Introduction | p. 1 |
Space-time diagrams and the foundations of special relativity | p. 6 |
The concept of a space-time | p. 6 |
Causality and the speed of light | p. 13 |
Relative motion in special relativity | p. 26 |
Fundamentals of measurement | p. 38 |
Time | p. 38 |
Distance | p. 40 |
Simultaneity | p. 44 |
World maps, world pictures, and radar maps | p. 48 |
Measurements in flat space-times | p. 53 |
The Doppler effect | p. 53 |
Relative velocity | p. 62 |
Simultaneity | p. 72 |
Time dilation | p. 80 |
Length contraction | p. 92 |
The whole package of kinematic effects | p. 101 |
Relativistic dynamics | p. 107 |
The consistency of physics | p. 127 |
The Lorentz transformation and the invariant interval | p. 129 |
The Lorentz transformation | p. 129 |
Space-time separation invariants | p. 147 |
Some flat-space universes | p. 172 |
Curved space-times | p. 197 |
The general concept | p. 197 |
Acceleration and gravitation: the principle of equivalence | p. 200 |
Freely falling motion and the meaning of geodesics | p. 207 |
The metric form and the metric tensor | p. 213 |
Light rays | p. 220 |
Causality | p. 227 |
Parallel propagation along a curve | p. 229 |
Spherical and stellar collapse | p. 234 |
The Schwarzschild solution | p. 234 |
Spherical collapse to black holes | p. 244 |
Simple cosmological models | p. 254 |
Space-time geometry | p. 254 |
The evolution of the universe | p. 261 |
Observable quantities | p. 268 |
The light cone, observational limits, and horizons | p. 275 |
Steady state and inflationary universes | p. 283 |
Small universes | p. 285 |
Afterword | p. 290 |
Appendices | p. 293 |
Line integrals | p. 293 |
Four-vectors and relativistic dynamics | p. 300 |
Four-tensors, electromagnetism, and energy-momentum conservation | p. 317 |
Symbols used | p. 345 |
Index | p. 346 |
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