Gravitation (Hardcover)

First published in 1973, Gravitation is a landmark graduate-level textbook that presents Einstein’s general theory of relativity and offers a rigorous, full-year course on the physics of gravitation. Upon publication, Science called it “a pedagogic masterpiece,” and it has since become a classic, considered essential reading for every serious student and researcher in the field of relativity. This authoritative text has shaped the research of generations of physicists and astronomers, and the book continues to influence the way experts think about the subject.

With an emphasis on geometric interpretation, this masterful and comprehensive book introduces the theory of relativity; describes physical applications, from stars to black holes and gravitational waves; and portrays the field’s frontiers. The book also offers a unique, alternating, two-track pathway through the subject. Material focusing on basic physical ideas is designated as Track 1 and formulates an appropriate one-semester graduate-level course. The remaining Track 2 material provides a wealth of advanced topics instructors can draw on for a two-semester course, with Track 1 sections serving as prerequisites.

This must-have reference for students and scholars of relativity includes a new preface by David Kaiser, reflecting on the history of the book’s publication and reception, and a new introduction by Charles Misner and Kip Thorne, discussing exciting developments in the field since the book’s original publication.

• The book teaches students to:
• Grasp the laws of physics in flat and curved spacetime
• Predict orders of magnitude
• Calculate using the principal tools of modern geometry
• Understand Einstein's geometric framework for physics
• Explore applications, including neutron stars, Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes, gravitational collapse, gravitational waves, cosmology, and so much more

《引力》（Gravitation）是一本於1973年首次出版的里程碑式研究生教科書，介紹了愛因斯坦的廣義相對論，並提供了一個嚴謹的、為期一年的引力物理課程。該書一經出版，《科學》雜誌稱其為「一部教學上的傑作」，並成為經典之作，被認為是每位專注於相對論領域的學生和研究人員必讀的書籍。這本權威性的教材塑造了幾代物理學家和天文學家的研究，並且該書持續影響著專家們對這一主題的思考方式。

這本博大精深的書籍強調幾何解釋，介紹了相對論理論，描述了從恆星到黑洞和引力波的物理應用，並描繪了該領域的前沿。該書還提供了一種獨特的、交替的、兩條軌道的學習方式。專注於基本物理思想的內容被標記為軌道1，形成了一個適合一學期研究生課程的內容。其餘的軌道2內容提供了豐富的高級主題，教師可以在為期兩個學期的課程中使用，其中軌道1部分作為先修課程。

這本對於相對論的學生和學者來說必不可少的參考書包括了大衛·凱撒（David Kaiser）的新序言，回顧了該書的出版和接受歷史，以及查爾斯·米斯納（Charles Misner）和基普·索恩（Kip Thorne）的新引言，討論了該書原始出版以來該領域的令人興奮的發展。

該書教導學生：
- 理解平坦和曲率時空中的物理定律
- 預測數量級
- 使用現代幾何學的主要工具進行計算
- 理解愛因斯坦的物理幾何框架
- 探索應用，包括中子星、史瓦西黑洞和克爾黑洞、引力塌縮、引力波、宇宙學等等。