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4 - The Geometry of Curved Spaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2023

Brian P. Dolan
Affiliation:
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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Summary

The mathematics required to analyse higher dimensional curved spaces and space-times is developed in this chapter. General coordinate transformations, tangent spaces, vectors and tensors are described. Lie derivatives and covariant derivatives are motivated and defined. The concepts of parallel transport and a connection is introduced and the relation between the Levi-Civita connection and geodesics is elucidated. Christoffel symbols the Riemann tensor are defined as well as the Ricci tensor, the Ricci scalar and the Einstein tensor, and their algebraic and differential properties are described (though technical details of the derivationa of the Rimeann tensor are let to an appendix).

Type
Chapter
Information
Einstein's General Theory of Relativity
A Concise Introduction
, pp. 85 - 118
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • The Geometry of Curved Spaces
  • Brian P. Dolan, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
  • Book: Einstein's General Theory of Relativity
  • Online publication: 15 June 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009263689.005
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  • The Geometry of Curved Spaces
  • Brian P. Dolan, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
  • Book: Einstein's General Theory of Relativity
  • Online publication: 15 June 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009263689.005
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Geometry of Curved Spaces
  • Brian P. Dolan, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
  • Book: Einstein's General Theory of Relativity
  • Online publication: 15 June 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009263689.005
Available formats
×