This is an excellent introduction to the subjects of gravitation and space-time structure. It discusses the foundations of Riemann geometry; the derivation of Einstein field equations; linearised theory; far fields and gravitational waves; the invariant characterisation of exact solutions; gravitational collapse; cosmology as well as alternative gravitational theories and the problem of quantum gravity.
Because of the vicissitudes of history, the general theory of relativity has never been consistently explored to ascertain whether, in its realm of exact validity, it predicts phenomena which have no counterparts in the Newtonian limit, that is in the limit in which the velocity of light may be considered infinite. Thus, while recent interest in physics has concentrated on such 'frontier areas' as quantum gravity and cosmology, there has also been a quiet but steady progress in the classical domain. The five papers collected in this volume, and presented under the editorship of the famed Nobel Laureate S. Chandrasekhar, illustrate the nature of these advances. Each of them represents developments in areas both of physics and mathematics which disclose unanticipated findings that illustrate the special character of work in these areas. Astrophysicists and mathematical relativists will welcome this unique look at ongoing research.
This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.
This four-volume work represents the most comprehensive documentation and study of the creation of general relativity; one of the fundamental physical theories of the 20th century. It comprises key sources from Einstein and others who from the late 19th to the early 20th century contributed to this monumental development. Some of these sources are presented here in translation for the first time. Einstein's famous Zurich notebook, which documents the pivotal steps toward general relativity, is reproduced here for the first time and transcribed in its entirety. The volumes offer detailed commentaries and analyses of these sources that are based on a close reading of these documents supplemented by interpretations by the leading historians of relativity. All in all, the facets of this work, based on more than a decade of research, combine to constitute one of the most in-depth studies of a scientific revolution ever written.
This volume is made up of papers presented at the Conference on Classical General Relativity held at the City University, London, in December 1983. New tests, arising from space experimentation, pulsars and black holes have revitalised the study of Einstein's theory of gravitation (classical general relativity). Nineteen contributors survey recent progress and identify future avenues of research.
This invaluable book presents gravitation and gauge fields as interrelated topics with a common physical and mathematical foundation, such as gauge theory of gravitation and other fields, giving emphasis to the physicist's point of view.About half of the material is devoted to Einstein's general relativity theory, and the rest to gauge fields that naturally blend well with gravitation, including spinor formulation, classification of SU(2) gauge fields and null-tetrad formulation of the Yang-Mills field in the presence of gravitation.The text includes a useful introduction to the physical foundation of the theory of gravitation. It also provides the mathematical theory of the geometry of curved space-times needed to describe Einstein's general relativity theory.
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The third volume in the bestselling physics series cracks open Einstein's special relativity and field theory Physicist Leonard Susskind and data engineer Art Friedman are back. This time, they introduce readers to Einstein's special relativity and Maxwell's classical field theory. Using their typical brand of real math, enlightening drawings, and humor, Susskind and Friedman walk us through the complexities of waves, forces, and particles by exploring special relativity and electromagnetism. It's a must-read for both devotees of the series and any armchair physicist who wants to improve their knowledge of physics' deepest truths.
Einstein's general theory of relativity — currently our best theory of gravity — is important not only to specialists, but to a much wider group of physicists. This short textbook on general relativity and gravitation offers students glimpses of the vast landscape of science connected to general relativity. It incorporates some of the latest research in the field. The book is aimed at readers with a broad range of interests in physics, from cosmology, to gravitational radiation, to high energy physics, to condensed matter theory. The pedagogical approach is "physics first": readers move very quickly to the calculation of observational predictions, and only return to the mathematical foundations after the physics is established. In addition to the "standard" topics covered by most introductory textbooks, it contains short introductions to more advanced topics: for instance, why field equations are second order, how to treat gravitational energy, and what is required for a Hamiltonian formulation of general relativity. A concluding chapter discusses directions for further study, from mathematical relativity, to experimental tests, to quantum gravity. This is an introductory text, but it has also been written as a jumping-off point for readers who plan to study more specialized topics.
