Relativity, Gravitation and Cosmology

Abstract

Abstract Einstein's general theory of relativity is introduced in this advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate level textbook. Topics include special relativity, the principle of equivalence, Riemannian geometry and tensor analysis, Einstein field equation, as well as many modern cosmological subjects: from primordial inflation, cosmic microwave anisotropy to the dark energy that propels an accelerating universe. The subjects are presented with an emphasis on physical examples and simple applications. One first learns how to describe curved spacetime. At this mathematically more accessible level, the reader can already study the many interesting phenomena such as gravitational lensing, black holes, and cosmology. The full tensor formulation is presented later, when the Einstein equation is solved for a few symmetric cases. Mathematical accessibility, together with the various pedagogical devices (e.g., worked-out solutions of chapter-end problems), make it practical for interested readers to use the book to study general relativity and cosmology on their own. In this new edition of the book, presentations on special relativity and black holes are augmented by new chapters. Other parts of the book are updated to include new observation tests of general relativity (e.g., the double pular system) and more recent evidence for dark matter and dark energy.