Introduction to General Relativity

Description

Following the approach of Lev Landau and Evgenii Lifshitz, this book introduces the theory of special and general relativity with the Lagrangian formalism and the principle of least action. This method allows the complete theory to be constructed starting from a small number of assumptions, and is the most natural approach in modern theoretical physics. The book begins by reviewing Newtonian mechanics and Newtonian gravity with the Lagrangian formalism and the principle of least action, and then moves to special and general relativity. Most calculations are presented step by step, as is done on the board in class. The book covers recent advances in gravitational wave astronomy and provides a general overview of current lines of research in gravity. It also includes numerous examples and problems in each chapter. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi Introduction (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 1-27 Special Relativity (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 29-45 Relativistic Mechanics (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 47-66 Electromagnetism (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 67-84 Riemannian Geometry (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 85-105 General Relativity (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 107-122 Einstein’s Gravity (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 123-139 Schwarzschild Spacetime (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 141-161 Classical Tests of General Relativity (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 163-178 Black Holes (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 179-204 Cosmological Models (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 205-221 Gravitational Waves (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 223-255 Beyond Einstein’s Gravity (Cosimo Bambi)....Pages 257-265 Back Matter ....Pages 267-335