Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein's General Relativity

by James B. Hartle

Overview

Einstein's theory of general relativity is a cornerstone of modern physics. It also touches upon a wealth of topics that students find fascinating – black holes, warped spacetime, gravitational waves, and cosmology. Now reissued by Cambridge University Press, this ground-breaking text helped to bring general relativity into the undergraduate curriculum, making it accessible to virtually all physics majors. One of the pioneers of the 'physics-first' approach to the subject, renowned relativist James B. Hartle, recognized that there is typically not enough time in a short introductory course for the traditional, mathematics-first, approach. In this text, he provides a fluent and accessible physics-first introduction to general relativity that begins with the essential physical applications and uses a minimum of new mathematics. This market-leading text is ideal for a one-semester course for undergraduates, with only introductory mechanics as a prerequisite.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781316517543
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/24/2021
Pages:	602
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.49(h) x 1.26(d)

About the Author

James B. Hartle is Professor of Physics at the University of California–Santa Barbara. His scientific work is concerned with the application of Einstein's relativistic theory of gravitation (general relativity) to realistic astrophysical situations, especially cosmology. He has made important contributions to the understanding of gravitational waves, relativistic stars, and black holes. Professor Hartle is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the American Philosophical Society. He is a founder and past director of the Institute for Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara. He was awarded the 2009 Einstein Prize of the American Physical Society for his work on gravitational physics.

Table of Contents

List of Boxes; Preface; Figure credits; Part I. Space and Time in Newtonian Physics and Special Relativity: 1. Gravitational physics; 2. Geometry as physics; 3. Space, time, and gravity in Newtonian physics; 4. Principles of special relativity; 5. Special relativistic mechanics. Part II. The Curved Spacetimes of General Relativity: 6. Gravity as geometry; 7. Description of curved spacetime; 8. Geodesics; 9. The geometry outside a spherical star; 10. Solar System tests of general relativity; 11. Relativistic gravity in action; 12. Gravitational collapse and black holes; 13. Astrophysical black holes; 14. A little rotation; 15. Rotating black holes; 16. Gravitational waves; 17. The universe observed; 18. Cosmological models; 19. Which universe and why?. Part III. The Einstein Equation: 20. A little more math; 21. Curvature and the Einstein equation; 22. The source of curvature; 23. Gravitational wave emission; 24. Relativistic stars; Appendix A. Units; Appendix B. Curvature quantities; Appendix C. Curvature and the Einstein equation; Appendix D. Pedagogical strategy; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

‘Jim Hartle's Gravity is a gem that offers a novel approach to general relativity pedagogy. It is written for senior level undergraduate physics students, but I expect it will be useful for a broader audience. The writing throughout is clear, methodical, and elegant, spiced with the author's characteristic dry sense of humor. His book is a fine contribution that extends the range of pedagogical choices available to instructors.' Jennie Traschen, Physics Today

‘Teaching general relativity at undergraduate level inevitably brings a dilemma: [whether] to be rigorous from the beginning, developing all the tools necessary to do it but risk discouraging the student with difficult new mathematics or to emphasize the physical aspects but risk being so qualitative that the full content of the theory cannot be grasped by the student. Hartle solves this dilemma in a quite consistent way. The flavour of the physics which relies on general relativity theory is preserved and, at the same time, the reader can, at the end, perform calculations by himself. What more could we ask for in an introductory book on this difficult and fascinating subject?' Júlio C. Fabris, Classical and Quantum Gravity

‘This is an excellent introduction to general relativity with a hands-on approach that is based on physical situations of interest like black holes and the expanding universe. It fills a real gap in the literature for an undergraduate or graduate course.' Stephen Hawking, University of Cambridge

‘… the best elementary introduction to general relativity ever written. It brings relativity fully within the grasp of undergraduates and should trigger the creation of general relativity courses at colleges and universities around the world.' Kip Thorne, California Institute of Technology

‘Hartle brings the beauty and excitement of relativistic gravitation to the appropriate undergraduate level via a remarkably accessible development. He uses many more familiar concepts to produce a broad understanding of the basic structure and applications of the theory. The pedagogy is remarkably effective.' Robert V. Wagoner, Stanford University

‘Hartle is an established master of the field and his competence assures that this book is authoritative. The book provides a striking combination of classical general relativity theory and the latest modern observational results.' Edwin F. Taylor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

‘… a truly novel approach. With Hartle's presentation, relativity is more than its dry mathematics; instead it is an elegant, curious, and intellectually vibrant subject that is central to many of the most intriguing questions in physics and astrophysics today.' Marc Kamionkowski, California Institute of Technology

‘This book should appeal to a new generation of physicists… It includes an excellent review of special relativity and provides a unified geometrical approach to both special and general relativity.' Hans Juergen Weber, University of Virginia

‘A very fine book by a leading expert. By concentrating on physical ideas and the very latest observational results, Hartle achieves his admirable aim of making general relativity accessible without relying on daunting mathematics. This book is likely to become a classic that every physics student should possess.' Jonathan Halliwell, Imperial College London

‘Professor Hartle is to be commended for writing such a fine and much needed introductory book on general relativity. With the right balance of physical ideas and mathematical details delivered in a clear style, this text will be welcomed.' Bei Lok Hu, University of Maryland

‘This book should make a major impact in undergraduate education. It is far clearer and more physically motivating than other texts. The exposition is at precisely the right level … clear worked examples and good problems make it especially useful. Mike Hobson, University of Cambridge

‘… for decades, general relativity has largely been the purview of graduate students … Hartle's new book promises to change that. It provides an admirable overview of one of physics' most beautiful and increasingly relevant theories and can be understood with only a first mechanics class as a prerequisite. It should persuade many physics departments to offer general relativity as a routine part of the undergraduate curriculum.' Arthur Kosowsky, Rutgers University

‘… the ideal text for … an introductory course. In no other single text have I found all the up-to-date material that a modern physicist should know about gravity. At the same time, it is an excellent basis for more advanced study.’ Dieter Brill, University of Maryland

‘This is probably my favourite book on GR at this level. It should appeal to those who also like the physics-first approach, and be accessible to those with an undergraduate-level understanding of mechanics.’ Phillip Helbig, The Observatory

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