Mastering General Relativity: A Self-Study Guide for Beginners

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To effectively learn general relativity, a solid foundation in special relativity is recommended. A strong grasp of mathematics, particularly tensor algebra and differential geometry, is essential, typically requiring knowledge equivalent to upper undergraduate or graduate-level courses. Basic calculus and linear algebra are prerequisites. Numerous resources and threads on this topic exist, and utilizing archives like the Wayback Machine can help access valuable materials, including Chris Hillman's relativity page. Engaging with existing discussions in forums can provide additional insights and guidance for self-study.
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Hi all,

Could anyone please write a good guide on how to learn general relativity ?
to be more specific, I want more of a learning-track for self-studying, assuming that I have basic knowledge of calculus and linear algebra.

Thanks in advance.
 
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A guide on how to learn general relativity-- that sounds like a hell of a post to write! Firstly, have you studied special relativity? If not, I suggest you do so. You also need to know a fair bit of maths to learn general relativity-- which is why it is normal an upper undergraduate or graduate level course in university. You should at least attempt to learn some mathematics first-- tensor algebra/ differential geometry, but to study these you will probably need the basic standard university level calculus courses at least.

There are loads of threads about this topic knocking around. Try searching the forum for more posts.
 
Go to this site - http://www.archive.org/index.php (try after some time, since they seem to facing technical difficulties right now). Then paste this address - http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/RelWWW/ - into the search field and click 'Take Me Back'. Choose the most recent version of the late, great site.

Welcome to PF!
 
neutrino said:
Go to this site - http://www.archive.org/index.php (try after some time, since they seem to facing technical difficulties right now). Then paste this address - http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/RelWWW/ - into the search field and click 'Take Me Back'. Choose the most recent version of the late, great site.

Welcome to PF!

So that's how to find Chris Hillman's relativity page-- I really missed that when I searched for it a while ago.
 

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