| Week # | Topics | Readings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I. Introduction and Relativity Pre-Einstein II. Einstein's Principle of Relativity and a new Concept of Spacetime | Resnick. Chapters 1 and 2, and Supplement A. Chapter 1: "The Experimental Background of the Theory of Relativity." Chapter 2: "Relativistic Kinematics." Supplement A: "The Geometric Representation of Spacetime." French. Chapters 1, 2, and 3. Chapter 1 gives a preview of the remarkable consequences of relativity. Chapter 2 gives a very good overview of the puzzling properties of light propagation discovered in the 19th century that led up to Einstein's formulation of relativity. Much of chapter 3 repeats R&H. You only need to read one source. Einstein. Chapters 1-12, and Appendix 1. (Poetry for physicists.) |
| 2 | III. The Great Kinematic Consequences of Relativity IV. Velocity Addition and other Differential Transformations V. Kinematics and "Paradoxes" | Resnick. Chapters 2 and 3. French. Chapters 4 and 5, pp. 125-134. Einstein. Chapters 12-17, and Appendix 2. |
| 3 | V. Kinematics and "Paradoxes" VI. Relativistic Momentum and Energy I: Basics | Resnick. Chapter 3, Supplements A and B. (Supplement A was also assigned on problem set 1, now would be a good time to study it further.) French. Chapter 5, pp. 134-159, chapter 6. |
| 4 | VII. Relativistic Momentum and Energy II: Four Vectors and Transformation Properties VIII. General Relativity: Einstein's Theory of Gravity | Resnick. Chapter 3 and Supplement C (on General Relativity). French. Chapter 7 (and chapter 6, if you have not studied it yet). Einstein. Chapters 18-29. (General Relativity in Einstein's own words.) |
Table of Contents
Study Materials
Readings
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Readings, organized by week, are assigned in the required textbooks:
Resnick, Robert. Introduction to Special Relativity. New York, NY: Wiley, 1968. ISBN: 9780471717256.
French, Anthony Philip. Special Relativity. New York, NY: Norton, 1968. ISBN: 9780393097931.
Einstein, Albert A. Relativity: The Special and the General Theory. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press/Random House, 1995. ISBN: 9780517884416.