Cosmology

The material is well presented, the equations are rigorously derived and complemented by the physical insight of an expert in the field, and all chapters are accompanied by useful exercises and their solutions...this book is a valuable and well-written introduction to the very active field of observational cosmology. It will serve as a welcome complement to the current literature in the field and will be very useful, especially for PhD students entering the field of cosmology. -Ruth Durrer, Department de Physique Theorique, Universite de Geneve This textbook provides a full exploration of the developments in cosmological studies over the past hundred years; from the invention of General Relativity (GR) and the somewhat academic earlier exercises of its applications to the Universe, to the present practices of precision cosmology , as a result of an impressive sequence of extensive observations and discoveries. The text is very clear, well-written throughout, and its various topics are all treated with mathematical rigour. The book has 14 chapters, which are conveniently organized into three main sections, and each chapter ends with a number of exercises and fully-developed solutions, which provide further tools for a deeper understanding of the subject matters discussed. More than 350 well-selected figures (in black and white) clarify the text's physical assumptions, findings, and formal mathematical treatment. In addition, five appendices illustrate the basic mathematical tools required for a fuller appreciation of the GR theory, which is the foundation at the heart of our present understanding of cosmology. And finally, the bibliography of more than 200 entries will enable the keen student to locate the original works quoted in the text. The contents of the first, and at least parts of the second, section can also be used as a tutorial for students approaching the studies of cosmology, while the remaining parts of the textbook are for more advanced students. The author has combined his work in this research field with the experience he has acquired over many years of under and post-graduate teaching to create this most valuable textbook. Because of the comprehensive, lucid, and up-to-date coverage of the topics and techniques in this book, it can be recommended not only to students taking the corresponding courses in physics and astronomy curricula, but also as a reference book for astronomers, physicists, and advanced readers that would like to widen their knowledge of the engaging field of cosmology. - Giancarlo Setti, Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics, Universty of Bologna, Italy