A General Relativity Coursebook

"General relativity is a subject that most undergraduates in physics are very curious about, but it has a reputation for being very difficult. This book provides as gentle an introduction to general relativity as possible, leading you through the necessary mathematics in order to arrive at important results. Of course, you cannot avoid the mathematics of general relativity altogether, but, using this book, you can gain access to and appreciation of tensors and differential geometry at a pace you can keep up with. Early chapters build up to a complete derivation of Einstein's Equations, while the final chapters cover the key applications on black holes, cosmology and gravitational waves. It is designed as a coursebook with just enough material to cover in a one-semester undergraduate class, but it is also accessible to any numerate readers who wish to appreciate the power and beauty of Einstein's creation for themselves. Ed Daw is Professor of Particle Astrophysics at the University of Sheffield. He has worked as an experimental physicist since 1998, on searches for dark matter and gravitational waves. His work on gravity led him to volunteer to teach general relativity at Sheffield, which he has continued to do from 2003 until the present. He considers general relativity a hobby, albeit one that is crucial to underpin his understanding of his own research. He also enjoys trying to explain hard things in simple terms, a very good habit for a professor"--