Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface to the first edition -- Preface to the second edition -- Dedication -- 1 Some basic concepts and an overview of cosmology -- 2 Introduction to general relativity -- 2.1 Summary of general relativity -- 2.2 Some special topics in general relativity -- 2.2.1 Killing vectors -- 2.2.2 Tensor densities -- 2.2.3 Gauss and Stokes theorems -- 2.2.4 The action principle for gravitation -- 2.2.5 Some further topics -- 3 The Robertson-Walker metric -- 3.1 A simple derivation of the Robertson-Walker metric -- 3.2 Some geometric properties of the Robertson-Walker metric -- 3.3 Some kinematic properties of the Robertson-Walker metric -- 3.4 The Einstein equations for the Robertson-Walker metric -- 3.5 Rigorous derivation of the Robertson-Walker metric -- 4 The Friedmann models -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Exact solution for zero pressure -- 4.3 Solution for pure radiation -- 4.4 Behaviour near t=0 -- 4.5 Exact solution connecting radiation and matter eras -- 4.6 The red-shift versus distance relation -- 4.7 Particle and event horizons -- 5 The Hubble constant and the deceleration parameter -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Measurement of H0 -- 5.3 Measurement of q0 -- 5.4 Further remarks about observational cosmology -- Appendix to Chapter 5 -- 6 Models with a cosmological constant -- 6.1 Introduction -- (i) de Sitter model -- (ii) Lemaître model (Lemaître, 1927, 1931) -- (iii) Eddington-Lemaître model -- 6.2 Further remarks about the cosmological constant -- 6.3 Limits on the cosmological constant -- 6.4 Some recent developments regarding the cosmological constant and related matters -- 6.4.1 Introduction -- 6.4.2 An exact solution with cosmological constant -- 6.4.3 Restriction of parameter space -- 7 Singularities in cosmology -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Homogeneous cosmologies.

7.3 Some results of general relativistic hydrodynamics -- 7.4 Defenition of singularities -- 7.5 An example of a singularity theorem -- 7.6 An anisotropic model -- 7.7 The oscillatory approach to singularities -- 7.8 A singularity-free universe? -- 8 The early universe -- 8.1 Introduction -- (i) First frame -- (ii) Second frame -- (iii) Third frame -- (iv) Fourth frame -- (v) Fifth frame -- (vi) Sixth frame -- 8.2 The very early universe -- 8.3 Equations in the early universe -- 8.4 Black-body radiation and the temperature of the early universe -- 8.5 Evolution of the mass-energy density -- (i) 1012K>T>5.5 x109K -- (ii) 5.5 x109K>T>109K -- (iii) T<109K -- 8.6 Nucleosynthesis in the early universe -- 8.7 Further remarks about helium and deuterium -- 8.8 Neutrino types and masses -- 9 The very early universe and inflation -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Inflationary models - qualitative discussion -- 9.3 Inflationary models - quantitative description -- 9.4 An exact inflationary solution -- 9.5 Further remarks on inflation -- 9.6 More inflationary solutions -- Appendix to Chapter 9 -- 10 Quantum cosmology -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Hamiltonian formalism -- 10.3 The Schrödinger functional equation for a scalar field -- 10.4 A functional differrential equation -- 10.5 Solution for a scalar field -- 10.6 The free electromagnetic field -- 10.7 The Wheeler-De Witt equation -- 10.8 Path integrals -- 10.9 Conformal fluctuations -- 10.10 Further remarks about quantum cosmology -- 11 The distant future of the universe -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Three ways for a star to die -- 11.3 Galactic and supergalactic black holes -- 11.4 Black-hole evaporation -- 11.5 Slow and subtle changes -- 11.6 A collapsing universe -- Appendix -- A1 Introduction -- A2 Neutrino types -- A3 A critique of the standard model -- A4 An accelerating universe?.

A5 Particle physics and quantum field theory -- A6 Cosmic background radiation -- A7 Quasar astronomy -- A8 Galactic distribution -- A9 Value of H0 using planetary nebulae -- A10 Cosmic book of phenomena -- A11 Cosmic strings -- A12 Topological structures -- A13 Extended inflation -- A14 Quantum cosmology -- Bibliography -- Index.