MEETING TIMES

MWF 4:05 pm (per. 9), in Zoom

CONTACT

Bernard Whiting NPB 2079; Tel: 392-8746; Email: bernard@phys.ufl.edu

OFFICE HOURS

MR  5:10 pm – 6:00 pm (per. 10) in Zoom (by appointment).

ASSIGNED TEXT

Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity,
Sean Carroll (Addison-Wesley, 2003) ISBN 0-805-38732-3.
Errata can be found here. Now available from:
Cambridge (2019) ISBN 978-1-108-48839-6; The same errata apply.
Also available as eBook: ISBN: 978-1-108-77555-7.

Modern Cosmology, Scott Dodelson and Fabian Schmidt,
Academic Press (Elsevier, 2021) ISBN 978-0-12-815948-4, paper back;
Also available as eBook: ISBN: 978-0-12-815949-1.

PREREQUISITES

PHY 6246 - Classical Mechanics
PHY 6346 - Electromagnetism
PHZ 6607 - Special and General Relativity I
See additional comments and references in reading

OVERVIEW

The course will be given as an introduction to the Theory of General Relativity and will provide a basis with which its applications may subsequently be investigated. Apart from serving students pursuing a higher degree in General Relativity, this course will also serve those in the fields of Relativistic or Particle Astrophysics, whenever their research demands some specific knowledge of General Relativity. The course will provide exposure to both the formulation and implications of Einstein’s Theory. Through a thorough preparation by this course, students will be able to enter into the more advanced follow-up course PHZ 7608, for example, as a step towards research requiring applications at scales ranging anywhere from the Planck length to the size of the Universe.

HOMEWORK

Homework is work you do at home (or, at least, outside the class) whether assigned by me or assigned by yourself. Either way, for the course to be effective, it has to be done, but the long-term benefits are significantly better if you are self-motivated in the work you do.

HOW TO DO WELL?

  • Attend and participate fully in class
  • Solve relevant, interesting and hard problems
  • Choose an inspiring project and start work on it early

GRADING POLICY

Course grades will be based on an assessment of classroom participation (32%), and a mimimum of three oral presentations on a chosen project at the end of the semester (68%).