Is Anyone Else Using Gravity by James B. Hartle and Looking for a Study Partner?

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CFDFEAGURU
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I am looking for a study partner (over the internet) I am using Gravity by James B. Hartle. Is there anyone else using this book that would like to study with me. Also, I am teaching myself.

Thanks
 

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No one is using Hartle?

Matt
 
Cool. How do you like the book so far?

Thanks
Matt
 
First, it seems we're using the book for quite different purposes. Where as you're self-studying, I'm primarily using it simply as a supplement to my lectures. So while I don't plan on reading every section of every chapter this semester, I'll get around to it eventually.

That said, I thought the treatment of SR in chapters 4 and 5 was pretty clear. I do wish the example problems had been worked out with perhaps a little more explanation, as it required a bit of footwork on my part to follow them (especially the boxed ones). But, as the focus of my course is GR, not SR, I'm mostly glossing over these chapters and only did a few problems at the end.

The first part of chapter 7 regarding metrics and coordinates was nice because this was very directly supplemental to what we had done in lecture, so it was nice to get a second explanation.
 
CFDFEAGURU said:
I am looking for a study partner (over the internet) I am using Gravity by James B. Hartle. Is there anyone else using this book that would like to study with me. Also, I am teaching myself.

Thanks

If I didn't have so much on the go, I would take you up on this offer.
 
Thanks George. If you get some free time and would like to work with me, just let me know.

Thanks
Matt
 
Good luck!
I'm teaching myself using Schutz and various webpages. I get the impression a lot of so called "Introductory" books are too short and don't 'talk through' the steps in a long series of equations to really justify the tem "Introductory". It's a shame as many people are enthusiastic about learning GR for themselves
 
Hi Matt,

I don't know if you're still interested in a study partner for Hartle's book. I've been working thru it as well, on my own also and would be thrilled with a study partner. I have lots of time over the next 2 weeks and more limited time after that. I work. I also happen to have a course curriculum for a GR course using Hartle's book which could serve as a guide for which problems to do to get the main ideas. Please let me know what you think. I directly send you an email as well.

glamotte7
 
Do you still want a study partner?? I'm definitely interested in a study partner for GR using Hartle's book. Have been doing it on my own until now. I have a list of homework assignments for a course taught recently on GR using this book which could serve as a guide as to which problems are a must to do. Please let me know if you're still interested.

glamotte7
 
I recently finished writing a GR book which is free online and about the same level as Hartle: http://www.lightandmatter.com/genrel/ . If any of the folks in this thread would like a second source to look at when they can't understand Hartle's treatment of something, it's a possible resource. I would be very grateful for any feedback. My area of expertise is really low-energy nuclear physics, not GR, so there are sure to be mistakes in the book. In fact my main motivation for getting involved in PF has been to test my own understanding of GR. There are quite a few free graduate-level GR texts online (including Carroll, which I think is quite good), but as far as I know mine is the only free one aimed at the undergraduate level.
 
bcrowell said:
I recently finished writing a GR book which is free online and about the same level as Hartle: http://www.lightandmatter.com/genrel/ . If any of the folks in this thread would like a second source to look at when they can't understand Hartle's treatment of something, it's a possible resource. I would be very grateful for any feedback. My area of expertise is really low-energy nuclear physics, not GR, so there are sure to be mistakes in the book. In fact my main motivation for getting involved in PF has been to test my own understanding of GR. There are quite a few free graduate-level GR texts online (including Carroll, which I think is quite good), but as far as I know mine is the only free one aimed at the undergraduate level.

I've read just about every book you've written for lightandmatter and think they're all very good resources. I used them pretty frequently when first learning Newtonian mechanics and found their treatment to be helpful in many cases.
The subjects are presented just slightly differently than the "norm," enough so that they seem to fit well with the "typical" textbooks for courses but present the material differently enough to help a student when he's stuck in his course's book.

I bought "Simple Nature" 1 & 2 in support of what you're doing.

*This totally looks like an advertisement on his behalf...it's not. lol I've just never seen him post here before but used his site frequently when first self-studying physics. Books are expensive and most people can't afford to buy "reference" books in addition to their textbooks, so a free site like his deserves exposure IMO