Einstein's General Theory of Relativity

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Einstein's general theory of relativity can be a notoriously difficult subject for students approaching it for the first time, with arcane mathematical concepts such as connection coefficients and tensors adorned with a forest of indices. This book is an elementary introduction to Einstein's theory and the physics of curved space-times that avoids these complications as much as possible. Its first half describes the physics of black holes, gravitational waves and the expanding Universe, without using tensors. Only in the second half are Einstein's field equations derived and used to explain the dynamical evolution of the early Universe and the creation of the first elements. Each chapter concludes with problem sets and technical mathematical details are given in the appendices. This short text is intended for undergraduate physics students who have taken courses in special relativity and advanced mechanics.

The General Theory of Relativity

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The book aims to expound the general theory of relativity with a mathematical point of view. Catering to the needs of postgraduate students and researchers in the field of astrophysics and mathematical physics, it offers the readers a comprehensive understanding of the advanced topics of the subject matter. It specifically discusses the mathematical foundation of tensor calculus, gives a background of geodesics, Einstein's field equations, linearised gravity, spacetime of spherically symmetric distribution of matter and black holes, and particle and photon orbits in spacetime. Apart from the formulation of general relativity, Lie derivatives and its applications, and causality of spacetime are also discussed in detail. Certain preliminary concepts of extrinsic curvature, Lagrangian formalism of general theory of relativity and 3 + 1 decomposition of space-time are covered and are provided in the book as appendices.