Relativity: An Introduction to Spacetime Physics

By Steve Adams

Book Overview

Provides the essential principles and results of special relativity as required by undergraduates. The text uses a geometric interpretation of space-time so that a general theory is seen as a natural extension of the special theory. Although most results are derived from first principles, complex and distracting mathematics is avoided and all mathematical steps and formulae are fully explained and interpreted, often with explanatory diagrams.; The emphasis throughout the text is on understanding the physics of relativity. The structure of the book is designed to allow students of different courses to choose their own route through the short self-contained sections in each chapter. The latter part of the book shows how Einstein's theory of gravity is central to unraveling fundamental questions of cosmology.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1138404233
• ISBN13: 9781138404236
• Release Date: June 2017
• Publisher: CRC Press
• Length: 296 Pages

Customer Reviews

An excellent introduction to Relativity

If you are a ambitious highshool student or a physics freshman this is the best place to get started on special realtivity. It is far less mathematically demanding then many books out there and clear on physical concepts. (ch.1) Good review of classical ideas. (ch.2) Need for special relativity, good explanations of galaian and lorentz transformation, and uses of the latter. (ch.3) Good introductions to spacetime geometry (the invariant interval) and relativistic mechanics. (ch.4) Good introduction to basis of general relativity and cosmmology. One of the great things about the book is that it takes the common 'popular' accounts one step further by intoducing physics in precise languge and formulas. So that you can apply your knowldege to actully solve some problems and gain further understanding. There are problems at end of each chapter and they are (mostly) supplemented by answers in an appendix. One thing that is left out completely is relativistic electrodynamics, of course that's only sutibale for a more advanced book. I would've liked to see the power of four vectors utilized more and see the role of tensors.