Module overview
This is a module principally on Einstein's general theory of relativity, a relativistic theory of gravitation which explains gravitational effects as coming from the curvature of space-time. It provides a comprehensive introduction to material which is currently the subject of enthusiastic study from the theoretical and experimental standpoints.
The module starts by introducing the special theory of relativity in a manner designed to make the transition to the general theory more tractable. In addition, in order to understand the general theory fully, some familiarity with tensor calculus is required. This will involve some self-study material at the start of the module. The rest of the module will be devoted to a detailed investigation of the theory itself together with applications to classical black holes and cosmology. The theory is full of surprises and challenging new ideas and the module is designed to make these accessible to students from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Linked modules
Pre-requisites: (MATH1057 AND MATH2038) OR (MATH2015 OR MATH2047 OR MATH2048)