An Introduction to Tensor Calculus, Relativity and Cosmology [Paperback]

Derek F. Lawden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 1982

Elementary introduction pays special attention to aspects of tensor calculus and relativity that students find most difficult. Contents include tensors in curved spaces and application to general relativity theory; black holes; gravitational waves; application of general relativity principles to cosmology. Numerous exercises. Solution guide available upon request. 1982 edition.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd; 3rd edition (June 2, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047110096X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471100966
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,606,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

148 of 150 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The easiest and the cheapest technical introduction to GR, September 18, 2003

By 

Wolfgang Zernik (Doylestown, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Introduction to Tensor Calculus, Relativity and Cosmology (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

There are many books on General Relativity but the reader has to be careful to pick the right one so as not to waste his (or rarely her) time and money! Lawden's book belongs to the class of technical introductions - it requires you to have an undergraduate background in physics and mathematics. The author is primarily a teacher and he has taken care to make the material as easy to understand as possible. On the other hand, this book will not enable you to go directly to the research literature. A great plus of the book is the very reasonable price. I have had the infuriating experience of paying more than $100 for a highly praised textbook only to find it unreadable. The mathematical formalism Lawden employs (tensor calculus based on covariant and contravariant tensors) is now considered old fashioned but it is still the easiest for a beginner in my opinion. Once you have finished this book, I recommend that you read Synge and Schild's "Tensor Calculus" for more depth in the mathematics and also "The Principle of Relativity" (a collection of original papers by Einstein and others) to get a feeling for the history of the subject. Both of these are also Dover paperbacks and very cheap. Then if you want a more modern approach, I recommend Schutz's "A First Course in General Relativity" which is still reasonably priced and will bring you closer to the level of contemporary research. Schutz uses a formalism of tensor calculus which aligns it with differential geometry and is now used in advanced textbooks.

76 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for self learners, July 7, 2005

By 

Tom Mozdzen (Phoenix, Az) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Introduction to Tensor Calculus, Relativity and Cosmology (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

I'm really impressed with the clarity of the material.
I've worked through 21 problems in chapter 2, and the answers to the exercies do not have a single mistake in them yet.

The publisher will also email you a .pdf file of all of the chapter problems worked out in detail. I've found the solutions to the problems to be a good supplement to the text itself.

I would buy other titles from this author and publisher.

65 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to the topic, March 18, 2005

By 

K. Narayanaswami - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Introduction to Tensor Calculus, Relativity and Cosmology (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

This book is very good for those seeking an introduction to Tensor Calculus, Relativity and Cosmology. Nothing more than a basic and fundamental know-how of physics is required, atleast for the first few chapters. If you're comfortable with the simple basics of linear algebra, classical mechanics, electromagnetics and calculus, you should have no problem with this book.

The book starts out with a basic review of classical physics and very quickly progresses to the Lorentz Transformation, and then to Cartesian Tensors and Special Relativity. Lawden handles the flow quite well, and covers the basic Special Relativity mechanics & electrodynamics as well as general Tensor Calculus & Riemann Spaces. Finally, he proceeds to discuss the General Theory of Relativity with a strong focus on Black Holes & Gravitational waves and analyzes elements of Cosmology in the light of the General Theory of Relativity.

However, I would not recommend this book in and of itself for learning Tensor Calculus. Unfortunately, Lawden does not have any relevant references to Quantum Mechanics, either, which would have proven to be immensely useful to the novice reader. You'd also do well to brush up on your physics fundamentals before jumping head-on.

This book primarily acts as a very basic introduction to those that are not familiar with some aspects of elementary modern physics such as Tensor Calculus and Relativity, and does an extremely good job of that.

Personally, I'd highly recommend this book if you're looking to read up on Relativity & related areas.