Gravitation in the Newtonian approximation

General Relativity (Fall, 2008)

Lecture Playlist

  1. Newtonian Gravity and the equivalence principle

  2. Tidal forces and curvature

  3. Essential tools: tensors and the metric

  4. Tensor mechanics

  5. Covariant differentiation and geodesics

  6. The flat space of special relativity

  7. The Riemannian curvature tensor

  8. Equations of motion in curved space

  9. Gravitation in the Newtonian approximation

  10. Energy-momentum tensor and Einstein's equations

  11. Accelerated coordinates

  12. World lines and Schwarzschild solution

November 17, 2008
The metric tensor is smooth, indefinite, symmetric and invertible.
Derive the field equations of relativity in the Newtonian approximation.
The Einstein tensor.
Einstein's equation relating curvature and the energy momentum tensor.
Topics: 
  • Newtonian approximation
  • Einstein's equation
References