The two-volume book Relativity Made Relatively Easy provides a comprehensive and detailed account of the physics of Relativity. Volume 1, which was published in 2012, is devoted to covering the basics of the theory of Special Relativity, assuming almost no prior knowledge, making it suitable for undergraduates studying the subject. Volume 2 encourages students to take their learning further by providing a working understanding of astronomy and gravitational waves, as well as introducing the reader to the key concepts in cosmology and classical field theory. Beginning with a survey of the main ideas, the text goes on to give the methodological foundations (linearized approximation, differential geometry, covariant differentiation, physics in curved spacetime). It covers the generic properties of horizons and black holes, including Hawking radiation, introduces the key concepts in cosmology and gives a grounding in classical field theory, including spinors and the Dirac equation, and a Lagrangian approach to General Relativity. The book is suitable for self-study and is aimed throughout at clarity, physical insight, and simplicity, presenting explanations and derivations in full, and providing many explicit examples.

The two-volume book Relativity Made Relatively Easy provides a comprehensive and detailed account of the physics of Relativity. Volume 1, which was published in 2012, is devoted to covering the basics of the theory of Special Relativity, assuming almost no prior knowledge, making it suitable for undergraduates studying the subject. Volume 2 encourages students to take their learning further by providing a working understanding of astronomy and gravitational waves, as well as introducing the reader to the key concepts in cosmology and classical field theory. Beginning with a survey of the main ideas, the text goes on to give the methodological foundations (linearized approximation, differential geometry, covariant differentiation, physics in curved spacetime). It covers the generic properties of horizons and black holes, including Hawking radiation, introduces the key concepts in cosmology and gives a grounding in classical field theory, including spinors and the Dirac equation, and a Lagrangian approach to General Relativity. The book is suitable for self-study and is aimed throughout at clarity, physical insight, and simplicity, presenting explanations and derivations in full, and providing many explicit examples.

Following on from a previous volume on Special Relativity, Andrew Steane's second volume on General Relativity and Cosmology is aimed at advanced undergraduate or graduate students undertaking a physics course, and encourages them to expand their knowledge of Special Relativity. Beginning with a survey of the main ideas, the textbook goes on to give the methodological foundations to enable a working understanding of astronomy and gravitational waves (linearized approximation, differential geometry, covariant differentiation, physics in curved spacetime). It covers the generic properties of horizons and black holes, including Hawking radiation, introduces the key concepts in cosmology and gives a grounding in classical field theory, including spinors and the Dirac equation, and a Lagrangian approach to General Relativity. The textbook is designed for self-study and is aimed throughout at clarity, physical insight, and simplicity, presenting explanations and derivations in full, and providing many explicit examples.

Relativity Made Relatively Easy presents an extensive study of Special Relativity and a gentle (but exact) introduction to General Relativity for undergraduate students of physics. Assuming almost no prior knowledge, it allows the student to handle all the Relativity needed for a university course, with explanations as simple, thorough, and engaging as possible. The aim is to make manageable what would otherwise be regarded as hard; to make derivations as simple as possible and physical ideas as transparent as possible. Lorentz invariants and four-vectors are introduced early on, but tensor notation is postponed until needed. In addition to the more basic ideas such as Doppler effect and collisions, the text introduces more advanced material such as radiation from accelerating charges, Lagrangian methods, the stress-energy tensor, and introductory General Relativity, including Gaussian curvature, the Schwarzschild solution, gravitational lensing, and black holes. A second volume will extend the treatment of General Relativity somewhat more thoroughly, and also introduce Cosmology, spinors, and some field theory.

Aimed at advanced undergraduate or graduate physics students, the book aims to give a working understanding of astronomy and gravitational waves, as well as introducing the reader to the key concepts in cosmology and classical field theory.

"Beginning with a clear, nontechnical discussion of both the 'special' and 'general' theories of relativity, astrophysicist Chaisson explores their theoretical and experimental bases and what these say about the origin and structure of the universe".--Library Journal Photographs and drawings.

Two of the greatest astrophysicists of the 20th century explore general relativity, properties of matter under astrophysical conditions, stars, and stellar systems. A valuable resource for physicists, astronomers, graduate students. 1971 edition.