Gravitation

About this book

This landmark text offers a rigorous full-year graduate level course on gravitation physics, teaching students to: * Grasp the laws of physics in flat spacetime * Predict orders of magnitude * Calculate using the principal tools of modern geometry * Predict all levels of precision * Understand Einstein's geometric framework for physics * Explore applications, including pulsars and neutron stars, cosmology, the Schwarzschild geometry and gravitational collapse, and gravitational waves * Probe experimental tests of Einstein's theory * Tackle advanced topics such as superspace and quantum geometrodynamics The book offers a unique, alternating two-track pathway through the subject: * In many chapters, material focusing on basic physical ideas is designated as Track 1. These sections together make an appropriate one-term advanced/graduate level course (mathematical prerequisites: vector analysis and simple partial-differential equations). The book is printed to make it easy for readers to identify these sections. * The remaining Track 2material provides a wealth of advanced topics instructors can draw from to flesh out a two-term course, with Track 1 sections serving as prerequisites.