The College of New Jersey

Department of Physics

General Theory of Relativity

Dr Thulsi Wickramasinghe
Email: wick@tcnj.edu
Office: SC P136, Science Complex

Course Outline

 The following gives an idea about the topics to be covered in lectures.

Required Textbooks

 General Relativity by J Foster & J D Nightingale (3rd Edition) and General Relativity by Hobson, Efstathiou, and Lasenby. Most parts will be covered in detail in lectures. Some sections will be assigned as reading material. The structure of the class is aimed at the level of the student who is planning to go for graduate studies in physics or astrophysics.

Additional Reading [in Physics Seminar Room]

Learning Goals

 The purpose of this course is to learn the Theory of General Relativity (GR) from first principles. We first learn the development of the Theory of Special Relativity (SR) and learn that Newtonian theory is unsuccessful. We then lean about tensor calculus and formulate SR in this new language. We then investigate the path to the formulation of the field equations of GR. The second half of the course is devoted to the physics in the vicinity of massive objects. The course culminates in a detailed discussion about the motion of the entire universe. This advanced course is a though preparation for the students who are planning to go to graduate school in astrophysics, theoretical physics, mathematics, etc.

Attendance

 Attending lectures is essential to do well in the course. A substantial number of problems will be solved in lectures. These problems will help you do your homework effectively. The examinations will be based upon homework and the material discussed in lectures. You will get 5 points for attending each lecture. (Attendance = 3 points; Participation = 2 points).

Examinations

 There will be midterm exams, including an oral examination. These examinations will not be cumulative.

Policy of Examinations

 Under no circumstances, may a student be exempt from taking an examination. If you are unable to take an examination, you will have to provide valid written evidence (e.g. an original medical report from a doctor or a letter from the college Infirmary) of your inability to attend the examination. Even though I give two series of lectures for Astronomy 161, you should regard these two as two independent courses; thus, you will not be allowed to take an examination with the students from the other section. You are supposed to take no more than three exams during a particular day. If such a conflict occurs, you should first talk to the professor whose exam is the latest in the day. He or she is obliged to give you that particular exam at a different time.

Grading Policy

 Your final grade will be calculated according to the following tables. The highest score, after normalization or so called curving, will be 100. Your letter grades will then be assigned.

Examination I 20%
Examination II 20%
Examination III [Oral Examination] 10%
Homework 50%

RANGE OF SCORE GRADE
90 - 100 A
85 - 89 A-
80 - 84 B+
75 - 79 B
70 - 74 B-
65 - 69 C+
60 - 64 C
50 - 59 C-
45 - 49 D+
40 - 44 D
00 - 39 F

Office Hours

 To be more effective, I will be keeping regular office hours.

How to contact me

 The best way to contact me is through email. No matter where I am, I will be reading my email many a time a day!

Further Information on TCNJ Policies

Final exams

 TCNJ's final examination policy is available on the web: http://www.tcnj.edu/~academic/policy/finalevaluations.htm

Attendance

 Every student is expected to participate in each of his/her courses through regular attendance at lecture and laboratory sessions. It is further expected that every student will be present, on time, and prepared to participate when scheduled class sessions begin. At the first class meeting of a semester, instructors are expected to distribute in writing the attendance policies which apply to their courses. While attendance itself is not used as a criterion for academic evaluations, grading is frequently based on participation in class discussion, laboratory work, performance, studio practice, field experience, or other activities which may take place during class sessions. If these areas for evaluation make class attendance essential, the student may be penalized for failure to perform satisfactorily in the required activities. Students who must miss classes due to participation in a field trip, athletic event, or other official college function should arrange with their instructors for such class absences well in advance. The Office of Academic Affairs will verify, upon request, the dates of and participation in such college functions. In every instance, however, the student has the responsibility to initiate arrangements for make-up work. Students are expected to attend class and complete assignments as scheduled, to avoid outside conflicts (if possible), and to enroll only in those classes that they can expect to attend on a regular basis. Absences from class are handled between students and instructors. The instructor may require documentation to substantiate the reason for the absence. The instructor should provide make-up opportunities for student absences caused by illness, injury, death in the family, observance of religious holidays, and similarly compelling personal reasons including physical disabilities. For lengthy absences, make-up opportunities might not be feasible and are at the discretion of the instructor. The Office of Academic Affairs will notify the faculty of the dates of religious holidays on which large numbers of students are likely to be absent and are, therefore, unsuitable for the scheduling of examinations. Students have the responsibility of notifying the instructors in advance of expected absences. In cases of absence for a week or more, students are to notify their instructors immediately. If they are unable to do so they may contact the Office of Records and Registration. The Office of Records and Registration will notify the instructor of the student's absence. The notification is not an excuse but simply a service provided by the Office of Records and Registration. Notifications cannot be acted upon if received after an absence. In every instance the student has the responsibility to initiate arrangements for make-up work. TCNJ's attendance policy is available on the web: http://www.tcnj.edu/~recreg/policies/attendance.html

Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity Policy Academic dishonesty is any attempt by the student to gain academic advantage through dishonest means, to submit, as his or her own, work which has not been done by him/her or to give improper aid to another student in the completion of an assignment. Such dishonesty would include, but is not limited to: submitting as his/her own a project, paper, report, test, or speech copied from, partially copied, or paraphrased from the work of another (whether the source is printed, under copyright, or in manuscript form). Credit must be given for words quoted or paraphrased. The rules apply to any academic dishonesty, whether the work is graded or ungraded, group or individual, written or oral. TCNJ's academic integrity policy is available on the web: http://www.tcnj.edu/~academic/policy/integrity.html.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy

Any student who has a documented disability and is in need of academic accommodations should notify the professor of this course and contact the Office of Differing Abilities Services (609-771-2571). Accommodations are individualized and in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992. TCNJ's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy is available on the web: http://www.tcnj.edu/~affirm/ada.html.