Exact Space-Times in Einstein's General Relativity Jerry B. Griffiths, Jiri Podolosky Einstein’s theory of general relativity is a theory of gravity and, as in the earlier Newtonian theory, much can be learnt about the character of gravitation and its effects by investigating particular idealised examples. This book describes the basic solutions of Einstein’s equations with a particular emphasis on what they mean, both geometrically and physically. New concepts, such as big bang and big crunch-types of singularities, different kinds of horizons and gravitational waves, are described in the context of the particular space-times in which they naturally arise. These notions are initially introduced using the most simple and symmetric cases. Various important coordinate forms of each solution are presented, thus enabling the global structure of the corresponding space-time and its other properties to be analysed. The book is an invaluable resource both for graduate students and academic researchers working in gravitational physics. Jerry B. Griffiths is a Professor at Loughborough University, where he had worked since obtaining his Ph.D. from the University of Wales on neutrino fields in general relativity. […] Jiri Podolsky is an Associate Professor at Charles University in Prague, where he also obtained his Ph.D and Habilitation in theoretical physics. His research concentrates mainly on the investigation of exact radiative and black hole space-times in general relativity. He has published over 60 papers in these fields.