PHYS324 Course Outline (PDF)

Grading: 

Homework 30% (4 Problem Sets -dropping lowest score )
Midterm Exam 30%
Final Exam 40%

General Relativity is the theory of gravity developed in the early 20th century. It is often said to be the most beautiful physical theory constructed and its consequences are still being tested today. This class is an introduction to this topic and its application to understanding cosmological phenomena. Topics that will be covered include black holes, early universe cosmology, gravitational waves, and Hawking radiation.
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The course materials are provided below.

​The main textbook for the class is  
Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein’s General Relativity James B. Hartle


An introductory, undergraduate text in general relativity at the junior senior level. The development follows a physics first approach. The simplest physically relevant solutions of the Einstein equation are presented first, without derivation, to be explored and applied to realistic astrophysical situations like black holes, gravitational radiation, and the beginning of the universe. 

Useful References

• B. Schutz, A First Course in General Relativity (2nd Edition), Cambridge University Press 2009.
• Relativity, Gravitation and Cosmology, by Robert J.A. Lambourne (Cambridge University Press, 2010).  
• Ray d’Inverno, Introducing Einstein's Relativity Oxford University Press; 2nd edition (September 7, 2022)
• Leonard Susskind & Andre Cabannes, General Relativity (2023)
• Brian P. Dolan, Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, (2023)

 This course will develop the theory of general relativity using the tools of spacetime geometry and the principle of least action.  

We will cover the following topics: 
  •Special Relativity,  • Gravity as Geometry,  • Spherical Stars and Black Holes,  • Einstein’s Equations,• Cosmology,