GOR Ae VT Pox
AN INTRODUCTION TO EINSTEIN'S
GENERAL ER Ba ATI V 1TY
James B. Hartle"This is an excelent intadction to general relativity with hands-on
approach thats aslo ply suatons of ints ike back holes
andthe expanding univer. fills el gap inthe irate for an
undergradte or graduate stent couse bok
Spon Haking, University of Cambridge
the best elementary induction to general elatiity eer writen. I
brings lati ul within the rasp of undergraduates and should
tigger cretion of general lati coues at alles and univers
around the wold
‘pS. Thorne, Caltech; autor of Black Hole and Te Warps:
isle’ Outrageous Legacy
“Harte brings the beauty and excitement of reais gravitation tothe
appropriate undergraduate ee via a remarkably acoesile development,
Ne uses many more familiar eonoeps to produce a broad understanding,
cf the base structure and applications ofthe theory The pedagogy 5
remarkably fective
Robert V Wagoner, Sanford University
Harte san established master ofthe id and his enmpetence assures
that this book i authoritative. The book provides astriking combination
cof classical general relativity theory and the latest modem observational
resus,
‘din Taylor, Massachusetts Institute of Technolgy
taly novel approach. With Hart's presentation, relat is
‘more than is dry mathematics; instead, isan elegant, curious, and
intellectually vibrant sbjet thats central to many ofthe mast
Intriguing questions in physics and astrophysics today”
Marc Kamionboushi, California instie of Tecbnology
“This book should appeal oa new generation of physicists. It includes
an excelent review of secial elatity and provides a unified metrical
approach to both SR and GR
Hans Juergen Weber, University of Virginia
A “physics first” approach to Einstein's general relativity
Einstein's theory of general relativity is a comerstone of moder physics. It embrace a wealth
of frontier scientific topic including curved spacetime, black holes, gravitational waves, and
cosmology, General relativity is increasingly central to contemporary physics and astronomy and
therefore to an undergraduate physi education. The aim of ths ground-breaking new txt is to
‘make tis fandamental theory accesible to undergraduate students. Using a "physics fist"
approach, a minimum of new mathematics, and a wealth of applications, renowned relatvist
‘James Harte provides a fluent and accesible introduction for physicists and others interested in
this central achievement of modem science.
“Avery fne book by aleang expert By eonoenrating on physical ideas
and the very latest observational results, Hale achiews his admirable
lm of making general relativity acessbe without eying on daunting
mathematics This bok is kely to became a casi that every physics
student should pases,
Jonathan Halle, Imperial College, London
Profesor Harte s to be commended fr writing such a fine and much
ede introductory book on general reat. Wit the right balance of
plysical ideas and mathematical details delivered in cea ye this
wil be a weleome text
Bei ak Hl, University of Maryland
“This book should make a major impact in undergraduate education
Iti far learer and more physically motivating than other texts. The
exposition ia precisely the right vel. and clear worked examples
and goo problems make it espeilly useful”
‘Michael Hobson, University of Cambridge
for decades general relativity hs largely been the purview of
raat tudes... Harte new book promises to change that. It
provides an admirable overview of one of physics’ most beautiful and
increasingly relevant theories and can be understood with only a fist
‘mechanics class prerequisite should persuade many physics
department oof general relativity sa routine part ofthe unde
‘graduate curriculum.”
Artur Kosoushy,Rulgers University
"te deal text for. .an introductory course Inno oer single ext
have I found all the upto date material that modem physicist should
[now about gravity. At the sume time it san excellent basi for more
advanced study
Dieter Bil, Univesity of Maryland
Pease visit us at wnaw.cony/physics for more information. To order any of our products, contact our customer sevice department at (80) 824-7798,
(201) 767-5021 outside ofthe US, o st your campus bookstore.
Pearson
beter in Cool
ISBN 0-8053-8bb2-9
| | i
ol7a80s!3a6622IMPORTANT SPACETIMES (geometrized units)
Flat Spacetime
Cartesian Coordinates
nopdx"dx®
Spatial Spherical Polar Coordinates
ds? = —d? + dr? +°d0? +r? sin? ade?
Static, Weak Field Metric
ds? = (1+ 20(x')) dP + (1 = 20) dx? + dy? +2), (OO) KD).
Schwarzschild Geometry
Schwarzschild Coordinates
2M Nraitsrs eae ieee tarts
at =—(1 )aee(1- ) a + Pao? + sin? 946?)
Eddington-Finkelstein Coordinates
2M) | 5 249? asin? pag?
—(1- ==) dv? + 2dudr + r?(de? + sin? ode?)
r
IM? ri 2 2 pale?
Se 2M (dv? + dU?) + (a6? + sin? ode?)
Kruskal-Szekeres Coordinates
Kerr Geometry
where
a=J/M, p> =r 4a° cos? 6, —2Mr+a?