Spinors are used extensively in physics. It is widely accepted that they are more fundamental than tensors, and the easy way to see this is through the results obtained in general relativity theory by using spinors -- results that could not have been obtained by using tensor methods only. The foundation of the concept of spinors is groups; spinors appear as representations of groups. This textbook expounds the relationship between spinors and representations of groups. As is well known, spinors and representations are both widely used in the theory of elementary particles. The authors present the origin of spinors from representation theory, but nevertheless apply the theory of spinors to general relativity theory, and part of the book is devoted to curved space-time applications. Based on lectures given at Ben Gurion University, this textbook is intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics and mathematics, as well as being a reference for researchers.

This invaluable book presents gravitation and gauge fields as interrelated topics with a common physical and mathematical foundation, such as gauge theory of gravitation and other fields, giving emphasis to the physicist's point of view.About half of the material is devoted to Einstein's general relativity theory, and the rest to gauge fields that naturally blend well with gravitation, including spinor formulation, classification of SU(2) gauge fields and null-tetrad formulation of the Yang-Mills field in the presence of gravitation.The text includes a useful introduction to the physical foundation of the theory of gravitation. It also provides the mathematical theory of the geometry of curved space-times needed to describe Einstein's general relativity theory.

This book presents Einstein's theory of space and time in detail, and describes the large-scale structure of space, time and velocity as a new cosmological special relativity. A cosmological Lorentz-like transformation, which relates events at different cosmic times, is derived and applied. A new law of addition of cosmic times is obtained, and the inflation of the space at the early universe is derived, both from the cosmological transformation. The relationship between cosmic velocity, acceleration and distances is given. In the appendices gravitation is added in the form of a cosmological general relativity theory and a five-dimensional unified theory of space, time and velocity. This book is of interest to cosmologists, astrophysicists, theoretical physicists, mathematical physicists and mathematicians.