Tensor Calculus by J. L. Synge

Product Description

Fundamental introduction for beginning student of absolute differential calculus and for those interested in applications of tensor calculus to mathematical physics and engineering. Topics include spaces and tensors; basic operations in Riemannian space, curvature of space, special types of space, relative tensors, ideas of volume, more.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #235005 in Books
Published on: 1978-07-01
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
324 pages
Customer Reviews

No resolutions for the exercises
My background is being an electrical engineer with casual interest in physics. I was trying to start understanding more about relativity.

Being honest this was my first book on the topic of tensors. What can I say? tough start. Don't even bother if you aren't a graduate student (IMHO). Complex notation, fast paced (not for the student), few resolved exercises, no companion material (web pages or others).
I think this book is thought to be a companion book for someone who already has a certain knowledge about tensors.
In the book, there are many exercises but none of them is resolved in details, on the contrary, they are left to the reader as a "homework". Which is a pity because is in the exercises where you can hope to find some help to understand this complex subject.
As far as I know There is not a place in Internet where one can check the resolution of the exercises in this book.

This is really a good book, despite what some people are saying...
I find it rather strange that several of the negative reviews of Synge & Schild are really negative opinions about the lack of elegance of tensors, compared to the new-fangled differential forms.

This is like blaming the author of a book on the grammar of a language, because you think the grammar is too complicated. Sorry, but the author of the book can only explain as well as he/she can the grammar that exists, it's not within his scope to improve upon it!

This book is a relatively easy-to-read and carefully motivated text on tensor calculus, a subject that does tend to lead to that eye-glazing-over effect because of the numerous indices. It does a very good job of keeping the focus on the concepts, without getting too bogged down in the equations - most of the time.

Does it need to be said that this subject is still useful, despite its comparative inelegance, because so many classic texts and articles on general relativity use this language? Will those who scorn to deal with indices demand that all these papers be properly translated into differential forms before they deign to read them?

Hard to follow
It's an old fashioned text, confusing and hard to follow.