ENGLISH

General Relativity - a geometric approach

By Malcolm Ludvigsen

Book information

Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1999
ISBN
0521630193, 9780521630191, 9780511040061
LCC
QC173.6 .L83 1999
Open Library ID
OL375657M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
927 kB (949192 bytes)
Pages
231\231
Library
kolxoz
Time added
2009-07-20 03:45:11

Description

Starting with the idea of an event and finishing with a description of the standard big-bang model of the Universe, this textbook provides a clear, concise and up-to-date introduction to the theory of general relativity, suitable for final-year undergraduate mathematics or physics students. Throughout, the emphasis is on the geometric structure of spacetime, rather than the traditional coordinate-dependent approach. This allows the theory to be pared down and presented in its simplest and most elegant form. Topics covered include flat spacetime (special relativity), Maxwell fields, the energy-momentum tensor, spacetime curvature and gravity, Schwarzschild and Kerr spacetimes, black holes and singularities, and cosmology. In developing the theory, all physical assumptions are clearly spelled out and the necessary mathematics is developed along with the physics. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter and key ideas in the text are illustrated with worked examples. Solutions and hints to selected problems are also provided at the end of the book. This textbook will enable the student to develop a sound understanding of the theory of general relativity, and all the necessary mathematical machinery.

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