Spacetime, geometry and gravitation
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Spacetime, geometry and gravitation
(Progress in mathematical physics / editors-in-chief, Anne Boutet de Monvel, Gerald Kaiser, v. 56)
Birkhäuser, c2009
- : hard
Available at / 18 libraries
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Library, Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Kyoto University数研
: hardSHA||63||1200014018586
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Hokkaido University, Library, Graduate School of Science, Faculty of Science and School of Science数学
: hard/SH 232080217754
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Note
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
This is an introductory book on the general theory of relativity based partly on lectures given to students of M.Sc. Physics at my university. The book is divided into three parts. The ?rst part is a preliminary course on general relativity with minimum preparation. The second part builds the ma- ematical background and the third part deals with topics where mathematics developed in the second part is needed. The ?rst chapter gives a general background and introduction. This is f- lowed by an introduction to curvature through Gauss' Theorema Egregium. This theorem expresses the curvature of a two-dimensional surface in terms of intrinsic quantitiesrelatedtothein?nitesimaldistancefunctiononthesurface.Thestudent isintroducedtothemetrictensor,Christo?elsymbolsandRiemanncurvaturet- sor by elementary methods in the familiar and visualizable case of two dimensions. This early introduction to geometric quantities equips a student to learn simpler topics in general relativity like the Newtonian limit, red shift, the Schwarzschild solution, precession of the perihelion and bending of light in a gravitational ?eld. Part II (chapters 5 to 10) is an introduction to Riemannian geometry as - quired by general relativity. This is done from the beginning, starting with vectors and tensors. I believe that students of physics grasp physical concepts better if they are not shaky about the mathematics involved.
Table of Contents
Spacetime.- What is Curvature?.- General Relativity Basics.- Spherically Symmetric Gravitational Field.- Geometry.- Vectors and Tensors.- Inner Product.- Elementary Differential Geometry.- Connection and Curvature.- Riemannian Geometry.- Additional Topics in Geometry.- Gravitation.- The Einstein Equation.- General Features of Spacetime.- Weak Gravitational Fields.- Schwarzschild and Kerr Solutions.- Cosmology.- Special Topics.
by "Nielsen BookData"