HOMEWORK
MTH 437/537 — Spring 2013

Ground Rules

Suggested Reading
It is to your advantage to skim suggested readings as soon as possible. However, do not expect to master this material the first time around. Don't worry; we'll cover it in class, after which the readings should make more sense. But be warned: we will not always cover the material the same way it is presented in the text. The bottom line is that you are only responsible for material covered in class.
Written Work
It is your job to explain your work to me clearly and completely. Here are some guidelines: You may discuss homework problems with anyone you like, and you may use any reference materials you like. However, you must write up the solutions in your own words, and you must indicate what help you used. Late homework will be corrected as a courtesy to you, but can earn at most half credit.

Assignments

Week 9
Suggested reading:
The rest of Chapter 8 of the text.
Assignment:
No assignment due 6/3.
Week 8
Suggested reading:
The rest of Chapter 7 and the first four sections of Chapter 8 of the text.
Assignment (due 5/29/13):
Please complete the second assignment on the assignment sheet.
The first assigment was due last week, and should be resubmitted now along with the second assignment.
Week 7
Suggested reading:
The first four sections of Chapter 7 of the text.
(You may also want to (re)read §7.6 and §7.7 of my differential forms book.)
Assignment (due 5/20/13):
Please complete the first assigment on the assignment sheet.
The second assigment is not due for another week, but you are encouraged to work on both assignments together.
Week 6
Suggested reading:
The first two sections of Chapter 6 of the text.
(You may also want to skim the rest of Chapter 6, especially the last two sections.)
My notes on computer algebra systems and relativity.
Assignment (due 5/13/13):
Please complete the assignment sheet.
Week 5
Suggested reading:
Chapter 4 of the text, as well as the first two sections of Chapter 5.
Assignment (complete by 5/10/13):
Compute the connection 1-forms and the curvature 2-forms for the Schwarzschild metric.
You do not need to turn this in, but you are strongly encouraged to perform these computations. You can check your answers in several places, including Relativity Demystified (with a little work — the notation is a bit different, and a more general computation is done there). If checking your answers elsewhere, make sure you know the difference between an orthonormal frame and a coordinate frame!
Week 4
Suggested reading:
The last four sections of Chapter 3 of the text.
Assignment (due 5/1/13) (WEDNESDAY!):
Please complete the assignment sheet.
Week 3
Suggested reading:
§1.7 of the text.
The first five six sections of Chapter 3 of the text.
Assignment (due 4/24/13) (WEDNESDAY!):
Please complete the assignment sheet.
Week 2
Suggested reading:
§1.5 of the text, and/or the resources listed here.
§1.6 of the text, and/or Chapter 8 of my notes on differential forms, especially §8.1 and §8.3–§8.4.
The first three sections of Chapter 2 of the text.
Assignment (not to turn in):
Make sure you understand how to determine the connection 1-forms for polar coordinates. It wouldn't hurt to compute the curvature 2-forms as well.
Assignment (due 4/15/13):
Please complete the assignment sheet.
Week 1
Suggested reading:
Chapters 4–6 of my notes on special relativity, which are summarized in the first four sections of Chapter 1 of the text.
Assignment (due 4/5/13):
Please send a short email message to me at tevian@math.oregonstate.edu.
Please include the following information: I will assume that email is a reliable way to reach you unless you tell me otherwise.
Assignment (due 4/8/13):
Please complete the assignment sheet.