Introduction to Relativity and Spacetime Physics
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this sophomore-level physics course covering Einstein's special theory of relativity in depth, with a shorter introduction to core concepts of general relativity. Topics include simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, spacetime diagrams, four-vectors, relativistic energy and momentum, and an introduction to curved spacetime and gravitation. The course is designed as one of the first core major courses students take after completing MIT's physics General Institute Requirement. Materials include lecture notes, problem sets with solutions, and exams, all freely downloadable through MIT OpenCourseWare with no enrollment or payment required. There is no certificate, but the full set of course materials lets a self-learner work through the same problems MIT physics majors do. The emphasis throughout is on building physical intuition for relativistic effects rather than just manipulating equations.