UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-CLEAR LAKE

 

SYLLABUS – Summer 2011

 

 

PHYS 6132                General Relativity

                                    TR 6:00-8:30PM Bayou 1213

 

INSTRUCTOR:          David Garrison

OFFICE:                     BAYOU 3531-2        

EMAIL:                       garrison@uhcl.edu

TELEPHONE:            281-283-3796

 

Course Description:    Introduces Einstein's general theory of relativity, Riemann geometry, Black Holes, gravitational waves and Cosmology

 

Prerequisites:               PHYS 5331 or equivalent

 

Textbooks:                  Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity by Sean Carroll

                                   

                                    Lecture Notes on General Relativity http://pancake.uchicago.edu/~carroll/notes/

                                    gr-qc/9712019

 

                                    Class Notes and Audio Files at:

                                    http://sce.uhcl.edu/garrison/GR/

 

Policies:

 

1.   Office Hours:      TR 4:00-5:00 pm and by appointment

 

2.   Measurements:    One take-home exam and several problem sets

 

Date                 Percent

                                    Problem Sets                                                      50                

Final                            Due August 4                 50

 

3.   Grading:              The grade boundaries will be (whichever is lower):

 

A – 90% or more than one standard deviation above the mean

B – 80% or class average

C – 70% or one standard deviation below the mean

D – 65% or one and a half standard deviations below the mean

F – 60% or more than two standard deviations below the mean

 

Refined letter grade system, including “+” or “-“, will be used

 

4.   Honesty Code:     I will be honest in all my academic activities and will not tolerate dishonesty.

 

5.   Make-ups:           Make-up exams are not recommended.  If you know ahead of time that you will be unable to attend an exam, please let me know in advance so that we can make other arrangements.

 

6.   Disability Accommodation Statement:   If you are certified as disabled and are entitled to accommodation under the ADA Act., sec 503, please see the instructor as soon as possible.  If you are not currently certified and believe that you may qualify, please contact the Coordinator of Disabled Services, at 283-2627, in Health and Disability Services.

 

 

Lecture

Topic

Chapter(s)

1-3

Math and Special Relativity Review

1

4-6

Manifolds

2

7-8

Curvature

3

9-11

Gravitation

4

13-15

The Schwartzschild Solution and Black Holes

5,6

16-18

Gravitational Waves and Cosmology

7,8