Right this moment, sixteenth February 2023, sees the official publication of a particular fiftieth anniversary version traditional monograph on the massive scale construction of space-time by Stephen Hawking and George Ellis. My copy of a typical challenge of the guide is on the left; the particular re-creation is on the precise. The guide has been reprinted many instances, which testifies to its standing as an authoritative treatise. I don’t have the brand new version, really. I simply stole the image from the Fb web page of George Ellis, with whom I’ve collaborated on a guide (although not one as important because the one proven above).
This guide is certainly not an introductory textual content however is stuffed with fascinating insights for individuals who have studied basic relativity earlier than. Stephen Hawking left us some years in the past, in fact, however George remains to be going sturdy so let me take this chance to congratulate him on the publication of this particular anniversary version!
P.S It struck me whereas penning this submit that I’ve been working as a cosmologist in numerous universities for getting on for about 35 years and I’ve by no means taught a course on basic relativity. As I’ll be retiring fairly quickly it’s wanting very probably that I by no means will…
