Date and Venue: Friday January 23 2026, 12:00 -- 15:00 , in room 119
(in reality probably something like 12:15 -- 14:30)
Format: Written, Closed Book
Registration in KSL: possible until Tuesday January 20
Question Session? (upon request / to be determined)
The Course and Lectures: How and When and Where
General Information:
There is no need to register for this course, but if you are going to take part please send me an email (blau at itp unibe ch) so that I can set up a mailing list. Thank You!
There is no plan to record / podcast this course.
The schedule is:
Monday 13h15 -- 15h
Tuesday 12h15 -- 14h
The course will take place in Lecture Hall 119 and we will
start on Monday September 15 at 13h15
Further Information: Please watch this page for the latest information about the course and the lectures!
Note:
this new version has 1000+ pages (!).
Please save trees and don't print all of it at once, we will only cover some small parts of
the notes in the course
Prerequisites
Covariant Formulation of Special Relativity (Minkowski Geometry, Lorentz Tensor Algebra etc.)
Classical Field Theory (Action Principles for Fields)
Multivariable Calculus
Contents
Physical and Mathematical Foundations of General Relativity
Equivalence Principle
Geodesics
Tensor Algebra and Tensor Calculus
Riemannian Geometry and Curvature Tensor
Physics in a Gravitational Field
Einstein-Equations and Einstein-Hilbert Action
Selected Applications
Solar System Tests of General Relativity
Black Holes
Basics of Cosmology
...
Rough Outline
Week 01: Section 01
Week 02: Section 02
Week 03: Section 03
Week 04: Section 04 & Section 25
Week 05: Section 04 & Section 25
Week 06: Section 05 & Section 26
Week 07: Section 06 & Section 27
Week 08: Sections 06, 07 & Section 27
Week 09: Sections 07, 08
Week 10: Sections 19, 20, 24
Week 11: Sections 23, 9, 10
Week 12: Sections 33 -- 38
Week 13: Sections 33 -- 38
Week 14: Sections 33 -- 38
Note:
Section XX means that we will cover some bits and pieces of that section
J.B. Hartle: Gravity, An introduction to Einstein's General Relativity
Elegant Modern Slightly More Advanced Books
R.M. Wald: General Relativity
S. Carroll: Spacetime and Geometry, an Introduction to General Relativity
Classics
C.W. Misner, K.S. Thorne, J.A. Wheeler: Gravitation
S. Weinberg: Gravitation and Cosmology
Other Personal Favourites
R.U. Sexl, H.K. Urbantke: Gravitation und Kosmologie
N. Straumann: General Relativity
S.W. Hawking, G.F.R. Ellis: The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time
E. Poisson: A Relativist's Toolkit
Other Recommended Recent/New Books
A. Zee: Einstein Gravity in a Nutshell
GR Lectures Notes on the WWW and related Online Resources
Note: the resources mentioned below are approved/recommended. If you come across, and want to use, some other
online resources, please come and show them to me (also in GR, there is much more low- than high-quality
stuff floating around on the WWW and it may not always be easy for you to decide at first sight which is which).
Please let me know of any broken (no longer existing) links.
Is our Universe a Black Hole? NO And since I get
asked this question again and again (as if there weren't more interesting questions), usually by people
who understand neither cosmology nor black holes, here are some links:
