Ask for Books recommend to new G.R. learner

[henry407]

I really want to learn about G.R. but I don't know how to study. So I hope someone would recommend books to me for the study basic G.R.
(Do I need to master electromagnetic/static/dynamic, because I am really bad at it)

 

[ghwellsjr]

If you're really bad at mastering electromagnetics, I don't think you're going to be able to even begin to learn about GR. Why don't you look at some online articles, either on this forum or in wikipedia concerning GR, just to get an idea of what you're up against? Have you learned Special Relativity to the point you can say you have mastered it and you're really good at it?

 

[Matterwave]

You should probably give some background info on what you know so that we can recommend the right book for you.

 

[henry407]

I had read Griffiths#Introduction To Electrodynamics(3rd Ed.), vector calculus(springer), fundamental of physics(except optics), first 2 chapter of classical mechanics.

 

[ghwellsjr]

To repeat:

Have you learned Special Relativity to the point you can say you have mastered it and you're really good at it?

 

[George Jones]

From another thread:

Have you studied Lagrangian mechanics? If not, you should study an introduction to this.

You probably should read the short, excellent book A Traveler's Guide to Spacetime: An Introduction to the Special Relativity by Thomas A. Moore. After this, start reading Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein's General Relativity by James B. Hartle,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805386629/?tag=pfamazon01-20.

Also, read right now the following paper by Hartle, a professional relativist, on his perspective on how general relativity should be taught:

http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/gr-qc/pdf/0506/0506075v2.pdf.

Even though I am interested in some of the more mathematical aspects of general relativity, I strongly agree with Hartle that tensors and differential geometry can wait until after substantial familiarity with general relativity has been built up (section V in the paper). I think this is particularly true for folks learning general relativity by self-study.

 

[Daverz]

I'd go to the library and browse Hartle's book Gravity. You could probably still pick up a lot from it even if your E&M and classical mechanics knowledge is lacking.

 

[aalaniz]

Mastering Griffiths is of fundamental importance. A good into book for GR is the one by Foster & Nightingale. There are good reviews at Amazon.

 

[henry407]

thanks for all of you~(my teacher suggest me not to touch G.R., he said because it's mathematical skills in G.R is too complicated, include differential geometry which I haven't learn it before. So, I think I finished those mathematical skills first, before I learn G.R.)