MTH 437/537: General Relativity
Spring 2009

Hotlist:   Announcements,   Books,   Homework.

Tevian Dray

Office hours: MWF 10–11:30 AM in Kidder 298A (and by appt)

Phone: 737-5159

Email:

Class Meetings:   

Section 001: MWF 1 PM in Wngr 275

Required Text:

James B. Hartle, Gravity, Addison Wesley, 2003.

Optional Texts:

Edwin F. Taylor & John Archibald Wheeler, Exploring Black Holes, Addison Wesley Longman, 2000.

Sean Carroll, Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity, Addison Wesley, 2004.

Further information about these texts can be found here.

A brief discussion of these and other books can be found on the book list.

WARNING: We will not follow the text exactly.

Web Site: http://math.oregonstate.edu/~tevian/onid/MTH437

Check the announcements page frequently.

Course Evaluation:

There will be (roughly) weekly homework (30% of grade), a midterm (30%), and a final (40%).

Course Description:

This course is a nearly self-contained introduction to Einstein's theory of general relativity, one of the most mathematically elegant physical theories ever proposed. In essence, this theory says that gravity is curvature!
After briefly considering special relativity from a geometric point of view we will then study the Einstein field equations. We will examine several special solutions of these equations, including simple cosmological models, such as the Big Bang, and black holes.

Prerequisites:

The recommended prerequisite for this course is MTH 434. A working knowledge of both multivariable calculus and linear algebra is essential. although what is really needed is a certain amount of scientific maturity, rather than background in a particular area. Students who have not taken MTH 434 are strongly encouraged to contact me in order to discuss their background.