Principles of Relativity: Overview of Special Relativity - spacetime interval and Lorentz metric- four vectors - Introduction to general relativity (GR) - equivalence principle - notions of curvature - gravitation as a manifestation of the curvature of spacetime - gravitational redshift and clock corrections - orbits in strong gravity, light bending and gravitational lensing - concept of horizon and ergosphere, hydrostatic equilibrium in GR - gravitational radiation.

Cosmological Models: Universe at large scales – Homogeneity and isotropy – distance ladder – Newtonian cosmology - expansion and redshift - Cosmological Principle - Hubble’s law - Robertson-Walker metric - Observable quantities – luminosity and angular diameter distances - Horizon distance- Dynamics of Friedman- Robertson-Walker models: Friedmann equations for sources with p=wu and w =−1, 0, 1/3, discussion of closed, open and flat Universes.

Physical Cosmology and Early Universe: Thermal History of the Universe - distribution functions in the early Universe – relativistic and nonrelativistic limits - Decoupling of neutrinos and the relic neutrino background - Nucleosynthesis - Decoupling of matter and radiation - Cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB)- Anisotropies in CMB - Inflation – Origin and growth of Density Perturbations - Formation of galaxies and large scale structures - Accelerating universe and type-Ia supernovae - The Intergalactic medium and reionization.

1. Cosmological Physics, Cambridge University Press , J . A. Peacock

2. An Introduction to Relativity, J. V. Narlikar, C ambridge University Press, 2010 (For the lectures on General Relativity and Cosmology).

3. Theoretical Astrophysics, Volume III: Galaxies a nd Cosmology, T. Padmanabhan,Cambridge University Press, 2002 (for l ectures on Cosmology)

4. Classical Theory of Fields, Vol. 2, L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, Oxford : Pergamon Press, 1994 (For more material on General Relativit y).

5. Introduction to Cosmology, J. V. Narlikar, Cambr idge University Press, 1993 (For the lectures on Cosmology).

6. First course in general relativity, B. F. Schutz , Cambridge university press, 1985 (For material on General Relativity).

7. Structure Formation in the Universe. T. Padmanab han, Cambridge University Press, 1995 (for material on Cosmology and Structure forma tion).

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