General relativity - an introduction to the theory of the gravitational field

Inbunden bok. Cambridge U.P. 1982. 298 sidor.

Nyskick. Skyddsomslag i nära nyskick. ///Förlagets beskrivning: A hundred years after Einstein's birth, the vitality of his general theory and its impact on other branches of science have never been greater. The unprecedented advances of the last fifteen years have been stimulated on the observational side by developments in radar and space technology and by the discovery of exotic astronomical objects (quasars, pulsars and X-ray sources) which point to the existence of very strong gravitational fields, and possibly black holes, m many parts of the universe. Equally striking has been the progress in theoretical understanding, notably of black hole physics, the early history of the universe and the reconciliation of quantum physics and gravitational theory. To honour Einstein's hundredth birthday, twenty-one of the world's leading relativists have collaborated on this carefully integrated survey of the current state of research. This unique book, which will remain a standard for many years, reviews the theoretical and experimental status of general relativity and points the way to future developments such as quantization and unification with the other laws of physics. It is indispensable to anyone concerned with the profound influence that Einstein's theory continues to exert on our notions of space, time and the ultimate nature of matter. ' . . a unique monument to the genius of Einstein and to the brillant and profound work of the contemporary generation of relativists, many of whom are at once the creators of the present state of the subject and, in the pages of this book, its masterly expositors' D. W. Sciama in Science