Graduate General Relativity 29:273

professor: Vincent G.J. Rodgers
office: 513 VAN
telephone: 319-335-1219
email: vincent-rodgers@uiowa.edu
classes: Tues and Thurs, 10:55-12:10 PM, 618 VAN
office hours: W and Th. 3:30 PM-5:00; Also by appointment.

chair: Prof. Mary Hall Reno

Textbooks :

General Relativity and Cosmology, by Steven Weinberg, John Wiley

The General Theory of Relativity, by P.A.M. Dirac,

Supplemental Resources on Reserve in Physics Library:

Introduction to general relativity,
by Lewis Ryder, Cambridge University Press, 2009

A first course in general relativity,
by Bernard Schutz, Cambridge University Press, 2009

Gravity, black holes, and the very early universe :
an introduction to general relativity and cosmology ,
by Tai L. Chow, Springer, 2008

General relativity : an introduction for physicists
by M.P. Hobson, G.P. Efstathiou and A.N. Lasenby, Cambridge University Press, 2006

Spacetime and geometry : an introduction to general relativity,
Sean Carroll, Addison Wesley, 2004

     A relativist's toolkit : the mathematics of black-hole mechanics,
by Eric Poisson, Cambridge University Press, 2004

General relativity,
by Robert M. Wald, University of Chicago Press, 1984

General relativity and matter : a spinor field theory from fermis to light-years,
by Mendel Sachs ; D. Reidel Pub. Co. 1982

Exact solutions of Einstein's field equations,
by D. Kramer ... [et al.], Cambridge University Press, 1980

Gravitation,
by Charles W. Misner, Kip S. Thorne, John Archibald Wheeler, W. H. Freeman 1973

Course Description:

This course introduces Einstein's Theory of General Relativity as a gravitational theory through the use of differential geometry. The course also introduces the interaction of gravity on fermions as well as vector fields. Differential geometry will be introduced and techniques for problem solving will be discussed. The Schwarzschild solution, Reissner-Nordstram, Kerr, and Maxwell-Einstein metrics will be analyzed. Issues related to cosmology will also be developed.

Grading:

Homework: Problems and assignments will be assigned weekly and posted on the internet. A grade with a value of 0-5 will be given for each problem. Any score of 2 or less shows a deficiency in the understanding of the assignment.
Exams: There will be two exams. The first will cover mathematical tools such as differential geometry, tensor analysis and coordinate transformations. The second will be related to General Relativity as a theory of gravitation and cosmology. The grade of 50% will be considered just above passing.

Midterm Exam - 15 October, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Final Exam - 16 December, 2009 at 7:30 AM

Class Grade Weights: Your class grade will be computed from the homework (100 pts), the midterm exam (100pts) and the final exam (100 pts) for a total of 300 points.

A typical distributions of grades will be:

100%-84% A's

84%-68% B's

68%-52% C's

52%-36% D's

below 36% F

General Policy: Attendance at lectures is highly recommended. I typically will not lend my notes to make up material due to absence. Any complaints about this course should be addressed directly to me. If this does not resolve matters then they can be handled by the associate executive officer, Prof. Paul Kleiber

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Dept. of Physics and Astronomy Course Policies