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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%
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. |
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