General Relativity Without Calculus

“General Relativity Without Calculus” offers a compact but mathematically correct introduction to the general theory of relativity, assuming only a basic knowledge of high school mathematics and physi

“General Relativity Without Calculus” offers a compact but mathematically correct introduction to the general theory of relativity, assuming only a basic knowledge of high school mathematics and physi

This volume compiles notes from four mini courses given at the summer school on asymptotic analysis in general relativity, held at the Institut Fourier in Grenoble, France. It contains an up-to-date panorama of modern techniques in the asymptotic analysis of classical and quantum fields in general relativity. Accessible to graduate students, these notes gather results that were not previously available in textbooks or monographs and will be of wider interest to researchers in general relativity. The topics of these mini courses are: the geometry of black hole spacetimes; an introduction to quantum field theory on curved spacetimes; conformal geometry and tractor calculus; and microlocal analysis for wave propagation.

This book introduces the general theory of relativity and includes applications to cosmology. The book provides a thorough introduction to tensor calculus and curved manifolds. After the necessary mat

Elementary introduction emphasizes aspects that students find most difficult: tensors in curved spaces and application to general relativity theory; black holes; gravitational waves; more. S

This compact guide presents the key features of general relativity, to support and supplement the presentation in mainstream, more comprehensive undergraduate textbooks, or as a re-cap of essentials for graduate students pursuing more advanced studies. It helps students plot a careful path to understanding the core ideas and basics of differential geometry, as applied to general relativity, without overwhelming them. While the guide doesn't shy away from necessary technicalities, it emphasises the essential simplicity of the main physical arguments. Presuming a familiarity with special relativity (with a brief account in an appendix), it describes how general covariance and the equivalence principle motivate Einstein's theory of gravitation. It then introduces differential geometry and the covariant derivative as the mathematical technology which allows us to understand Einstein's equations of general relativity. The book is supported by numerous worked exampled and problems, and impor

This compact guide presents the key features of general relativity, to support and supplement the presentation in mainstream, more comprehensive undergraduate textbooks, or as a re-cap of essentials for graduate students pursuing more advanced studies. It helps students plot a careful path to understanding the core ideas and basics of differential geometry, as applied to general relativity, without overwhelming them. While the guide doesn't shy away from necessary technicalities, it emphasises the essential simplicity of the main physical arguments. Presuming a familiarity with special relativity (with a brief account in an appendix), it describes how general covariance and the equivalence principle motivate Einstein's theory of gravitation. It then introduces differential geometry and the covariant derivative as the mathematical technology which allows us to understand Einstein's equations of general relativity. The book is supported by numerous worked exampled and problems, and impor

General Relativity: An Introduction for Physicists provides a clear mathematical introduction to Einstein's theory of general relativity. It presents a wide range of applications of the theory, concentrating on its physical consequences. After reviewing the basic concepts, the authors present a clear and intuitive discussion of the mathematical background, including the necessary tools of tensor calculus and differential geometry. These tools are then used to develop the topic of special relativity and to discuss electromagnetism in Minkowski spacetime. Gravitation as spacetime curvature is then introduced and the field equations of general relativity derived. After applying the theory to a wide range of physical situations, the book concludes with a brief discussion of classical field theory and the derivation of general relativity from a variational principle. Written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, this approachable textbook contains over 300 exercises to illuminat

Thoroughly revised and updated, this textbook provides a pedagogical introduction to relativity. It is self-contained, but the reader is expected to have a basic knowledge of theoretical mechanics and electrodynamics. It covers the most important features of both special and general relativity, as well as touching on more difficult topics, such as the field of charged pole-dipole particles, the Petrov classification, groups of motions, gravitational lenses, exact solutions and the structure of infinity. The necessary mathematical tools (tensor calculus, Riemannian geometry) are provided, most of the derivations are given in full, and exercises are included where appropriate. Written as a textbook for undergraduate and introductory graduate courses, it will also be of use to researchers working in the field. The bibliography gives the original papers and directs the reader to useful monographs and review papers.

This book is an introduction to the theories of Special and General Relativity. The target audience are physicists, engineers and applied scientists who are looking for an understandable introduction

This classic book is essential reading for all those interested in the development of modern physics. Sir Arthur Eddington's account of the general theory of relativity, 'without,' as he says in his preface, 'introducing anything very technical in the way of mathematics, physics or philosophy', was first published in the exciting days of 1920 soon after the first objective tests of the theory had demonstrated its validity. The book was at once received with acclamation by reviewers and remains today one of the simplest and most straightforward accounts in print. The reviewer in the Athenaeum described it as 'a masterly book. The arrangement, the vigour and ease of the reasoning, the felicity of illustration, the clear, flexible prose and (we must mention it) the wit, make this book one of the most adequate and engaging attempts at the non-technical exposition of a scientific theory that it has ever been our good fortune to encounter.' This reissue includes a foreword by Sir Hermann Bon

Numerical relativity has emerged as the key tool to model gravitational waves - recently detected for the first time - that are emitted when black holes or neutron stars collide. This book provides a pedagogical, accessible, and concise introduction to the subject. Relying heavily on analogies with Newtonian gravity, scalar fields and electromagnetic fields, it introduces key concepts of numerical relativity in a context familiar to readers without prior expertise in general relativity. Readers can explore these concepts by working through numerous exercises, and can see them 'in action' by experimenting with the accompanying Python sample codes, and so develop familiarity with many techniques commonly employed by publicly available numerical relativity codes. This is an attractive, student-friendly resource for short courses on numerical relativity, as well as providing supplementary reading for courses on general relativity and computational physics.

Numerical relativity has emerged as the key tool to model gravitational waves - recently detected for the first time - that are emitted when black holes or neutron stars collide. This book provides a pedagogical, accessible, and concise introduction to the subject. Relying heavily on analogies with Newtonian gravity, scalar fields and electromagnetic fields, it introduces key concepts of numerical relativity in a context familiar to readers without prior expertise in general relativity. Readers can explore these concepts by working through numerous exercises, and can see them 'in action' by experimenting with the accompanying Python sample codes, and so develop familiarity with many techniques commonly employed by publicly available numerical relativity codes. This is an attractive, student-friendly resource for short courses on numerical relativity, as well as providing supplementary reading for courses on general relativity and computational physics.

Part I of this classic work offers a rigorous presentation of tensor calculus as a development of vector analysis. Part II discusses the most important applications of tensor calculus, including the use of tensors in classical analytical dynamics and the role of tensors in special relativity. A concluding section examines field equations of general relativity theory.

This book, now in a revised and updated second edition, explains the theory of special and general relativity in detail without approaching Einstein's life or the historical background. The text is fo

This book explains the theory of special and general relativity in detail, without digressions such as information on Einstein's life or the historical background. However, complicated calculations ar

This is a self-contained exposition of general relativity with emphasis given to tetrad and spinor structures and physical measurements on curved manifolds. General relativity is now essential to the understanding of modern physics, but the power of the theory cannot be fully explained without a detailed knowledge of its mathematical structure. The aim of this book is to introduce this structure, and then to use it to develop those applications that have been central to the growth of the theory. An overview of differential geometry is provided and properties of a tetrad field are then extensively analysed. These are used to introduce spinors, to describe the geometry of congruences and define the physical measurements on a curved manifold. The coupling of fields and geometry is investigated in terms of Lagrangeans and a detailed discussion of some exact solutions of the Einstein equations are provided.

This is a self-contained exposition of general relativity with emphasis given to tetrad and spinor structures and physical measurements on curved manifolds. General relativity is now essential to the understanding of modern physics, but the power of the theory cannot be fully explained without a detailed knowledge of its mathematical structure. The aim of this book is to introduce this structure, and then to use it to develop those applications that have been central to the growth of the theory. An overview of differential geometry is provided and properties of a tetrad field are then extensively analysed. These are used to introduce spinors, to describe the geometry of congruences and define the physical measurements on a curved manifold. The coupling of fields and geometry is investigated in terms of Lagrangeans and a detailed discussion of some exact solutions of the Einstein equations are provided.

This book presents Special Relativity (SR) in a language deemed accessible to students without any topical preparation - avoiding the burden of geometry, tensor calculus, and space-time symmetries – a

This textbook bypasses the need for advanced mathematics by providing in-text computer code, allowing students to explore Bayesian data analysis without the calculus background normally considered a prerequisite for this material. Now, students can use the best methods without needing advanced mathematical techniques. This approach goes beyond “frequentist” concepts of p-values and null hypothesis testing, using the full power of modern probability theory to solve real-world problems. The book offers a fully self-contained course, which demonstrates analysis techniques throughout with worked examples crafted specifically for students in the behavioral and neural sciences. The book presents two general algorithms that help students solve the measurement and model selection (also called “hypothesis testing”) problems most frequently encountered in real-world applications.

The book aims to expound the general theory of relativity with a mathematical point of view. Catering to the needs of postgraduate students and researchers in the field of astrophysics and mathematical physics, it offers the readers a comprehensive understanding of the advanced topics of the subject matter. It specifically discusses the mathematical foundation of tensor calculus, gives a background of geodesics, Einstein's field equations, linearised gravity, spacetime of spherically symmetric distribution of matter and black holes, and particle and photon orbits in spacetime. Apart from the formulation of general relativity, Lie derivatives and its applications, and causality of spacetime are also discussed in detail. Certain preliminary concepts of extrinsic curvature, Lagrangian formalism of general theory of relativity and 3 + 1 decomposition of space-time are covered and are provided in the book as appendices.

This textbook bypasses the need for advanced mathematics by providing in-text computer code, allowing students to explore Bayesian data analysis without the calculus background normally considered a prerequisite for this material. Now, students can use the best methods without needing advanced mathematical techniques. This approach goes beyond “frequentist” concepts of p-values and null hypothesis testing, using the full power of modern probability theory to solve real-world problems. The book offers a fully self-contained course, which demonstrates analysis techniques throughout with worked examples crafted specifically for students in the behavioral and neural sciences. The book presents two general algorithms that help students solve the measurement and model selection (also called “hypothesis testing”) problems most frequently encountered in real-world applications.

Unique in its clarity, examples, and range, Physical Mathematics explains simply and succinctly the mathematics that graduate students and professional physicists need to succeed in their courses and research. The book illustrates the mathematics with numerous physical examples drawn from contemporary research. This second edition has new chapters on vector calculus, special relativity and artificial intelligence and many new sections and examples. In addition to basic subjects such as linear algebra, Fourier analysis, complex variables, differential equations, Bessel functions, and spherical harmonics, the book explains topics such as the singular value decomposition, Lie algebras and group theory, tensors and general relativity, the central limit theorem and Kolmogorov's theorems, Monte Carlo methods of experimental and theoretical physics, Feynman's path integrals, and the standard model of cosmology.

Differential geometry is the study of curved spaces using the techniques of calculus. It is a mainstay of undergraduate mathematics education and a cornerstone of modern geometry. It is also the language used by Einstein to express general relativity, and so is an essential tool for astronomers and theoretical physicists. This introductory textbook originates from a popular course given to third year students at Durham University for over twenty years, first by the late L. M. Woodward and later by John Bolton (and others). It provides a thorough introduction by focusing on the beginnings of the subject as studied by Gauss: curves and surfaces in Euclidean space. While the main topics are the classics of differential geometry - the definition and geometric meaning of Gaussian curvature, the Theorema Egregium, geodesics, and the Gauss–Bonnet Theorem - the treatment is modern and student-friendly, taking direct routes to explain, prove and apply the main results. It includes many exercise

In the twenty-first century, we take the means to measure time for granted, without contemplating the sophisticated concepts on which our time scales are based. This volume presents the evolution of concepts of time and methods of time keeping up to the present day. It outlines the progression of time based on sundials, water clocks, and the Earth's rotation, to time measurement using pendulum clocks, quartz crystal clocks, and atomic frequency standards. Time scales created as a result of these improvements in technology and the development of general and special relativity are explained. This second edition has been updated throughout to describe twentieth- and twenty-first-century advances and discusses the redefinition of SI units and the future of UTC. A new chapter on time and cosmology has been added. This broad-ranging reference benefits a diverse readership, including historians, scientists, engineers, educators, and it is accessible to general readers.

Providing a pedagogical introduction to the rapidly developing field of AdS/CFT correspondence, this is one of the first texts to provide an accessible introduction to all the necessary concepts needed to engage with the methods, tools and applications of AdS/CFT. Without assuming anything beyond an introductory course in quantum field theory, it begins by guiding the reader through the basic concepts of field theory and gauge theory, general relativity, supersymmetry, supergravity, string theory and conformal field theory, before moving on to give a clear and rigorous account of AdS/CFT correspondence. The final section discusses the more specialised applications, including QCD, quark-gluon plasma and condensed matter. This book is self-contained and learner-focused, featuring numerous exercises and examples. It is essential reading for both students and researchers across the fields of particle, nuclear and condensed matter physics.

This book describes highly applicable mathematics without using calculus or limits in general. The study agrees with the opinion that the traditional calculus/analysis is not necessarily the only prop

Vectors and tensors are among the most powerful problem-solving tools available, with applications ranging from mechanics and electromagnetics to general relativity. Understanding the nature and application of vectors and tensors is critically important to students of physics and engineering. Adopting the same approach used in his highly popular A Student's Guide to Maxwell's Equations, Fleisch explains vectors and tensors in plain language. Written for undergraduate and beginning graduate students, the book provides a thorough grounding in vectors and vector calculus before transitioning through contra and covariant components to tensors and their applications. Matrices and their algebra are reviewed on the book's supporting website, which also features interactive solutions to every problem in the text where students can work through a series of hints or choose to see the entire solution at once. Audio podcasts give students the opportunity to hear important concepts in the book expl

Vectors and tensors are among the most powerful problem-solving tools available, with applications ranging from mechanics and electromagnetics to general relativity. Understanding the nature and application of vectors and tensors is critically important to students of physics and engineering. Adopting the same approach used in his highly popular A Student's Guide to Maxwell's Equations, Fleisch explains vectors and tensors in plain language. Written for undergraduate and beginning graduate students, the book provides a thorough grounding in vectors and vector calculus before transitioning through contra and covariant components to tensors and their applications. Matrices and their algebra are reviewed on the book's supporting website, which also features interactive solutions to every problem in the text where students can work through a series of hints or choose to see the entire solution at once. Audio podcasts give students the opportunity to hear important concepts in the book expl

Designed for teaching astrophysics to physics students at advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level, this textbook also provides an overview of astrophysics for astrophysics graduate students, before they delve into more specialized volumes. Assuming background knowledge at the level of a physics major, the textbook develops astrophysics from the basics without requiring any previous study in astronomy or astrophysics. Physical concepts, mathematical derivations and observational data are combined in a balanced way to provide a unified treatment. Topics such as general relativity and plasma physics, which are not usually covered in physics courses but used extensively in astrophysics, are developed from first principles. While the emphasis is on developing the fundamentals thoroughly, recent important discoveries are highlighted at every stage.

Professor Bondi discusses some of the myths that have grown up around various scientific theories and ideas, particularly special relativity and Mach's principle. His critical - and often light-hearted - approach to what are usually regarded as complicated ideas leaves the reader with the feeling that perhaps much of his subject is common sense after all. Professor Bondi's aim is to provoke thought, rather than to provide all the answers. He first discusses the limits of theory-making, the significance of depth and universality and the devising of effective tests for scientific theories. The relation of Einstein's theory to classical Newtonian mechanics is then considered, the author showing that relativity can be regarded simple as an extension of Newton's ideas on dynamics to the whole of physics. After deriving the equations of special relativity by the so-called k-calculus, he disposes rapidly of the 'clock paradox' and moves on to discuss general relativity, the significance of th

This important textbook is based on, though independent of, an educational TV series The Mechanical Universe broadcast on public television in the United States. Its aim is to guide students and general readers to an understanding of how the physical world works; physics is presented as a human endeavour, with historical development forming a thread throughout the text. The prerequisites are minimal, only basic algebra and trigonometry since the necessary calculus is developed in the text, with physics providing the motivation. New concepts are introduced at the natural, logical point with many historical references to place physics in a social perspective. Many topics from twentieth-century physics are included, for example energy, low temperature physics, relativity and black holes. The book is attractively and profusely illustrated and will be welcomed by students and also by general readers for whom this will be a stimulating alternative to other, less-thorough treatments.

This book, first published in 2004, provides an introduction to the major mathematical structures used in physics today. It covers the concepts and techniques needed for topics such as group theory, Lie algebras, topology, Hilbert space and differential geometry. Important theories of physics such as classical and quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and special and general relativity are also developed in detail, and presented in the appropriate mathematical language. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in mathematical and theoretical physics, as well as applied mathematics. It includes numerous exercises and worked examples, to test the reader's understanding of the various concepts, as well as extending the themes covered in the main text. The only prerequisites are elementary calculus and linear algebra. No prior knowledge of group theory, abstract vector spaces or topology is required.

This book provides a thorough introduction to Einstein's special theory of relativity, suitable for anyone with a minimum of one year's university physics with calculus. It is divided into fundamental and advanced topics. The first section starts by recalling the Pythagorean rule and its relation to the geometry of space, then covers every aspect of special relativity, including the history. The second section covers the impact of relativity in quantum theory, with an introduction to relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. It also goes over the group theory of the Lorentz group, a simple introduction to supersymmetry, and ends with cutting-edge topics such as general relativity, the standard model of elementary particles and its extensions, superstring theory, and a survey of important unsolved problems. Each chapter comes with a set of exercises. The book is accompanied by a CD-ROM illustrating, through interactive animation, classic problems in relativity involving m

Here is an introductory textbook which is designed to be useful not only to intending logicians but also to mathematicians in general. Based on Dr Hamilton's lectures to third and fourth year undergraduate mathematicians at the University of Stirling it has been written to introduce student or professional mathematicians, whose background need cover no more than a typical first year undergraduate mathematics course, to the techniques and principal results of mathematical logic. In presenting the subject matter without bias towards particular aspects, applications or developments, an attempt has been made to place it in the context of mathematics and to emphasise the relevance of logic to the mathematician. Starting at an elementart level, the text progresses from informal discussion to the precise description and use of formal mathematical and logical systems. The early chapters cover propositional and predicate calculus. The later chapters deal with Gödel's theorem on the incompletene