A First Course in General Relativity

by Bernard F. Schutz (Author)

27 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0521277037

ISBN-10: 0521277035

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General relativity has become one of the central pillars of theoretical physics, with important applications in both astrophysics and high-energy particle physics, and no modern theoretical physicist's education should be regarded as complete without some study of the subject. This textbook, based on the author's own undergraduate teaching, develops general relativity and its associated mathematics from a minimum of prerequisites, leading to a physical understanding of the theory in some depth. It reinforces this understanding by making a detailed study of the theory's most important applications - neutron stars, black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmology - using the most up-to-date astronomical developments. The book is suitable for a one-year course for beginning graduate students or for undergraduates in physics who have studied special relativity, vector calculus, and electrostatics. Graduate students should be able to use the book selectively for half-year courses.

A First Course in General Relativity

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Schutz has such mastery of the material that it soon becomes clear that one is in authoritative hands, and topics are selected and developed only to a point where they prove adequate for future needs." The Times Higher Education Supplement

"...ought to inspire more physicists and astronomers to teach--and learn--the other half of the 20th century's revolution in physics." Foundations of Physics

"The book is a goldmine of cleverly constructed problems and exercises (and solutions!)..." Nature

Book Description

Development of the concept of general relativity and its associated mathematics, from a minimum of prerequisites, leads to an in-depth physical understanding of the theory and its most important applications.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product details

Paperback: 392 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 22, 1985)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0521277035
ISBN-13: 978-0521277037
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 27 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #844,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #344 in Books > Science & Math > Physics > Relativity
- #485 in Books > Science & Math > Physics > Nuclear Physics
- #895 in Books > Science & Math > Astronomy & Space Science > Cosmology

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GR for Beginners

ByLouis Sporeon June 3, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Although the book starts clearly enough and anyone adept at calculus should be abe to follow it, it starts to breakdown in the middle when it commits the unforgiveable sin of any science text by using a formula in a different way than it was defined. The cross product is defined for "one-forms" but is soon used with vectors to get incomprehensible results. Also, a formula for normal vectors shows a product of vectors that is neither a cross product or dot product and is thus excluded in a defined vector space. There is no explanation of this anomaly.

As a text for a class these problems could be acceptable since an instructor could guide the student. As a self-help guide it doesn't hold the reader's hand enough.

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good first book for learning general relativity

Byarpard fazakason May 22, 2008

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book is a good introduction to relativity which does not pull punches mathematically speaking but still manages to be merciful to the beginner. I read this book with only a basic background in freshman college physics and calculus. It took me 2 6-month sessions over 2 years to go through it all in detail but it was worth it. It gave me a sufficient familiarity with the core concepts and underlying mathematics to consider tackling a more advanced book on relativity someday. The book starts with special relativity, Minkowski diagrams, 4-vectors, etc., then progresses through background material on tensors, one-forms, metrics, etc. It then goes over general covariance, geodesics in curved spacetime, and the equations of general relativity. Following this there is material on the weak gravity (Newtonian) approximation, including the derivation of the precession of Mercury, a key confirmation of Einstein's theory. Then various metrics relevant to cosmology and black holes are discussed, including the Friedmann-Lemaitre metric (the expanding universe), and the Kerr metric (rotating black holes). It was quite fascinating to see the actual mathematical derivations of many of the key concepts and findings of general relativity that I had previously only read about in popular science books. Each chapter comes with problems which help illuminate the material.

A very worthwhile exercise if non-mathematical descriptions of relativity, cosmology, and high-energy astrophysics leave you wishing for a more in-depth understanding, and if you have a basic physics and math background and the time to spend. Five stars!

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Schutz is the man!

ByGregory Johnsonon December 4, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Schutz is the man! You should get any book this guy writes, though I will say that he does on occasion sweep some seemingly subtle details under the rug which have come back to bit me.

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Good introduction

ByWithanson March 15, 2009

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This books spends a good amount on the basic math and introduction to tensors. You don't need much background to make your way through the material. It provides a nice set of exercises to reinforce the concepts presented in the text.

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Great intro text

BySeanon January 13, 2007

Format: Paperback

I started reading this book at a friend's house about 1 year ago and after graduating and starting to miss physics, I decided to pick it up and try something I didn't get in school. This book does a great job of building a fundamental understand of what is going on(and doesn't shy away from the math). The best part is the different ways it can be read. It is written to leave a lot of the deep math(actually expanding the equations and seeing the results in a more concrete manner) to the reader's discretion. As a working person, this is a huge advantage, as it means I can read ahead to curvature while spending my weekends getting familiar with tensor math.

I highly suggest this as a start for anyone that wants to get a feel for GR(not a pop culture feel, but a real understanding of the ideas and math) but doesn't always have the time to work through the math. I also have the Misner, Thorne and Wheeler book Gravitation, and while it gives a much more expansive study of GR, I don't find myself with the time required to read it.

The only drawback is I feel it doesn't give the best intuition about tensors of a higher order than a one form. But that is probably due to my own lack of intuition in that area.

For clarity, My relevant background in physics and math:

ODE, PDE, Vector Calculus, Introductory Analysis and topology, QM, EM, Mechanics, Optics, Thermodynamics. I've never studied non-euclidean space or any real study of geometry beyond the most basic of real number line topology.