A Student's Guide to Special Relativity by Norman Gray
This compact yet informative Guide presents an accessible route through Special Relativity, taking a modern axiomatic and geometrical approach. It begins by explaining key concepts and introducing Einstein's postulates. The consequences of the postulates - length contraction and time dilation - are unravelled qualitatively and then quantitatively. These strands are then tied together using the mathematical framework of the Lorentz transformation, before applying these ideas to kinematics and dynamics. This volume demonstrates the essential simplicity of the core ideas of Special Relativity, while acknowledging the challenges of developing new intuitions and dealing with the apparent paradoxes that arise. A valuable supplementary resource for intermediate undergraduates, as well as independent learners with some technical background, the Guide includes numerous exercises with hints and notes provided online. It lays the foundations for further study in General Relativity, which is introduced briefly in an appendix.
'… this is a well-written, thorough account of Special Relativity (SR) with an introduction to General Relativity (GR) … Gray has taught courses on relativity for a couple of decades, and it showsI think that this book is a very good description of SR … It succeeds in its goal of being both comprehensive and accessible … I recommend the book to all interested in Special Relativity. Those new to it can learn it thoroughly from the ground up without being overloaded with maths. Those familiar with it might gain new insights and/or ideas for teaching the topic.' Philip Helbig, The Observatory
'Professor Gray writes with humor and precision, and persistent readers will be rewarded. The book is heavily annotated with many helpful references … Highly recommended.' J. F. Burkhart, Choice
'Professor Gray writes with humor and precision, and persistent readers will be rewarded. The book is heavily annotated with many helpful references … Highly recommended.' J. F. Burkhart, Choice
Norman Gray is a research fellow at the University of Glasgow's School of Physics and Astronomy, where he has taught the General Relativity honours course since 2002. He received his education at the Universities of Edinburgh and Cambridge, where he also earned his Ph.D. The Open University in the United Kingdom offers a degree in particle theory. He is an Editor of the journal Astronomy and Computing and his current research is focused on astronomical data management.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781108995634 |
| ISBN 10 | 1108995632 |
| Title | A Student's Guide to Special Relativity |
| Author | Norman Gray |
| Series | Student's Guides |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 2022-02-03 |
| Number of pages | 170 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |