Physics Book Reviews

This text is an excellent research level monograph exploring the detailed and rich structure of black holes in mathematical physics.  From the onset the text assumes a high degree of prior speclist knowledge, such as differential forms, manifolds and the Cartan structural equations. Thus, this text can only be recommended to seasoned researchers in the field (particle theorists be warned). This text would defintele beyond the knowledge aquire at masters,  Nethertheless, the text discuss a broad array of topics, from which many reader can learn something new.  The text makes good use of astrophysical plots throughout, often taken from experiemental or observational research. In addition, the author makes good reference to the recent experiemental work done and connects it the theorectical work it is most related to.   Moreover, the text reviews in depth famous (and the most useful) solutions to Einstein equations in this higher mathematical setting; which is of u...

 Special Relativity has always been one of those subjects that have been treated fairly harshly by the educational establishment. The subject is often seen as a bridge between the foundational classical mechanics and the more profound (and let's be honest, more "general") theory of general relativity.  It is to this effect, that special relativity is often relegated to 1 or 2 (sometimes even generously 3) chapters at the start of even a book on general relativity. A student's first introduction to the subject is either too rushed and short; or alternatively, far too explicit and mathematical, such that all the student learns in essence is tensor notation and convention, and none of the physics which underpinns it.  Both approaches fail to convey the interesting and profound ideas and physical properties present within special relativity. In my own experience teaching the subject, these two issues are often the main causes of students not pursuing studies into gravitat...

 One of the novel studies into mathematical and theoretical physics over the last decade has been the study of topological quantum field theories and so-called "higher form" symmetries.   This area of study, though extremely important and flourishing, has been gate-kept to a smaller collection of researchers worldwide due to the level of mathematics (which is quite alien to most physicists) needed to even begin studying the topic.  The main culprit of this strife has been the infamous study of category theory (the field of mathematics which generalises all mathematical structures), which has long been the poster boy and plaything for mathematicians for decades (and more recently computer scientists).  Many reviews on the subject (written by physicists no less), have been rather unwieldy.  In this regard, Geroch has been some sort of prophet when it comes to predicting the need for this text (considering this text was first published in 1985).   Th...