Einstein's General Relativity is one of the outstanding accomplishments of twentieth century physics. In the twenty-first century, understanding the very early history of the universe and the features of the universe on the largest scales
stands as one of the great challenges in science. While often described as obscure, General Relativity is accessible to students with experience with advanced calculus and special relativity. While our time is limited, we will gain enough understanding to study black holes and the big bang.
Syllabus
Handout: Some Historical Background (I will add to this file during the quarter)
Handout: Meaning of the Action Principle
Handout: Four Vectors (Notes for
lecture of Oct. 9)
Handout: Simple Calculation of Perihelion
Precession
Handout and Homework
Set 7: Primer on Curvature, Stress Tensor and Cosmology
Handout: A Cosmic
Recipe for Thanksgiving
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Homework
Assignments
Midterm Solutions
Final Exam Solutions
