Spacetime Geometry And Gravitation

This introductory textbook on the general theory of relativity presents a solid foundation for those who want to learn about relativity. The subject is presented in a physically intuitive, but mathematically rigorous style. The topic of relativity is covered in a broad and deep manner. Besides, the aim is that after reading the book a student should not feel discouraged when she opens advanced texts on general relativity for further reading. The book consists of three parts: An introduction to the general theory of relativity. Geometrical mathematical background material. Topics that include the action principle, weak gravitational fields and gravitational waves, Schwarzschild and Kerr solution, and the Friedman equation in cosmology. The book is suitable for advanced graduates and graduates, but also for established researchers wishing to be educated about the field.

An accessible introductory textbook on general relativity, covering the theory's foundations, mathematical formalism and major applications.

Ideas about space and time are at the root of one's understanding of nature, both at the intuitive level of everyday experience and in the framework of sophisticated physical theories. These ideas have led to the development of geometry and its applications to physics. The contemporary physical theory of space and time, including its extention to the phenomena of gravitation, is Einstein's theory of relativity. Spacetime and Gravitation is a short introduction to this theory. It is addressed to a fairly wide readership: parts of it can be read by university students of mathematics, physics and engineering. A great deal of emphasis is given to the geometrical aspects of relativity theory and its comparison with the Newtonian view of the world. There are short chapters on the origins of Einstein's theory, gravitational waves, cosmology, spinors and the Einstein-Cartan theory.

Spacetime physics -- Physics in flat spacetime -- The mathematics of curved spacetime -- Einstein's geometric theory of gravity -- Relativistic stars -- The universe -- Gravitational collapse and black holes -- Gravitational waves -- Experimental tests of general relativity -- Frontiers

This text provides a quantitative introduction to general relativity for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.

Why is the universe so symmetrical? / Dennis Sciama -- Null congruences and Plebanski-Schild spaces / Ivor Robinson -- Linearization stability / Dieter Brill -- Nonlinear model field theories based on harmonic mappings / Charles W. Misner -- Gravitational fields in general relativity / Roy F. Kerr -- On the potential barriers surrounding the Schwarzschild black hole / S. Chandrasekhar -- The initial value problem and beyond / James W. York, Jr. and Tsvi Piran.

Written by the English astrophysicist, Sir Arthur Eddington (1882-1944), and originally published in 1920, ‘Space, Time and Gravitation’ outlines the general theory of relativity in astrophysics. This fascinating early work navigates Einstein’s theory through a series of perspectives – that of the experimental physicist, pure mathematician, and relativist, making it a wonderful read for the student, teacher or astrophysics enthusiast today. Contents include: Arthur Eddington; Preface; Prologue; ‘What Is Geometry?’; 1 - The Fitzgerald Contraction; 2 – Relativity; 3 - The World of Four Dimensions; 4 - Fields of force; 5 - Kinds of Space; 6 - The New Law of Gravitation and the Old Law; 7 - Weighing Light; 8 - Other Tests of the Theory; 9 - Momentum and Energy; 10 - towards infinity; 11 - Electricity and Gravitation; 12 - On The Nature of Things; Appendix; Mathematical Notes; Historical Note. This classic text is being republished in a modern and affordable edition, complete with reproductions of the original illustrations and a specially written concise biography.

The book aims to give a mathematical presentation of the theory of general relativity (that is, spacetime-geometry-based gravitation theory) to advanced undergraduate mathematics students. Mathematicians will find spacetime physics presented in the definition-theorem-proof format familiar to them. The given precise mathematical definitions of physical notions help avoiding pitfalls, especially in the context of spacetime physics describing phenomena that are counter-intuitive to everyday experiences.In the first part, the differential geometry of smooth manifolds, which is needed to present the spacetime-based gravitation theory, is developed from scratch. Here, many of the illustrating examples are the Lorentzian manifolds which later serve as spacetime models. This has the twofold purpose of making the physics forthcoming in the second part relatable, and the mathematics learnt in the first part less dry. The book uses the modern coordinate-free language of semi-Riemannian geometry. Nevertheless, to familiarise the reader with the useful tool of coordinates for computations, and to bridge the gap with the physics literature, the link to coordinates is made through exercises, and via frequent remarks on how the two languages are related.In the second part, the focus is on physics, covering essential material of the 20th century spacetime-based view of gravity: energy-momentum tensor field of matter, field equation, spacetime examples, Newtonian approximation, geodesics, tests of the theory, black holes, and cosmological models of the universe.Prior knowledge of differential geometry or physics is not assumed. The book is intended for self-study, and the solutions to the (over 200) exercises are included.