Relativity Comparing General Relativity books

Click For Summary
Studying General Relativity (GR) with Bernard Schutz's "First Course in General Relativity" is a viable option for those with limited time, as it provides a comprehensive introduction without the extensive depth of MTW. While Schutz covers essential concepts, readers may miss out on the broader context and advanced topics found in MTW, which can be beneficial for a deeper understanding. Alternatives like Sean Carroll's text are also recommended for their modern approach and accessibility. Ultimately, Schutz is sufficient for a foundational grasp of GR, especially for those not pursuing a physics degree full-time. Engaging with the material thoughtfully will enhance comprehension, regardless of the chosen text.
Elnur Hajiyev
Messages
40
Reaction score
0
Hello. I have 2 books in General Relativity: MTW Gravitation and Bernard Schutz First Course in General Relativity. I studied Calculus I, II, and have a basic understanding of Linear Algebra(did not studied extensively). I want to learn about GR as much as possible, and improve myself to become at least semi-professional on the topic, on the other hand I do not have enough time to read a big book such as MTW right know read Schutz. Just want to know what will I miss if I learn GR from Schutz instead of MTW Track-1 and is it sufficient to be good in GR as a graduate student?

P.S. MTW Track-1 topics is outlined gray in the book.
P.P.S. I am willing to spend time to learn GR, but I am not Physics student to spend all my time to solely Physics, so I would not prefer to spend much time to learn the same thing just with more examples and explanations, while I can spend less time to read and much time to think about the topics I read and figure out what is going on in my head. So I would know if the differences between the books are really such kind of.
I am sorry, if my language is as bad as not to be understood, but hope my question is clear. I appreciate your answers.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Amazon let's me see the table of contents of Schutz, and it looks like a pretty complete introduction. The size of MTW is absurd; it contains a huge amount of material that you don't need in order to achieve your goal. BTW, Carroll is a good modern alternative to the standard graduate texts such as MTW and Wald, and there is a partial version online that is free: http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/March01/Carroll3/Carroll_contents.html
 
  • Like
Likes Demystifier, Elnur Hajiyev and QuantumQuest
bcrowell said:
Amazon let's me see the table of contents of Schutz, and it looks like a pretty complete introduction. The size of MTW is absurd; it contains a huge amount of material that you don't need in order to achieve your goal. BTW, Carroll is a good modern alternative to the standard graduate texts such as MTW and Wald, and there is a partial version online that is free: http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/March01/Carroll3/Carroll_contents.html
Yes, contents cover all concepts that need to learn GR. But I am not sure how much will I learn at the end of the book and what will I miss if I don't read, for example, from Carroll?

Thanks, in advance.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
3K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
5K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
8K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K