Complex General Relativity / Edition 1

by Giampiero Esposito

Overview

This book is written for theoretical and mathematical physicists and mat- maticians interested in recent developments in complex general relativity and their application to classical and quantum gravity. Calculations are presented by paying attention to those details normally omitted in research papers, for pedagogical r- sons. Familiarity with fibre-bundle theory is certainly helpful, but in many cases I only rely on two-spinor calculus and conformally invariant concepts in gravitational physics. The key concepts the book is devoted to are complex manifolds, spinor techniques, conformal gravity,—-planes,—-surfaces, Penrose transform, complex 3 1 – – space-time models with non-vanishing torsion, spin- fields and spin- potentials. 2 2 Problems have been inserted at the end, to help the reader to check his und- standing of these topics. Thus, I can find at least four reasons for writing yet another book on spinor and twistor methods in general relativity: (i) to write a textbook useful to - ginning graduate students and research workers, where two-component spinor c- culus is the unifying mathematical language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780792333401
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	02/28/1995
Series:	Fundamental Theories of Physics , #69
Edition description:	2002
Pages:	206
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.36(d)

Table of Contents

Spinor form of General Relativity.- to Complex Space-Time.- Two-Component Spinor Calculus.- Conformal Gravity.- Holomorphic Ideas in General Relativity.- Twistor spaces.- Penrose Transform for Gravitation.- Torsion and Supersymmetry.- Complex Space-Times with Torsion.- Spin-1/2 Fields in Riemannian Geometries.- Spin-3/2 Potentials.- Mathematical Foundations.- Underlying Mathematical Structures.

Editorial Reviews

Details developments in complex general relativity and their application to classical and quantum gravity, focusing on the application of spinor calculus and fiber-bundle theory to complex general relativity. Treats complex manifolds, spinor techniques, conformal gravity, and complex space-time models with non-vanishing torsion, and discusses recent attempts by Penrose to define twistors as spin-3/2 charges in Ricci-flat space-time. Includes problems. For physicists, mathematicians, and graduate students. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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