Project III 2025-26


Einstein's theory of General Relativity

Patrick Dorey (Michaelmas) Madalena Lemos (Epiphany)

(email)


Description

Einstein's theory of General Relativity provides an elegant theory of gravity that has passed a large number of experimental tests. The main idea is that what we experience as gravity is a consequence of the curvature of spacetime itself. This curvature is produced by the presence of matter and Einstein's equations tell precisely how this happens. While for slow-moving objects and weak matter densities, Eintein's GR reduces to Newton's theory of gravity, GR predicts a variety of new phenomena. GR has passed a number of experimental tests, famously the precession of the perihelion of Mercury, the bending of light and the gravitational red-shift. It also predicts the existence of gravitational waves - wave-like solutions that are ripples in spacetime - and black holes. Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein back in 1916, but remained a theoretical prediction until very recently. While they are produced by a variety of processes, their amplitudes are extremly small, thus making their direct detection difficult. Einstein's GR also allows us to study the universe on the largest scales - cosmology. This project starts with understanding the basic geometrical foundations of General Relativity, and can develop in a variety of ways: from a more mathematical approach to General Relativity with Riemannian Geometry, to a more practical oriented study with applications to cosmology, black holes, or gravitational waves and their generation and detection, or even alternate theories of gravity.

Essential Prior Modules

Essential Companion Modules

If you are unsure about the essential modules please feel free to get in touch.

References

More references available as the project progresses.