Untangling General Relativity

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.