Description: This course is a general introduction to the relativistic formulation of classical gravity, a theoretical framework known as the general theory of relativity. Topics will include special relativity, the equivalence principle, differential geometry and manifolds, tensor analysis, spacetime curvature, the Einstein field equation, the Newtonian limit, orbital dynamics in the solar system, experimental tests, black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmology (time permitting).

Prerequisites: Physics 143a (quantum mechanics), 151 (mechanics) and 153 (electromagnetism), and Mathematics 21 (multivariable calculus) or equivalents.