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 is a good conceptual intro, some good undergrad textbooks are https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393097935/?tag=pfamazon01-20 and https://www.amazon.com/dp/0716723271/?tag=pfamazon01-20, and https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521141001/?tag=pfamazon01-20 (haven't read this one yet as it just came out, but was admiring the illustrated approach in the sample pages on google books). For a popular introduction to the ideas of general relativity, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393312763/?tag=pfamazon01-20 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, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0226288641/?tag=pfamazon01-20 is a good conceptual intro, some good undergrad textbooks are https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393097935/?tag=pfamazon01-20 and https://www.amazon.com/dp/0716723271/?tag=pfamazon01-20, and https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521141001/?tag=pfamazon01-20 (haven't read this one yet as it just came out, but was admiring the illustrated approach in the sample pages on google books). For a popular introduction to the ideas of general relativity, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393312763/?tag=pfamazon01-20 is very good.

Wow Jesse! That is very helpful Thanks!

 

[Daverz]

Check out these recent threads:

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

in the book forum:

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

For an intro to special relativity, I recommend Mermin, It's About Time and the edition of https://www.amazon.com/dp/071670336X/?tag=pfamazon01-20 with all the problems worked out in the back. For GR, Hartle's Gravity.

 

[Dale]

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!