Symmetries And Curvature Structure In General Relativity

Symmetries And Curvature Structure In General Relativity

This is a text on classical general relativity from a geometrical viewpoint. Introductory chapters are provided on algebra, topology and manifold theory, together with a chapter on the basic ideas of space-time manifolds and Einstein's theory. There is a detailed account of algebraic structures and tensor classification in general relativity and also of the relationships between the metric, connection and curvature structures on space-times. The latter includes chapters on holonomy and sectional curvature. An extensive study is presented of symmetries in general relativity, including isometries, homotheties, conformal symmetries and affine, projective and curvature collineations. Several general properties of such symmetries are studied and a preparatory section on transformation groups and on the properties of Lie algebras of vector fields on manifolds is provided.

Lecture notes on symmetries and curvature structure in general relativity

Relativity on Curved Manifolds

General relativity is now essential to the understanding of modern physics, but the power of the theory cannot be exploited fully without a detailed knowledge of its mathematical structure. This book aims to implement this structure, and then to develop those applications that have been central to the growth of the theory.