The Geometry of Physics: An Introduction

This book provides a working knowledge of those parts of exterior differential forms, differential geometry, algebraic and differential topology, Lie groups, vector bundles, and Chern forms that are helpful for a deeper understanding of both classical and modern physics and engineering. It is ideal for graduate and advanced undergraduate students of physics, engineering or mathematics as a course text or for self study. A main addition introduced in this Third Edition is the inclusion of an Overview, which can be read before starting the text. This appears at the beginning of the text, before Chapter 1. Many of the geometric concepts developed in the text are previewed here and these are illustrated by their applications to a single extended problem in engineering, namely the study of the Cauchy stresses created by a small twist of an elastic cylindrical rod about its axis.