A First course in general relativity/ Bernard Schutz

Includes bibliography and index

Special relativity -- Vector analysis in special relativity -- Tensor analysis in special relativity -- Perfect fluids in special relativity -- Preface to curvature -- Curved manifolds -- Physics in a curved spacetime -- The Einstein field equations -- Fundamentals of gravitational radiation -- Spherical solutions for stars -- Schwarzschild geometry and black holes -- Gravitational wave astronomy -- Cosmology

larity, readability, and rigor combine in the third edition of this widely used textbook to provide the first step into general relativity for advanced undergraduates with a minimal background in mathematics. Topics within relativity that fascinate astrophysics researchers and students alike are covered with Schutz's characteristic ease and authority, from black holes to relativistic objects, from pulsars to the study of the Universe as a whole. This third edition contains discoveries by astronomers that require general relativity for their explanation; two chapters on gravitational waves, including direct detections of gravitational waves and their observations' impact on cosmological measurements; new information on black holes and neutron stars; and greater insight into the expansion of the Universe. Over 300 exercises, many new to this edition, give students the confidence to work with general relativity and the necessary mathematics, while the informal writing style and worked examples make the subject matter easily accessible.