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Physics 5500 Special Topics: Relativity

Physics 6910: Relativity I

 

Fall 2015

SER 122, 2:30-3:45 MW

 

Instructor:                James T. Wheeler

Coordinates:            jim.wheeler@usu.edu

SER 228

Office hours:            By appointment

 

Maple Instructor:    Charles Torre

                                    Charles.Torre@usu.edu

 

Text:                           Notes; posted online

A First Course in General Relativity, by Bernard Schutz

                                    Second Edition, Cambridge University Press

 

Subjects treated:

 

á      Review of Special Relativity

á      Mathematical methods of General Relativity

á      The General Theory of Relativity

á      Applications of General Relativity to black holes and cosmology

á      Use of MPL software for geometric calculations (special sessions taught by Charles Torre)*

 

 

Goals:

á      Learn the mathematical tools required for by special relativity and general relativity, including basics of tensor analysis and differential geometry.

á      Be able to compute and use the metric, connection and curvature of a Riemannian geometry.

á      Understand the physical content of general relativity, including the effect of matter on the geometry of spacetime and the effect of geometry on the motion of matter.

á      Show an understanding of the application of general relativity to the description of collapsed stars and cosmology.

á      Become familiar with the various experimental tests of general relativity.

á      Use Maple subroutines to compute geometric properties.

 

*Maple:

 

Charles Torre will hold some additional meetings with the Relativity class this semester to work with you on computational methods in relativity using the computer. While it is crucial that you learn how the computations are done by hand so you can understand what is going on mathematically, nowadays, routine computations in tensor analysis and general relativity are done using the computer.

 

I propose we meet on certain Fridays at 2:30 - the dates to be arranged as we go.  Our computational tool will be the DifferentialGeometry package in Maple. This package was developed here at USU.  I will show you how to use this package and use it for many of the computations needed in your coursework. Along the way you will also become proficient in symbolic computation, which may be of some use to you in the future.

 

To get started, I need to have everyone install the Maple symbolic computation software on their computers.  USU has a site license for this software, and I have an installation disk.  If you do not already have Maple on your computer, please come and see me (SER 232) and I will loan you the installation disk.  Once everyone has Maple installed, I will give you an update to the latest DifferentialGeometry software.  

 

Let us plan on our first meeting on Friday, January 23 at 2:30 p.m. in SER 122. (I might change this to SER 244 - I will let you know.)  More information about this meeting will be forthcoming.  DonÕt hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns.

 

 

 

Grading

 

Your grade will be based on the following weighting of course elements:

 

Homework:   30%

Midterm I:      30%

Final Exam:   40%

 

Total:              100%

 

 

 

 

 

Students with ADA-documented physical, sensory, emotional or medical impairments may be eligible for reasonable accommodations. Veterans may also be eligible for services. All accommodations are coordinated through the Disability Resource Center (DRC) in Room 101 of the University Inn, (435)797-2444 voice, (435)797-0740 TTY, (435)797-2444 VP, or toll free at 1-800-259-2966. Please contact the DRC as early in the semester as possible. Alternate format materials (Braille, large print or digital) are available with advance notice.

 

 

 

 

Course Information

Syllabus

Homework

 

Notes