Publisher's Synopsis
Classical Field Theory and the Stress-Energy Tensor (Second Edition) is an introduction to classical field theory and the mathematics required to formulate and analyze it. The development of the mathematical formalism, previously in an appendix, is integrated into the presentation of the physical concepts. The book develops the core concepts of field theory by applying Newtonian physics to the stretched string, emphasizing the relationship between fields and the observer's coordinate systems and using basic concepts of differential geometry and functional techniques. This collection of insights should be invaluable to both the student, instructor, and active researcher since it presents a unified view of field theories without the added complication of quantization.Key FeaturesA logical and thorough development of both the mathematics and physics of classical fieldsA unified theme based on the relationship of fields, coordinate transformations, and the stress-energy tensorApplications to a wide set of areas and phenomena where classical field theory yields important physical insightsAn accessible introduction for the student and a useful reference for the researcherA significant number of worked examples will be added to each chapter of the new edition. These will be combined with a set of problems with suggestions to the reader how to approach solving them and whose answers will be provided.
