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2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Undergraduate major in Physics

General Relativity

Academic unit or major
Undergraduate major in Physics
Instructor(s)
Shunsaku Horiuchi
Class Format
Lecture (Face-to-face)
Media-enhanced courses
-
Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)
3-4 Tue (M-123(H111)) / 3-4 Fri (M-123(H111))
Class
-
Course Code
PHY.F353
Number of credits
200
Course offered
2025
Offered quarter
1Q
Syllabus updated
Apr 2, 2025
Language
Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

This course presents the basic concepts and ideas of general relativity, which describes geometry and gravitation. Topics include the mathematical machinery and physical principles of general relativity, as well as their applications to astrophysics and cosmology. The aim of this course is to understand the basics of general relativity.

Course description and aims

The aim of this course is for students to understand applications to cosmology and astrophysics as well as basic concepts and ideas of general relativity

Keywords

relativity, gravitation, spacetime, differential geometry

Competencies

  • Specialist skills
  • Intercultural skills
  • Communication skills
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Explain basic concepts on the blackboard. Supporting content will be shared using slides.

Course schedule/Objectives

Course schedule Objectives
Class 1

guidance, introduction to gravitational physics

big picture of general relativity

Class 2

space, manifold, coordinate, time

concept of spacetime

Class 3

special relativity

review of special relativity

Class 4

gravity as geometry

describing curvature

Class 5

geodesic equation

geodesic

Class 6

spherically symmetric spacetime solution

Schwarzschild metric

Class 7

tests and applications

tests and applications of general relativity in astrophysics

Class 8

black hole 1

Krustal coordinates

Class 9

black hole 2

astrophysical black holes

Class 10

black hole 3

Kerr metric

Class 11

expanding universe

derive solutions for the expanding universe

Class 12

gravitational waves 1

derive equation for gravitational waves

Class 13

Einstein equation

curvature, matter energy density

Class 14

gravitational waves 2

gravitational radiation

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to review class content after each class, augmented by textbooks and other course materials.

Textbook(s)

Information will be given during lectures.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Bernard F. Schutz, A first course in general relativity
Sean M. Carroll, Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity

Evaluation methods and criteria

Evaluate how much a student understands basic ideas, calculation methods, and their applications.
Evaluation will be done through written exam.

Related courses

  • PHY.F431 : Cosmology
  • PHY.F432 : Astrophysics

Prerequisites

special relativity、liniear algebra

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

Shunsaku Horiuchi, horiuchi[at]phys.sci.isct.ac.jp

Office hours

No specific schedule. Please email me in advance to arrange a day and time.