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Overview
Space-Time, Relativity, and Cosmology provides a historical introduction to modern relativistic cosmology, and traces its historical roots and evolution from antiquity to Einstein. The topics are presented in a non-mathematical manner, with the emphasis on the ideas that underlie each theory, its predictions, and subsequent experimental evidence.The discussion of the Special Theory is based on the Principle of Relativity, first examining its roots in the ideas of Galileo and Newton, and then presenting its main consequences, including the relativity of simultaneous events, time dilation and length contraction, and the equivalence of mass and energy. The presentation of the General Theory of Relativity begins with the Principle of Equivalence, based on which the most striking predictions of the theory are discussed, especially those pertaining to the large-scale structure of the universe. The discussion of modern relativistic cosmology includes the cosmological principle, possible geometries of space-time, and the consequences of Hubble's observations leading to the Big Bang hypothesis. The last chapter presents a brief overview of some of the most exciting research topics in the area of relativistic cosmology, concluding with a description of the deficiencies of the Big Bang and a possible resolution. This textbook is intended for undergraduate students undertaking a science course in non-science majors. It is also accessible to advanced high school students, as well as to the non-scientist layman who is concerned with science issues.
About the Author:
Jose Wudka is Professor of Physics at the University of California, Riverside