Untangling General Relativity - by Simon Sherwood (Paperback)

About the Book

"I remember my introduction to general relativity. It was an online course that bombarded my brain with a blizzard of mathematics: parallel transport, covariant derivatives, Riemann tensors,Ricci tensors, Christoffel symbols (known affectionately as Cripes-they're-awful symbols), the energy-momentum tensor, the Schwarzschild metric, the cosmological constant... I could go on and on. My gut reaction was to recoil in horror and wonder how any normal human being can understand the subject. I suspect this is the reaction of many students, which is why I have written this book."-- Provided by publishe

From the Back Cover

An easy-to-read introduction to Einstein's theory of general relativity

In Untangling General Relativity, Simon Sherwood explains the details of general relativity with clarity, enthusiasm, and a sense of fun. Designed to be accessible to non-experts, the book combines intuitive explanations with the essential mathematics needed for a deep understanding of the subject. Sherwood introduces that maths gradually and clearly, in a step-by-step program designed to expand your appreciation and grasp of general relativity.

Untangling General Relativity serves as an effective springboard for more in-depth studies. It lays the groundwork for mastering the advanced topics covered in relativity textbooks and university physics courses.

Readers will find:

• A thorough introduction to general relativity, including the interpretation of gravity as curved spacetime and a full derivation of Einstein's field equations
• Comprehensive explanations of the spacetime metric, the equivalence principle, the geodesic equation, and the energy-momentum and curvature tensors
• Vacuum curvature: the Schwarzschild and Kerr metrics, black holes, white holes, event horizons, and gravitational waves
• Cosmology: the Friedmann equations, dark matter and energy, the Big Bang, inflation and an overview of current efforts to develop a quantum theory of gravity

Perfect for undergraduate students preparing to take a university-level physics course dealing with general relativity for the first time, Untangling General Relativity will also benefit students of the natural sciences and instructors and educators with a professional or academic interest in the subject.

About the Author

Simon Sherwood is the author of Quantum Untangling (Wiley, 2023). Previously he was Chairman of Elegant Hotels PLC and the CEO of Orient-Express Hotels. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is also a former strategy consultant with the Boston Consulting Group.