Gravitation

T. Padmanabhan is a Distinguished Professor and Dean of Core Academic Programmes at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. He is a renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist with nearly 30 years of research and teaching experience both in India and abroad. Professor Padmanabhan has published over 200 research papers and nine books, including six graduate-level textbooks. These include the Structure Formation in the Universe and Theoretical Astrophysics, a comprehensive 3-volume course. His research work has won prizes from the Gravity Research Foundation (USA) five times, including the First Prize in 2008. In 2007 he received the Padma Shri, the medal of honour from the President of India, in recognition of his achievements.

• 1. Special relativity; 2. Scalar and electromagnetic fields in special relativity; 3. Gravity and spacetime geometry: the inescapable connection; 4. Metric tensor, geodesics and covariant derivative; 5. Curvature of spacetime; 6. Einstein's field equations and gravitational dynamics; 7. Spherically symmetric geometry; 8. Black holes; 9. Gravitational waves; 10. Relativistic cosmology; 11. Differential forms and exterior calculus; 12. Hamiltonian structure of general relativity; 13. Evolution of cosmological perturbations; 14. Quantum field theory in curved spacetime; 15. Gravity in higher and lower dimensions; 16. Gravity as an emergent phenomenon; Notes; Index.

'This book is immensely impressive. It is full of insights and derivations that do not appear in other books. The serious student will appreciate the extensive coverage of advanced topics, notably of actions. One might say, the book is action-packed.' Andrew J. S. Hamilton, Professor of Astrophysics, University of Colorado, Boulder