textbook by Paddy: "Gravitation" (CUP) - Cosmo-torun

12 Nov 2009

      hi Cfalib, cosmo-torun,
i think that Cfalib should order Paddy's new book on gravitation for
our library, depending on when there's money available. Often at the
end of the year there's budget money that needs to be spent, and the
book doesn't seem very expensive anyway (though "c." probably means
"circa" = $\sim$, which maybe means they'll increase the price if the
book gets good reviews or if people pre-order it?).  See the summary
at GRTOC.pdf - link below.
Any thoughts?
pozdr
boud
...
Gravitation: Foundations and Frontiers
T. Padmanabhan
[To be published by Cambridge University Press, January 2010.]
The book can be ordered from this site: 
http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521882231
DESCRIPTION:
This is a comprehensive advanced level textbook on Gravitation. The front 
matter (table of contents etc.) is available as a pdf file here:
http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~paddy/books/GRTOC.pdf
Covering all aspects of gravitation in a contemporary style, this advanced 
textbook is ideal for graduate students and researchers in all areas of 
theoretical physics. The 'Foundation' section develops the formalism in six 
chapters, and uses it in the next four chapters to discuss four key 
applications - spherical spacetimes, black holes, gravitational waves and 
cosmology. The six chapters in the 'Frontier' section describe cosmological 
perturbation theory, quantum fields in curved spacetime, and the Hamiltonian 
structure of general relativity, among several other advanced topics, some of 
which are covered in-depth for the first time in a textbook. The modular 
structure of the book allows different sections to be combined to suit a 
variety of courses. Over 200 exercises are included to test and develop the 
reader's understanding. There are also over 30 projects, which help readers 
make the transition from the book to their own original research.
HIGHLIGHTS:

Develops the formalism and uses it to discuss four key applications -

spherical spacetimes, black holes, gravitational waves and cosmology.

Describes several advanced topics, some of which are covered in-depth for the

first time in a textbook.

Different sections can be easily combined to meet the needs of a variety of

courses.