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\centerline{\bf PHYS 458: Special and General Relativity}
\begin{description}
\item[To your attention:]
``The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards
of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be
familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to
uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students
are particular misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an
offense. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and can result
in suspension or expulsion from the University.'' (GFC 29 SEP 2003)

\item[Instructor] Dmitri Pogosian\\
\begin{tabular}{ll}
      Office: & Room 4-281C {CCIS-Physics}\\
      Office Hours: & by appointment (i.e - drop by !)\\
      e-mail: & pogosyan@phys.ualberta.ca\\
      WWW: & \verb+www.ualberta.ca/~pogosyan+\\
      Phone: & 492-2150
\end{tabular}

\item[Time and Place:] Mon, Wed 2 pm - 3.20 pm, CCIS L1-029 


\item[Calendar Description:] Special Relativity: space-time, Lorentz
transformations, definition of scalars, vectors and tensors, motion of a
relativistic particle, energy-momentum tensor and equations of motion.
General Relativity: geometry of curved space-time, equivalence principle,
gravity as curvature, Einstein equations, black hole and cosmological solutions, gravitational waves.


\item[Texts]: 

{\bf Main:} 
 M.~P.~Hobson, G.~Efstathiou and A.N.~Lasenby General Relativity, Cambridge
 University Press, 2006, QC~173.6~H63~2006. Chapters (parts of): 1-5, 7-9, 
 time permitting:  14, 18
 
Additional: \\
David J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd Edition, 
Chapter 12 (Special Relativity), Prentice-Hall, 1999,
QC680~G855 1999. \\
Landau, L.~D. and Lifshitz, E.~M. The classical Theory of Fields, Oxford
Pergamon Press, 1975.
QC~670~L25~1975

\item[Marking Scheme]
\begin{tabular}{ll}
      Assignments: & 36\% (6 assignments \@ 6\% ) \\
      Midterm Test: & 20\% (end of October) \\
      Final Exam: & 44 \% (December)
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\item[Approximate content - to be adjusted as the course proceeds:]\mbox{}

\begin{description}
\item[Part I: Special Relativity] -- 8 lectures.
\begin{itemize}
\item Galilean relativity -
invariance of physical laws under Galilean 
transformations.  Separate treatment of space and time - invariant notions
of 3D distance (thus 3D vectors) and time intervals.
Relation of homogeneity  and isotropy of  3D space
to the mechanical laws of free particle motion (Lagrangian of free particle)
\item Special Relativity. Space-time concept in the presence of
the maximal velocity. Events, 4 vectors, tensors, Lorentz transformations, 
invariant distance in 4D Minkowski space-time.
\item  Geometrical nature of relativistic
free particle motion. 4-velocity.
\item Classical relativistic issues - space-like, time-like,
null intervals.  Simultaneity and co-placement. Length contraction and
time dilation.
\item Relativistic description of matter - energy-momentum tensor
$T_{\mu\nu}$.  (Ambitious version - $T_{\mu\nu}$ from the Lagrangian
formulation).  Equations of motion.
\item Application to Electromagnetism.
\end{itemize}


\item[Part II: General Relativity --  Geometrical Theory of Gravity] 
-- 9 lectures.
\begin{itemize}
\item Introduction to tensors, contravariant and covariant tensors.
\item Parallel transport of the vectors. Connection. Covariant
differentiation.  Parallel transport over closed loop. Curvature. 
\item  Distances in the curved space-time. Line element
and the metric tensor. Relation between metric tensor and connection in
Riemannian spaces. Examples of the curved spaces.
\item Motion of the massive and massless particles in
the curved space-time.  Geodesic equation. Connection in the role of
'gravitational force'.
\item Equivalence principle. Local elimination of the constant
gravitational force. Identification of gravity and space-time geometry.
Irreducible local effects of the gravity - tidal forces.
\item Einstein equations. Ideas for their form.
General properties of Einstein equations ---
space-time with matter necessarily curved, 
presence of purely gravitational degrees of freedom,
inclusion of the equation of motion.
\item Weak field regime, Newtonian potential, Gravitational lensing. 
\end{itemize}
\item[Part III: General Relativity -- Fundamental Results] -- 7 lectures.
\begin{itemize}
\item Spherically-symmetrical gravitational field.
Schwarzschild metrics.  Black holes.
\item Homogeneous and isotropic cosmological solutions. Expanding Universe.
\item Gravitational waves. Modern perspectives to detect gravitational waves.
\end{itemize}

\end{description}




\newpage
\item[Grading system]\mbox{}\\

\begin{tabular}{ccc}
     Description   &   Letter Grade  &    Grade Point Value \\
     \hline\\
     Excellent     &      A+         &         4.0   \\
                   &      A          &         4.0   \\
                   &      A-         &         3.7   \\
     \hline\\
     Good          &      B+         &         3.3   \\
                   &      B          &         3.0   \\
                   &      B-         &         2.7   \\
     \hline\\
     Satisfactory  &      C+         &         2.3   \\
                   &      C          &         2.0   \\
                   &      C-         &         1.7   \\
      \hline\\
     Poor          &      D+         &         1.3   \\
      \hline \\		
     Minimal Pass  &      D          &         1.0   \\
	\hline\\
     Failure       &      F          &         0.0   \\
     \hline
\end{tabular}

\end{description}
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