Special Relativity

1. Comparison with General Relativity
   1. Differences in Scope
      1. Special Relativity as a Limit Case of General Relativity
         1. Special relativity deals with non-accelerating, inertial frames
         2. General relativity generalizes to include gravitational effects and acceleration
         3. Insight into how special relativity fits within the broader framework of physics
   2. Incorporation of Gravity
      1. Absence of gravitational considerations in special relativity
      2. General relativity describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime
         1. Departure from Newtonian gravitational forces to geometry-based understanding
      3. Equivalence Principle
         1. Uniform acceleration indistinguishable from gravitational fields
         2. Foundational to the concept that mass curves spacetime
   3. Concept of Curved Spacetime
      1. Geometrization of gravity
         1. Mass and energy influence the curvature of spacetime
         2. Gravity is not a force but a curvature of spacetime affecting paths of objects
      2. Einstein's Field Equations
         1. Mathematical formulation describing how matter and energy determine spacetime geometry
         2. Solutions and their implications for cosmology and astrophysics
      3. Effects on Light and Time
         1. Gravitational lensing
            1. Light bending around massive objects as predicted by general relativity
         2. Gravitational time dilation
            1. Clocks in stronger gravitational fields run slower
            2. Experimental confirmations with atomic clocks in different gravitational potentials
   4. Predictions and Experimental Verifications
      1. Precession of Perihelion of Mercury
         1. Explanation of anomalies observed in planetary orbits
      2. Deflection of Light by Gravity
         1. Observations during solar eclipses confirming predictions
      3. Gravitational Waves
         1. Ripples in spacetime caused by accelerating massive objects
         2. Detected by observatories, providing a new way to observe the universe
   5. Limitations and Extensions
      1. Applicability in strong gravitational fields
      2. Challenges in combining with quantum mechanics
         1. General relativity well-suited for macroscopic systems, quantum mechanics for microscopic
         2. Open quest for a unified theory of quantum gravity
      3. Current research areas
         1. Black holes and singularities
            1. Predictions of event horizons and singular regions
            2. Information paradox and research into quantum aspects
         2. Cosmology and the expanding universe
            1. Big Bang theory and the role of general relativity
            2. Dark energy and the cosmological constant discussions