General Relativity

Instructor: Amitabh Virmani

3rd trimester, 2016-2017


General Relativity

(Picture credits: from BBC webpages, Ponoma Pictures)


In this course we will cover basics of General Theory of Relativity.

Text Book: Spacetime and Geometry, by Sean M. Carroll.

Paperback edition of the book is available through Amazon India.

There are many books on this topic. The book by Sean Carroll is ideally suited for this class -- it is at the appropriate level, it is of appropriate length (and thus can be fully digested) and it is not expensive (if you want to buy it). In our lectures we will be following it closely, and homeworks and the final exam will be based on this book.

Lectures will start on March 27 2017. First lecture will be at 9.30 am in the IOP Library. Each lecture will be one and half hours long.

Homeworks and the final exam both carry weights. Late homeworks will not be accepted.


Final Exam


  • Week 01-04
  • Week 05-08
  • Week 09-12
  • Week 13-16

  • Week 01-04, Chapter 1, 2 and appendix A

  • Lecture 01: 27/03: sections 1.1 - 1.3
  • Lecture 02: 29/03: sections 1.4 - 1.6
  • Lecture 03: 30/03: sections 1.7 - 1.10, Homework 1, due Thursday 06/04/2017, 9.30am, Homework 1 solution.
  • Lecture 04: 03/04: sections 2.1 - 2.2
  • Lecture 05: 05/04: sections 2.2 - 2.3
  • Lecture 06: 06/04: sections 2.4 - 2.5, Homework 2, due Thursday 17/04/2017, 9.30am, Homework 2 solution.
  • Lecture 07: 10/04: sections 2.6 - 2.7
  • Lecture 08: 13/04: sections 2.8 - 2.9
  • Lecture 09: 17/04: appendix A and sections 2.9, 2.10
  • Lecture 10: 19/04: tutorial session
  • Lecture 11: 20/04: appendix B
  • Week 05-08, Chapters 3 and 4, appendix B and E

  • Lecture 12: 24/04: section 3.1 and 3.2
  • Lecture 13: 26/04: appendix B and section 3.2, Homework 3, due Thursday 04/05/2017, 9.30am
  • Lecture 14: 27/04: tutorial session
  • Lecture 15: 01/05: section 3.3 and 3.4
  • Lecture 16: 03/05: sections 3.4 - 3.7
  • Lecture 17: 04/05: section 3.7 and appendix E, Homework 4, due 11/05/2017, 9.30 am
  • Lecture 18: 08/05: Appendix E
  • Lecture 19: 11/05: Appendix E, section 4.1 and 4.2, Homework 5 due 22/05/2017, 9.30 am
  • Week 09-12, Chapters 4 and 5, and 7

  • Lecture 20: 22/05: sections 4.2 and 4.3 Homework 6 due 12/06/2017, 9.30 am
  • Lecture 21: 24/05: section 5.1
  • Lecture 22: 25/05: sections 5.2 and 5.3
  • Lecture 23: 29/05: section 5.4
  • Lecture 24: 31/05: sections 5.5 (preccession of perihelia discussion not included) and 5.8
  • Lecture 25: 01/06: section 5.6 and 5.8 and a discussion by Prof. S. K. Patra on equation of state of Neutron Stars
  • Lecture 26: 05/06: section 5.7
  • Lecture 27: 07/06: section 5.7
  • Lecture 28: 08/06: special lecture (science of Interstellar)
  • Lecture 29: 12/06: sections 7.1 and 7.2, Homework 7 (extra credits) due 30/06/2017, 9.30 am
  • Lecture 30: 14/06: sections 7.1 and 7.2
  • Lecture 31: 15/06: section 7.3
  • Week 12-16, Chapter 7, presentations by students, and first order gravity

  • Lecture 32: 12/06: first order gravity (extra class) - I
  • Lecture 33: 14/06: first order gravity (extra class) - II
  • Lecture 34: 28/06: student presentations - I
  • Lecture 35: 28/06: student presentations - II
  • Lecture 36: 29/06: student presentations - III
  • Lecture 38: 29/06: student presentations - IV
  • Lecture 39: 30/06: student presentations - V
  • Lecture 40: 03/07: energy loss in gravitational radiation, section 7.6


    Exam will be in the finals week, July 5.

    Gradiing scheme is: HWs (50%), Presentations (20%), Final Exam (30%). Not attenting presentations (-10%).

    Last edited on 7/7/17.