Special Relativity
PHYS 4146
Spring semester 2011
- Course description
-
Gravitational physics is becoming increasingly important in many aspects of modern physics research, including astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics. We will use a "physics first" approach pioneered by James Hartle, allowing us to include topics from General Relativity such as black holes, gravitational waves and cosmology to the traditional course in Special Relativity. We will cover fast moving (Special) and highly curved spacetimes (General).
Prerequisites: classical mechanics. E & M is not required.
- Course schedule
- ChaosBook.org/~predrag/courses/PHYS-4146-11/schedule.xml
- Place and times
-
Howey S204, Tues Thurs 9:35-10:55am
- Instructor
- Predrag Cvitanović
(there is no TA for the course)
Office: Howey W501 (office hours: Tuesday 3-4pm)
Phone: 404 487 8469
E-mail: predrag snail gatech dot edu
- Textbook
-
James B. Hartle,
Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein's General Relativity
(Addison Wesley, San Francisco 2003).
Click here
to find online retailers who sell the book.
- Other resources
-
Roger Penrose, The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe
(Knopf 2005), is an amazing and wonderfully engaging attempt to teach you the meaning
of all mathematical methods you will ever need.
- Teaching method
-
Two lectures
and a homework problem set per week.
- Grading
-
How is this course graded?
-
Where are the solution sets?
- Questions
-
I have to skip next lecture?
Dog ate my homework?
What help aids can I take along?
Pedagogical strategy?
- Start
-
Tuesday Jan 11 2011, 9:35 in Howey S204