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A First Course in General ­Relativity

Rating
521 Ratings by Goodreads |
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Format
Hardback, 393 pages
Published
UK, 14 May 2009

Clarity, readability and rigor combine in the second edition of this widely-used textbook to provide the first step into general relativity for undergraduate students with a minimal background in mathematics. Topics within relativity that fascinate astrophysical researchers and students alike are covered with Schutz's characteristic ease and authority - from black holes to gravitational lenses, from pulsars to the study of the Universe as a whole. This edition now contains discoveries by astronomers that require general relativity for their explanation; a revised chapter on relativistic stars, including new information on pulsars; an entirely rewritten chapter on cosmology; and an extended, comprehensive treatment of modern detectors and expected sources. Over 300 exercises, many new to this edition, give students the confidence to work with general relativity and the necessary mathematics, whilst the informal writing style makes the subject matter easily accessible. Password protected solutions for instructors are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521887052.


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Product Description

Clarity, readability and rigor combine in the second edition of this widely-used textbook to provide the first step into general relativity for undergraduate students with a minimal background in mathematics. Topics within relativity that fascinate astrophysical researchers and students alike are covered with Schutz's characteristic ease and authority - from black holes to gravitational lenses, from pulsars to the study of the Universe as a whole. This edition now contains discoveries by astronomers that require general relativity for their explanation; a revised chapter on relativistic stars, including new information on pulsars; an entirely rewritten chapter on cosmology; and an extended, comprehensive treatment of modern detectors and expected sources. Over 300 exercises, many new to this edition, give students the confidence to work with general relativity and the necessary mathematics, whilst the informal writing style makes the subject matter easily accessible. Password protected solutions for instructors are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521887052.

Product Details
EAN
9780521887052
ISBN
0521887054
Other Information
1 b/w illus. 327 exercises
Dimensions
19.6 x 2 x 25.2 centimeters (0.67 kg)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Fundamental principles of special relativity; 2. Vector analysis in special relativity; 3. Tensor analysis in special relativity; 4. Perfect fluids in special relativity; 5. Preface to curvature; 6. Curved manifolds; 7. Physics in a curved spacetime; 8. The Einstein field equations; 9. Gravitational radiation; 10. Spherical solutions for stars; 11. Schwarzschild geometry and black holes; 12. Cosmology; References; Index.

Promotional Information

Second edition of a widely-used textbook providing the first step into general relativity for undergraduate students with minimal mathematical background.

About the Author

Bernard Schutz is Director of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, a Professor at Cardiff University, UK, and an Honorary Professor at the University of Potsdam and the University of Hannover, Germany. He is also a Principal Investigator of the GEO600 detector project and a member of the Executive Committee of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. Professor Schutz has been awarded the Amaldi Gold Medal of the Italian Society for Gravitation.

Reviews

Reviews from the 1st edition: 'Schutz has such mastery of the material that it soon becomes clear that one is in authoritative hands, and topics are selected and developed only to a point where they prove adequate for future needs.' The Times Higher Education Supplement '... ought to inspire more physicists and astronomers to teach and learn the other half of the 20th century's revolution in physics.' Foundations of Physics 'The book is a goldmine of cleverly constructed problems and exercises (and solutions!) ...' Nature

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Customer Reviews
4.17 out of 5 | From 521 Goodreads Ratings

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By Maxine on November 16, 2010
The first chapters refreshes the reader's mind about SR, and then proceeds to build tensor analysis in SR. What makes this book stand out it uses the language is that of modern GR--one learns the language of one-forms and vectors, not co- and contravariant vectors. Cultivating a geometrical intuition about these strange new objects (a la MTW) is given equal or greater weight than developing skills at index manipulation. Those are two reasons I'd recommend this book over Foster and Nightingale, for example. For me personally, Schutz's path toward the mathematics of curvature beginning with Cartesian and polar coordinates in 2d was easier to follow than any treatment I've seen.
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