Gravitation

This landmark text offers a rigorous full-year graduate level course on gravitation physics, teaching students to: • Grasp the laws of physics in flat spacetime • Predict orders of magnitude • Calculate using the principal tools of modern geometry • Predict all levels of precision • Understand Einstein's geometric framework for physics • Explore applications, including pulsars and neutron stars, cosmology, the Schwarzschild geometry and gravitational collapse, and gravitational waves • Probe experimental tests of Einstein's theory • Tackle advanced topics such as superspace and quantum geometrodynamics The book offers a unique, alternating two-track pathway through the subject: • In many chapters, material focusing on basic physical ideas is designated as Track 1. These sections together make an appropriate one-term advanced/graduate level course (mathematical prerequisites: vector analysis and simple partial-differential equations). The book is printed to make it easy for readers to identify these sections. • The remaining Track 2 material provides a wealth of advanced topics instructors can draw from to flesh out a two-term course, with Track 1 sections serving as prerequisites.