Introduction to the Theory of the Early Universe

These two books introduce the theory of the early universe, dealing with the evolution of density perturbations and relic gravity waves, the theory of cosmological inflation and post-inflationary reheating, and the role of particle physics in cosmology. The main chapters give a detailed account of the established facts and concepts on the early and present Universe, together with derivations of relevant formulae. The comprehensive treatment thus serves as a modern introduction to this rapidly developing field of science. A few current unsolved problems of cosmology, dealing with dark matter, dark energy, matter-antimatter asymmetry, etc, are discussed at a more advanced level.

Written in a pedagogical and self-contained style, the two books collect essential materials from General Relativity and the theory of Gaussian random fields, elementary particles, and quantum field theory in the appendices to help in reading without having to consult other texts. Suitable for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students, the books also serve as a detailed introduction to current research.