Physics 675:
Introduction to Relativity, Gravitation and Cosmology
University
of Maryland, Fall 2007
Instructor:
Ted Jacobson
Room 4115 (Physics
Bldg.), 301-405-6020, jacobson@umd.edu,
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~jacobson
Office hours: After
class, or by appointment.
Class meetings: TuTh
11:00am-12:15pm (PHY 0405)
Teaching Assistant: Ryan
Behunin, ryan_behunin@hotmail.com, Room 4210, 301-405-6191
Textbook:
Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein's General Relativity, by
James B. Hartle
Textbook companion
website: http://wps.aw.com/aw_hartle_gravity_1/
Supplemental notes: A
Spacetime Primer (figures here),
by T. Jacobson
Prerequisites
and course content: Stated prerequisites: PHYS 601 and PHYS
606, but undergraduate Lagrangian mechanics (PHYS 410) and
electrodynamics (PHYS 411) should suffice. The course is an
introduction suitable for a wide range of students, including graduate
students in other departments as well as advanced undergraduates.
Track 2 self-study:
Students desiring
a more thorough introduction to the
mathematical foundations of general relativity are invited through
self-study or study groups to work through the first six chapters of
the textbook General
Relativity, by
Robert M. Wald, or any of a number of other books. I
will be happy to answer questions about this material.
Course web site
: Homework assignments, class notes, supplements, and
solutions will all be posted at the course web site, http://www.physics.umd.edu/grt/taj/675d/ .
E-mail: I encourage students to make use
of e-mail for quick correspondence with me regarding lecture material,
homework problems, or whatever. I will also use e-mail to communicate
with the class at large. I can often be reached at night or on weekends
by email. Students are responsible for
making sure I have their
correct
email address and checking their email daily. Important messages will
sometimes
be sent to the class by email.
Homework:
Usually assigned weekly. Rules:
- Late homework
accepted only under dire
circumstances. If you know it will be impossible to turn in an
assignment on time you
must discuss this with me in advance of the due date.
- You are encouraged to discuss the
homework with others, however the work you turn in
should be your own formulation and reflect your own understanding.
- Use
of previous solutions is not permitted. Violation of thus rule
is cause for failure of the course (or worse...).
- Homework sets must show reasoning
leading to the final answers in a
clear and readable fashion to obtain credit.
- Please make
sure
you
include your
name and the homework and course numbers and staple the pages together.
Exams:
None.
Grading: The
course grade will be based on the homework.
Honor pledge and academic
honesty: The University of Maryland,
College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity,
administered by the Student Honor Council. The Code sets standards for
academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate
students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these
standards for this course. University
policy has extremely
serious consequences for cheating,
fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information pease
visit www.shc.umd.edu and/or www.testudo.umd.edu/soc/dishonesty.html.
The University has adopted an Honor Pledge, which is a statement
undergraduate and graduate students are asked to write by hand and sign
on examinations, papers, or other academic assignments not specifically
exempted by the
instructor. The Pledge reads: "I pledge on my honor that I have not
given
or received any unauthorized assistance on this
assignment/examination."
In this course it is assumed that all students have pledged to uphold
the Code of Academic Integrity, so no specific statement is required.
As for this
course
in particular, please note instructions for homework above. This is perhaps
a fine line to
judge in
some cases. Please ask Dr. Jacobson if you have any questions.