Einstein field equations

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the Einstein field equations, emphasizing the necessity of understanding special relativity as a prerequisite for grasping general relativity. Key mathematical concepts include calculus, differential equations, partial differentiation, and linear algebra. Resources such as Taylor and Wheeler's "Spacetime Physics" and Ben Crowell's "Relativity for Poets" are recommended for foundational knowledge. The symbols in the equations are clarified, with ##G_{ab}## representing spacetime curvature, ##\Lambda g_{ab}## denoting the cosmological constant, and ##T_{ab}## as the stress-energy tensor.

PREREQUISITES
  • Special relativity understanding
  • Calculus, including differential equations and partial differentiation
  • Linear algebra knowledge
  • Familiarity with tensor notation
NEXT STEPS
  • Study Taylor and Wheeler's "Spacetime Physics"
  • Read Ben Crowell's "Relativity for Poets"
  • Explore the document "A General Relativity Primer" available at https://preposterousuniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/grtinypdf.pdf
  • Review John Baez's notes on general relativity at https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0103044
USEFUL FOR

Students and enthusiasts of physics, particularly those interested in general relativity, as well as educators seeking accessible resources for teaching complex concepts in spacetime and gravitational theory.

PhysicsEnjoyer31415
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I am still in high school but can someone explain these to me in short detail . I know what tensors are and i can solve Basic Inertia tensor matrices to find torque without official education on it . What do i need to do in order to learn these equations and understand them exactly.(Time is not a concern for me right now ) .Any video suggestions or books?or anything will be helpful .Please also explain what the symbols mean .Thanks
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Start with special relativity. All treatments of general relativity will assume you understand special relativity. Then make sure you know calculus, including differential equations and partial differentiation. And linear algebra generally.

Taylor and Wheeler's Spacetime Physics is free to download from Taylor's website, and should be in reach for a sufficiently motivated high school student.

A former mentor here, Ben Crowell, wrote a book called Relativity for Poets, which is downloadable via www.lightandmatter.com. It's a non-mathematical treatment, and about as good as you can get without maths.

Regarding the field equations, roughly speaking ##G_{ab}## describes the curvature of spacetime. ##\Lambda g_{ab}## describes the contribution of the cosmological constant, and is sometimes rolled into the term on the right. ##T_{ab}## is the stress-energy tensor, which describes all the energy (including mass) terms that are sources of gravity.
 
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PhysicsEnjoyer31415 said:
What do i need to do in order to learn these equations and understand them exactly.(Time is not a concern for me right now ) .Any video suggestions or books?or anything will be helpful .Please also explain what the symbols mean .Thanks

View attachment 345799
It's unlikely that a particular video or book suggestion will happen to hit the "sweet spot" for you. This video might be too elementary. It builds up to Einstein's equation with interesting historical commentary. It also discusses the meaning of the symbols in the equation, but not in much depth.

Einstein's equation in the video does not contain the term ##\Lambda g_{\mu \nu}##. The ##G_{\mu \nu}## in your equation represents all of the left-hand side of Einstein's equation in the video.
 
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Thank you people👍
 
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