Learning Einstein's General Relativity

In summary, I think you should start with Schutz and then look into Hartle and others if you're interested in teaching GR to undergraduates.
  • #1
Moayd Shagaf
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So, I'm going to learn general relativity but I'm confused in which book I start with
Bernard Schutz book seems excellent but I'm more interested in d'Inverno book,
And Misner/Throne Book Seems complete but its giant and good for reference, So
I think I will go with d'Inverno , but first I need to know about your opnion on Schutz books and If it best than d'Inverno book??
 
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  • #2
Moayd Shagaf said:
So, I'm going to learn general relativity but I'm confused in which book I start with
Bernard Schutz book seems excellent but I'm more interested in d'Inverno book,
And Misner/Throne Book Seems complete but its giant and good for reference, So
I think I will go with d'Inverno , but first I need to know about your opnion on Schutz books and If it best than d'Inverno book??
Have you tried a forum search? There have been LOTS of threads here on the best books for GR. A good place to start is the list of links at the bottom of this page.
 
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  • #3
I suggest B. Crowell's free GR book

http://www.lightandmatter.com/genrel/

Schutz is a better introductory text than d'Inverno. I'd also look at the books by Hartle and Cheng.
 
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  • #4
Go for Hartle instead of D'Inverno or Schutz. Hartle is the best introductory book there is in my opinion.
 
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  • #7
What about Einstein's own paper: "Relativity: The General and the Special Theory"?

Ohh, you are a beginner. Then don't go for it. You'll lose focus and think it very tough if you start with the research paper at the first go.
 
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  • #9
ibkev said:
I thought this article had an interesting discussion of the various approaches to teaching GR. Might help you choose a book in the style that suits the way you learn best. https://www.aapt.org/doorway/TGRU/articles/Moore GRArticle.pdf

George Jones said:
Hartle and Wald both have also written articles on approaches to teaching general relativity:

https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0506075

https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0511073

Hartle and others (including Rai Weiss) were also at that AAPT conference "TEACHING GENERAL RELATIVITY TO UNDERGRADUATES"
https://www.aapt.org/doorway/TGRU/

It was held in 2006 at Syracuse University, when I was finishing up there.
I contributed a poster to it.
https://www.aapt.org/doorway/TGRU/posterabstracts.htm
 
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Related to Learning Einstein's General Relativity

1. What is the concept of General Relativity?

General Relativity is a theory of gravitation that was developed by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century. It explains how gravity works as a curvature of space and time caused by the presence of mass and energy.

2. How does General Relativity differ from Newton's theory of gravity?

Unlike Newton's theory, General Relativity takes into account the curvature of space and time caused by massive objects. It also predicts that gravity can bend light and slow down time, which has been confirmed by various experiments.

3. What are some real-world applications of General Relativity?

General Relativity has several practical applications, such as in GPS systems, where it is used to correct for the effects of time dilation caused by the Earth's gravity. It also helps in understanding the behavior of black holes and the expansion of the universe.

4. Is it necessary to have a background in mathematics to understand General Relativity?

While a basic understanding of mathematics is helpful, it is not necessary to have a mathematical background to understand the concepts of General Relativity. However, a deeper understanding of the theory does require a solid understanding of calculus and geometry.

5. Can General Relativity be tested and proven?

Yes, General Relativity has been extensively tested and has been proven to be a highly accurate theory of gravity. Its predictions have been confirmed by numerous experiments, including the famous bending of light during a solar eclipse and the measurement of gravitational waves.

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