num_pages: 274
description: Teach yourself the mathematics of relativity – THE AMAZON BESTSELLERTo really understand Einstein's theory of relativity – one of the cornerstones of modern physics – you have to get to grips with the underlying mathematics. A Most Incomprehensible Thing is aimed at the general reader who is motivated to tackle that not insignificant challenge. With a user-friendly style, clear step-by-step mathematical derivations, many fully solved problems and numerous diagrams, this self-study guide provides an accessible introduction to a fascinating but complex subject.For those with minimal mathematical background, the first chapter gives a crash course in foundation mathematics. The reader is then taken gently by the hand and guided through a wide range of fundamental topics , including Newtonian mechanics; the Lorentz transformations; the all important metric tensor g μν ; tensor calculus; the Einstein field equations; the Schwarzschild solution (which gives a good approximation of the spacetime of our Solar System); black holes, relativistic cosmology and gravitational waves. “I must observe that the theory of relativity resembles a building consisting of two separate stories, the special theory and the general theory. The special theory, on which the general theory rests, applies to all physical phenomena with the exception of gravitation; the general theory provides the law of gravitation and its relations to the other forces of nature.” – Albert Einstein , 1919Understand even the basics of Einstein's amazing theory and the world will never seem the same again.ContentsPrefaceIntroduction1 Foundation mathematics2 Newtonian mechanics3 Special relativity4 Introducing the manifold5 Scalars, vectors, one-forms and tensors6 More on curvature7 General relativity8 The Newtonian limit9 The Schwarzschild metric10 Schwarzschild black holes11 Cosmology12 Gravitational waves The Riemann curvature tensorBibliographyAcknowledgementsJanuary 2019 – this revised printing includes new Chapter 11 (cosmology) sections on a scale factor and a spacetime diagram for our universe.
language: English
title: A Most Incomprehensible Thing: Notes Towards a Very Gentle Introduction to the Mathematics of Relativity
publisher: Incomprehensible Books