Relativity and scientific computing. Computer algebra, numerics, visualization (Q4495148)

This book contains lectures by leading scientists from internationally reputed centers of research and teaching. It is split into four parts covering numerics, computer algebra, visualization, and exotic smoothness on spacetime and provides an excellent introduction to scientific computing for students who wish to specialize in relativity, gravitation, and/or astrophysics. Contents: Part I. Numerics: Edward Seidel, Numerical relativity and black-hole collisions (25-68); Carles Bona, Four lectures on numerical relativity (69-87); Pablo Laguna, Alternatives to finite difference methods in numerical relativity (88-110); Heinz Herold, Temporal and spatial foliations of spacetimes (111-121); Heinz Herold, Rotating and oscillating neutron stars (122-137); Franz E. Schunck and Eckehard W. Mielke, Rotating boson stars (138-151); Beverly K. Berger, Numerical investigation of cosmological singularities (152-169). Part II. Computer algebra: David Hartley, Overview of computer algebra in relativity (173-191); Anton E. M. van de Ven, Two-loop quantum gravity with the computer algebra program FORM (192-209); Harald H. Soleng, The Mathematica packages CARTAN and MathTensor for tensor analysis (210-230); Efstratios Tsantilis, Roland A. Puntigam and Friedrich W. Hehl, A quadratic curvature Lagrangian of Pawlowski and Raczka: a finger exercise with MathTensor (231-240); Thomas Wolf, The program CRACK for solving PDEs in general relativity (241-258); Dumitru N. Vulcanov, Algebraic programming in the Hamiltonian version of general relativity (259-269); David Hartley, Causal structure and integrability in moving frames with Reduce (270-284). Part III. Visualizations: G. David Kerlick, Four lectures on computer graphics and data visualization (287-313); Hans-Peter Nollert, Ute Kraus and Hanns Ruder, Visualization in curved spacetimes. I. Visualization of objects via four-dimensional ray-tracing (314-329); Hans-Peter Nollert and Heinz Herold, Visualization in curved spacetimes. II. Visualization of surfaces via embedding (330-351). Part IV. Exotica: Carl H. Brans, Exotic smoothness on spacetime (355-377). The articles of this volume will not be indexed individually.