An Introduction to General Relativity and Cosmology (Hardcover)

Jerzy Plebanski

ISBN 10: 100941562X / ISBN 13: 9781009415620

Published by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2024

About this Item

Hardcover. Experts Plebanski and Krasinski provide a thorough introduction to the tools of general relativity and relativistic cosmology. Assuming familiarity with advanced calculus, classical mechanics, electrodynamics and special relativity, the text begins with a short course on differential geometry, taking a unique top-down approach. Starting with general manifolds on which only tensors are defined, the covariant derivative and affine connection are introduced before moving on to geodesics and curvature. Only then is the metric tensor and the (pseudo)-Riemannian geometry introduced, specialising the general results to this case. The main text describes relativity as a physical theory, with applications to astrophysics and cosmology. It takes the reader beyond traditional courses on relativity through in-depth descriptions of inhomogeneous cosmological models and the Kerr metric. Emphasis is given to complete and clear derivations of the results, enabling readers to access research articles published in relativity journals. Experts Plebanski and Krasinski provide a thorough introduction to the tools of general relativity and relativistic cosmology, guiding advanced students through complete derivations of the results. Starting with a short course on differential geometry, the main text describes relativity as a physical theory. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781009415620

Bibliographic Details

• Title: An Introduction to General Relativity and Cosmology (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
• Publication Date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 100941562X
• ISBN 13: 9781009415620
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 2nd Edition
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Experts introduce the tools of GR and relativistic cosmology, guiding advanced students through complete derivations of the results.

About the Authors

Jerzy Plebański (1928–2005) was a Polish theoretical physicist best known for his extensive research into general relativity, nonlinear electrodynamics and mathematical physics. He split his time between Warsaw, Poland, and Mexico, his permanent residence from the mid-1970s onwards. He is remembered, among other things, for defining the algebraic classification of the tensor of matter, for finding new solutions of the Einstein equations (for example, the Plebański–Demiański metric), formulation of the heavenly equations and the effective field theory relating GR and supergravity, known as Plebański action. The first part of the book is developed from Plebański's lecture notes.

Andrzej Krasiński is Emeritus Professor at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. He served for many years on the Editorial Board of the journal 'General Relativity and Gravitation' and has acted as Poland's elected representative on the international committee of the International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation. He is author of Inhomogeneous Cosmological Models (Cambridge, 1997), co-author of Structures in the Universe by Exact Methods (Cambridge, 2009), and co-editor of Golden Oldies in General Relativity (Springer, 2013). His research record includes many papers on the interpretation of inhomogeneous cosmological models. He is also a co-author of a computer program, Ortocartan, for algebraic calculations in general relativity.