An introduction to the theory of general relativity and its physical consequences. Topics covered include the principle of equivalence, curved spacetime, geodesics and geodesic deviation, the Schwarzschild solution, the deflection of light, and black holes.

Course Outline

Spacetime geometry

Geometry as physics

Special relativity: 4-vector notation, spacetime diagrams

Relativistic kinematics

Acceleration in Minkowski spacetime

The metric, geodesics and the geodesic equation

Curvilinear coordinates

The principle of equivalence

Gravitation as geometry

The Newtonian limit

Relativistic Stars and Black Holes

The Schwarzschild solution

Deflection of light and precession of the perihelion of Mercury

The interior of a star

Gravitational collapse

Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordstrom black holes

The curvature tensor

``Derivation'' of the Einstein equations

The Friedman-Robertson-Walker solutions