Books about string theory, wormholes, black holes, etc

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on recommendations for introductory books on string theory, wormholes, and black holes, specifically tailored for graduate students or advanced undergraduates. Key texts mentioned include Wald's "General Relativity" for black holes and "String Theory and M-Theory" by Becker, Becker, and Schwarz for string theory. The discussion emphasizes the necessity of a strong mathematical foundation, including abstract algebra, differential geometry, and quantum field theory, to fully grasp these topics. Additionally, Zwiebach's book is highlighted as a suitable option for undergraduates.

PREREQUISITES
  • Graduate-level algebraic geometry
  • Differential geometry knowledge
  • Quantum Field Theory understanding
  • Abstract algebra and topology skills
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "Wald's General Relativity" for foundational knowledge on black holes
  • Explore "String Theory and M-Theory" by Becker, Becker, and Schwarz for advanced string theory concepts
  • Study "Zwiebach's book" for undergraduate-level string theory
  • Investigate resources on Quantum Field Theory to prepare for string theory studies
USEFUL FOR

Graduate students, advanced undergraduates, physicists, and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of string theory, black holes, and the mathematical frameworks that support these advanced topics.

mvillagra
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I have a computer science background, so I don't know about this. Can somebody give me some recommendations on good introductory books about
-String Theory
- Wormholes
-Black holes
etc.

I'm looking something for academics, not for general public. So maybe books for 1st year graduate students or advanced undergrad will fit.

Thanks :smile:
 
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How much physics background do you have? How much math have you had? To do black holes, one would have to do General Relativity, which requires a background in abstract algebra and/or differential geometry along with some topology. For string theory, you need graduate-level algebraic geometry and topology skills, high-level abstract algebra, functional analysis, and even some category theory in order to study it. Not only that; you need some heavy-duty Quantum Field Theory before you do string theory.

I'm just assuming from your background that you may not have all of this. But when you do learn it, a great book for GR and Black Holes is Wald's General Relativity, but I don't know about a good one for string theory. I have Becker, Becker, and Schwarz's String Theory and M-Theory, and it is pretty good, but I don't have all of the math prerequisites to read it yet.
 
I work in quantum computing, so my background on physics and mathematics is graduate-level of linear algebra, functional analysis, complex analysis and quantum theory, and undergraduate level of abstract algebra, geometry, and very basic topology. I don't know anything about quantum field theory nor category theory.

According to that background, which books are recommended?
 
Zwiebach has a nice book for undergraduates.
 
thanks for the links, I will check them out.

The Zwiebach book looks great, although I can only read the table of contents from amazon, but its a good price.
 

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