Book Recommendations in General Relativity

[Wrichik Basu]

I have read Special Relativity from Resnick and Halliday's book Fundamentals of Physics. Now I want to read general relativity.

I tried reading Einstein's book "Principles of Relativity", but sad to say, many things went tangentially above my head because I couldn't follow many equations, as they started almost without any context.

It doesn't matter if the book has great lot of equations, because I can deal with them, but it should have a little bit of explanation as well. But I don't want a book that has only explanations and no equations or numerical practice problems. So, basically I want a book that has both explanations and numericals and equations. It may be of any level, like UG, PG and the like.

 

[PeroK]

Some questions

To what level would you say you have understood Special Relativity?

What level of mathematics are you comfortable with?

Can you give an example from Einstein's book of something that went over your head?

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Some questions

To what level would you say you have understood Special Relativity?

What level of mathematics are you comfortable with?

Can you give an example from Einstein's book of something that went over your head?

I've understood special relativity to the level that has been described in Resnick Halliday.

Level of mathematics includes single variable calculus, complex numbers, and plane Trigonometry. If you ask for other requirements, I may answer accordingly.

Many equations in that book went above my head. It'll be difficult to site each and every equation now.

 

[smodak]

Gron, then Hartle and then Zee

 

[Demystifier]

Level of mathematics includes single variable calculus, complex numbers, and plane Trigonometry. If you ask for other requirements, I may answer accordingly.

How about many variable calculus, partial differential equations, tensor analysis and differential geometry? You need all four for general relativity, and most books on GR assume that you already know the first two.

Anyway, if you don't already know this math, I recommend Collier
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008JRJ1VK/?tag=pfamazon01-20

For that purpose, Gron recommended above is also good.

 

[dextercioby]

I've understood special relativity to the level that has been described in Resnick Halliday.

Level of mathematics includes single variable calculus, complex numbers, and plane Trigonometry. If you ask for other requirements, I may answer accordingly.

Many equations in that book went above my head. It'll be difficult to site each and every equation now.

Of course they did. With high-school mathematics you cannot even read and understand a proper text on classical mechanics (which directly assumes familiarity with multi-variable calculus), let alone other more advanced theories of physics.

 

[robphy]

This might be an appropriate starting point for you:
http://www.eftaylor.com/special.html
then
http://www.eftaylor.com/general.html
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-224-exploring-black-holes-general-relativity-astrophysics-spring-2003/video-lectures/

 

[Wrichik Basu]

How about many variable calculus, partial differential equations, tensor analysis and differential geometry? You need all four for general relativity, and most books on GR assume that you already know the first two.

Anyway, if you don't already know this math, I recommend Collier
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008JRJ1VK/?tag=pfamazon01-20

For that purpose, Gron recommended above is also good.

Sorry for the late reply. I'm yet to start with all four you have mentioned.