Provides the essential principles and results of special relativity as required by undergraduates. The text uses a geometric interpretation of space-time so that a general theory is seen as a natural... This description may be from another edition of this product.
If you are a ambitious highshool student or a physics freshman this is the best place to get started on special realtivity. It is far less mathematically demanding then many books out there and clear on physical concepts. (ch.1) Good review of classical ideas. (ch.2) Need for special relativity, good explanations of galaian and lorentz transformation, and uses of the latter. (ch.3) Good introductions to spacetime geometry (the invariant interval) and relativistic mechanics. (ch.4) Good introduction to basis of general relativity and cosmmology. One of the great things about the book is that it takes the common 'popular' accounts one step further by intoducing physics in precise languge and formulas. So that you can apply your knowldege to actully solve some problems and gain further understanding. There are problems at end of each chapter and they are (mostly) supplemented by answers in an appendix. One thing that is left out completely is relativistic electrodynamics, of course that's only sutibale for a more advanced book. I would've liked to see the power of four vectors utilized more and see the role of tensors.
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