Education in Relativity Theory

[witchesofus]

I've been trying to teach myself some of the basics about relativity and other branches of physics theory, but I don't exactly know where to begin. I've read about and understand the basics, but I was wondering if you had suggestions: books, online articles, etc (undergraduate level, please!).

Thanks so much.

[JesseM]

Good online stuff:

http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/dstyer/Einstein/SRBook.pdf -- "Relativity for the Questioning Mind", nice Q&A style book

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Special_Relativity -- another good intro with a lot of helpful stuff about spacetime diagrams

http://www.einstein-online.info/elementary and http://www.einstein-online.info/spotlights -- conceptual introductions to both special and general relativity

http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/PVB/Relativity.html -- Physics virtual bookshelf section on relativity, lots of good articles

http://www.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/teaching/HPS_0410/index.html -- series of illustrated lectures, "Einstein for Everyone".

For books, Relativity from A to B by Robert Geroch (http://www.amazon.com/General-Relativity-B-Robert-Geroch/dp/0226288641) is a good conceptual intro, some good undergrad textbooks are Special Relativity by A.P. French (http://www.amazon.com/Special-Relativity-M-I-T-Introductory-Physics/dp/0393097935/) and Spacetime Physics by Taylor and Wheeler (http://www.amazon.com/Spacetime-Physics-Edwin-F-Taylor/dp/0716723271/), and An Illustrated Guide to Relativity by Tatsu Takeuchi (http://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Guide-Relativity-Tatsu-Takeuchi/dp/0521141001/) (haven't read this one yet as it just came out, but was admiring the illustrated approach in the sample pages on google books (http://books.google.com/books?id=-Xs9YbA2suYC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA135#v=onepage&q&f=false)). For a popular introduction to the ideas of general relativity, Black Holes and Time Warps (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Holes-Time-Warps-Commonwealth/dp/0393312763/) is very good.

[yuiop]

Good online stuff:

http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/dstyer/Einstein/SRBook.pdf -- "Relativity for the Questioning Mind", nice Q&A style book

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Special_Relativity -- another good intro with a lot of helpful stuff about spacetime diagrams

http://www.einstein-online.info/elementary and http://www.einstein-online.info/spotlights -- conceptual introductions to both special and general relativity

http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/PVB/Relativity.html -- Physics virtual bookshelf section on relativity, lots of good articles

http://www.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/teaching/HPS_0410/index.html -- series of illustrated lectures, "Einstein for Everyone".

For books, Relativity from A to B by Robert Geroch (http://www.amazon.com/General-Relativity-B-Robert-Geroch/dp/0226288641) is a good conceptual intro, some good undergrad textbooks are Special Relativity by A.P. French (http://www.amazon.com/Special-Relativity-M-I-T-Introductory-Physics/dp/0393097935/) and Spacetime Physics by Taylor and Wheeler (http://www.amazon.com/Spacetime-Physics-Edwin-F-Taylor/dp/0716723271/), and An Illustrated Guide to Relativity by Tatsu Takeuchi (http://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Guide-Relativity-Tatsu-Takeuchi/dp/0521141001/) (haven't read this one yet as it just came out, but was admiring the illustrated approach in the sample pages on google books (http://books.google.com/books?id=-Xs9YbA2suYC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA135#v=onepage&q&f=false)). For a popular introduction to the ideas of general relativity, Black Holes and Time Warps (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Holes-Time-Warps-Commonwealth/dp/0393312763/) is very good.

Wow Jesse! That is very helpful :smile: Thanks!

[Daverz]

Check out these recent threads:

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=439538
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=438732

in the book forum:

http://www.physicsforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21

For an intro to special relativity, I recommend Mermin, It's About Time and the edition of Spacetime Physics (http://www.amazon.com/Spacetime-Physics-Edwin-F-Taylor/dp/071670336X) with all the problems worked out in the back. For GR, Hartle's Gravity.

[DaleSpam]

I also really like Leonard Susskind's lectures on YouTube.

[witchesofus]

Wow. This is really, really helpful! Thank you! I'm definitely going to try to wade my way through all that!