Assessment Mathematician Nicholas Michael John Woodhouse at the University of Oxford considered this book to be an authoritative treatise that could become a classic. He observed that the authors begin with axioms of geometry and physics then derive the consequences in a rigorous fashion. Various well-known exact solutions to Einstein's field equations and their physical meaning are explored. In particular, Hawking and Ellis show that singularities and black holes arise in a large class of plausible solutions. He warned that although this book is self-contained, it is more suitable for specialists rather than new students as it is heavy-going and contains no exercises. He noted that despite the authors' attempt at a rigorous treatment, certain technical terms, such as Lie groups, are used but never explained, and that modern coordinate-free methods are introduced, but not used effectively.
Assessment Mathematician Nicholas Michael John Woodhouse at the University of Oxford considered this book to be an authoritative treatise that could become a classic He observed that the authors begin with axioms of geometry and physics then derive the consequences in a rigorous fashion. Various well-known exact solutions to Einstein's field equations and their physical meaning are explored. In particular Hawking and Ellis show that singularities and black holes arise in a large class of plausible solutions. He warned that although this book is self-contained, it is more suitable for specialists rather than new students as it is heavy-going and contains no exercises He noted that despite the authors' attempt at a rigorous treatment, certain technical terms, such as Lie groups, are used but never explained, and that modern coordinate-free methods are introduced, but not used effectively.