A College Course on Relativity and Cosmology

Einstein's general theory of relativity is introduced in this advanced undergraduate textbook. Without an over emphasis on the difficult mathematics of tensor analysis, the book presents the curved spacetime theory of gravitation. The phenomena of gravitational light deflection, the precession of a planet's orbit, and black holes are discussed with technical detail. The book has an extensive treatment of cosmology from primordial inflation, cosmic microwave background to the dark energy that propels an accelerating universe. The book is the undergraduate edition of the author's previous work, Relativity, Gravitation and Cosmology: A Basic Introduction, published as part of the Oxford Master Series in Physics. This college edition concentrates on the core elements of the subject making it suitable for a one-semester course at the undergraduate level. It can also serve as an accessible introduction to general relativity and cosmology for those readers who want to study the subject on their own.