. There are over 200 clear and informative illustrations (a great help when tackling such a geometric subject). And advanced material is clearly marked. This is very helpful as it allows the book to cater for varying depths of study. For those simply wanting to understand the basics, the advanced material can be skipped without making the later parts of the book (which are the most interesting) hard to follow.

The author has a talent for teaching and explains the concepts very well, taking you gently through what can appear at first quite daunting derivations. Although the first section covers the basics of special relativity, the student studying only special relativity would be better finding a more specific textbook as this one really comes into its own developing the general theory. The second section covers tensors (a necessary, if somewhat tedious, element to general relativity). The third tackles general relativity proper. The last three sections deal with the three main applications of the theory: black holes, gravity waves and cosmology (eg. big bang theories).

The usual defficiencies...
The derivations in this book are well-presented.Indeed, this book as a whole is well-presented.But it would be wholly wrong to say that tensor calculus and its foundations is a tedious area of maths which must be skipped through as quickly as possible in a relativity textbook.Tensor calculus is the essence of the theory of relativity, and it is quite a disgrace that relativity textbooks treat relativity in a way whioch does not seem to go into all the prerequisites of tensors ,their origin , and evolution.I myself have sat through graduate-level relativity classes in which students have come out with wholly erroneous assertions as to what a tensor is.I have come to the point of being sick of listening to such assertions from students and such glib assertions from writers of textbooks.This book is nowhere near as good as Callahan's book ,but does have some useful stuff re the calculus of variations, not featured in Callahan.But all relativity textbooks seem to feature this lack of aquiantance with the basics of differential geometry.This must be remedied.I think students must read Callahan, and a book like Borisenko and Tarapov, before approaching this book,which is a useful relativity book with the usual defficiencies.