Variational Approach to Gravity Field Theories

Alberto Vecchiato graduated in Physics from the University of Padova, Italy, in 1996 and subsequently gained his PhD from the same university for a thesis on relativistic astrometry. He currently works at the Astrophysical Observatory of Torino, Pino Torinese, Italy. Dr. Vecchiato's scientific interests include general relativistic models of light propagation and astrometric measurements; high-precision tests of general relativity; alternative theories of gravity; and space astrometry. He is author of several research papers and a member of the Italian Society of General Relativity and Gravitational Physics (SIGRAV). Dr. Vecchiato has collaborated in various astronomical and astrophysical projects and proposals, he has been a member of the Gaia mission (ESA) since 2001, and in 2006 he became the coordinator of the verification sphere reconstruction pipeline of its data reduction consortium.

Part I Introduction.- The character of a scientific theory.- Field Theories and Variational approach.- Fundamental Principles and Field Theories.- Exercises.- Part II Special Relativity.- Motivations.- Mathematical model.- Electromagnetism in SR.- Exercises.- Part III General Relativity.- Motivations.- Lagrangian formulation of GR.- Applications.- Exercises.- Part IV Beyond Relativity.- Motivations.- Theory and Experiments.- Exercises.

"The first impression is good, also because all the proposed exercises and examples are fully solved. ... The author's approach and writing is clear, straightforward, and with specific attention to the connection with the evolution of the physical principles that lie at the basis of gravitation. The book is appropriate for university students, as well as, for more specialists or practitioners of matter." (Gabriella Bernardi, Astrocom et al., astrocometal.blogspot.de, July, 2017)