Table of Contents

1: Introduction
2: Special relativity: the new kinematics
3: Special relativity: the flat spacetime
4: Equivalence of gravitation and inertia
5: GR as a geometric theory of gravity
6: GR field equations and its spherical solution
7: Black holes
8: The GR framework for cosmology
9: Big bang thermal relics
10: Inflation and the accelerating universe
11: Tensors formalism for GR
Appendix A: Answer keys to review questions
Appendix B: Solution keys to selected exercises
Appendix C: Glossary of symbols and acronyms
References and bibliography

About the Author

Ta-Pei Cheng is a particle physics theorist. After graduating from Dartmouth College, he obtained his PhD at Rockefeller University with the noted physicist and Einstein biographer Abraham Pais. During 1973-2007 he was on the faculty at University of Missouri - St. Louis, where he now holds the rank of Professor Emeritus. Starting the early 1980's Oxford University Press has published a number of his books, the most recent one being "Einstein's Physics: Atoms,
Quanta, and Relativity - Derived, Explained, and Appraised".

Reviews

The writing is authoritative and lucid, and the author follows a solid development of the special and general theories of relativity before introducing contemporary cosmology. The presentation is streamlined in terms of selection of topics, but this allows a comprehensive discussion of the subject matter. ... Recommended.
*J. R. Burciaga, CHOICE*