Relativity theory has become one of the icons of Twentieth Century science. It's reckoned to be a difficult subject, taught as a layered series of increasingly difficult mathematics and increasingly abstract concepts. We're told that relativity theory is supposed to be this complicated and counter-intuitive. But how much of this historical complexity is really necessary? Can we bypass the interpretations and paradoxes and pseudoparadoxes of Einstein's special theory and jump directly to a deeper and more intuitive description of reality? What if curvature is a fundamental part of physics, and a final theory of relativity shouldn't reduce to Einstein's "flat" 1905 theory //on principle//? "Relativity..." takes us on a whistlestop tour of Twentieth Century physics - from black holes, quantum mechanics, wormholes and the Big Bang to the workings of the human mind, and asks: what would physics look like without special relativity? 394 printed pages, 234156 mm, 200 figures and illustrations, includes bibliography and index www.relativitybook.com

This text explains special relativity and the basics of general relativity from a geometric viewpoint. Space-time geometry is emphasised throughout, and up-to-date information is provided on black holes, gravitational collapse, and cosmology.

Hermann Minkowski recast special relativity as essentially a new geometric structure for spacetime. This book looks at the ideas of both Einstein and Minkowski, and then introduces the theory of frames, surfaces and intrinsic geometry, developing the main implications of Einstein's general relativity theory.

This book gives a rigourous discussion of the local effects of curvature on the behaviour of waves. In the course of this discussion many techniques are developed which are also needed for a study of more general problems, in which the gravitational field itself plays a dynamical role.

The theory of quantum fields on curved spacetimes has attracted great attention since the discovery, by Stephen Hawking, of black-hole evaporation. It remains an important subject for the understanding of such contemporary topics as inflationary cosmology, quantum gravity and superstring theory. This book provides, for mathematicians, an introduction to this field of physics in a language and from a viewpoint which such a reader should find congenial. Physicists should also gain from reading this book a sound grasp of various aspects of the theory, some of which have not been particularly emphasised in the existing review literature. The topics covered include normal-mode expansions for a general elliptic operator, Fock space, the Casimir effect, the 'Klein' paradox, particle definition and particle creation in expanding universes, asymptotic expansion of Green's functions and heat kernels, and renormalisation of the stress tensor. The style is pedagogic rather than formal; some knowledge of general relativity and differential geometry is assumed, but the author does supply background material on functional analysis and quantum field theory as required. The book arose from a course taught to graduate students and could be used for self-study or for advanced courses in relativity and quantum field theory.

An accessible introductory textbook on general relativity, covering the theory's foundations, mathematical formalism and major applications.

The theory of relativity describes the laws of physics in a given space-time. However, a physical theory must provide observational predictions expressed in terms of measurements, which are the outcome of practical experiments and observations. Ideal for readers with a mathematical background and a basic knowledge of relativity, this book will help readers understand the physics behind the mathematical formalism of the theory of relativity. It explores the informative power of the theory of relativity, and highlights its uses in space physics, astrophysics and cosmology. Readers are given the tools to pick out from the mathematical formalism those quantities that have physical meaning and which can therefore be the result of a measurement. The book considers the complications that arise through the interpretation of a measurement, which is dependent on the observer who performs it. Specific examples of this are given to highlight the awkwardness of the problem.