A Most Incomprehensible Thing: Notes Towards a Very Gentle Introduction to the Mathematics of Relativity Contributor(s): Collier, Peter (Author) |
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ISBN: 0957389469 ISBN-13: 9780957389465 Publisher: Incomprehensible Books OUR PRICE: $15.19 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: April 2017 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Science | Physics - Relativity - Science | Physics - Mathematical & Computational - Science | Cosmology |
Dewey: 530.11 |
Physical Information: 0.58" H x 8.5" W x 11" (1.42 lbs) 276 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: A clear and enjoyable guide to the mathematics of relativity To really understand relativity - one of the cornerstones of modern physics - you have to get to grips with the mathematics. This user-friendly self-study guide is aimed at the general reader who is motivated to tackle that not insignificant challenge. The book is written using straightforward and accessible language, with clear derivations and explanations as well as numerous fully solved problems. For those with minimal mathematical background, the first chapter provides a crash course in foundation mathematics. The reader is then taken gently by the hand and guided through a wide range of fundamental topics, including Newtonian mechanics; the Lorentz transformations; tensor calculus; the Einstein field equations; the Schwarzschild solution (which gives a good approximation of the spacetime of our Solar System); simple black holes and relativistic cosmology. Following the historic 2015 LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) detection, there is now an additional chapter on gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of spacetime that potentially provide a revolutionary new way to study the universe.
Understand even the basics of Einstein's amazing theory and the world will never seem the same again.
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