A First Course in General Relativity by Bernard Schutz

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SUMMARY

"A First Course in General Relativity" by Bernard Schutz is a comprehensive textbook designed for undergraduate students with a minimal background in mathematics. The second edition includes updated content on black holes, gravitational lenses, and modern detectors, along with a revised chapter on cosmology. It features over 300 exercises to enhance student understanding of general relativity concepts. The book is recognized for its clarity, readability, and rigorous approach, making it an essential resource for those studying astrophysics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Undergraduate physics program knowledge
  • Basic understanding of special relativity
  • Familiarity with vector and tensor analysis
  • Introductory knowledge of cosmology
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore advanced topics in general relativity, such as gravitational waves
  • Study the mathematical foundations of tensor calculus
  • Investigate the latest research on black hole physics
  • Learn about modern astrophysical detectors and their applications
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for undergraduate physics students, astrophysics researchers, and educators seeking to enhance their understanding of general relativity and its applications in modern physics.

For those who have used this book

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Table of Contents

Preface
1. Fundamental principles of special relativity
2. Vector analysis in special relativity
3. Tensor analysis in special relativity
4. Perfect fluids in special relativity
5. Preface to curvature
6. Curved manifolds
7. Physics in a curved spacetime
8. The Einstein field equations
9. Gravitational radiation
10. Spherical solutions for stars
11. Schwarzschild geometry and black holes
12. Cosmology
References
Index.

Amazon description said:
Clarity, readability and rigor combine in the second edition of this widely-used textbook to provide the first step into general relativity for undergraduate students with a minimal background in mathematics. Topics within relativity that fascinate astrophysical researchers and students alike are covered with Schutz's characteristic ease and authority - from black holes to gravitational lenses, from pulsars to the study of the Universe as a whole. This edition now contains discoveries by astronomers that require general relativity for their explanation; a revised chapter on relativistic stars, including new information on pulsars; an entirely rewritten chapter on cosmology; and an extended, comprehensive treatment of modern detectors and expected sources. Over 300 exercises, many new to this edition, give students the confidence to work with general relativity and the necessary mathematics, whilst the informal writing style makes the subject matter easily accessible.

Publisher's webpage - http://www.cambridge.org/us/knowledge/isbn/item7280734/


Schutz's text "Geometrical Methods of Mathematical Physics" may also be of interest

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521298873/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 
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see item "A First Course in General Relativity by Schutz" from Jan25-13
 

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