A comprehensive and authoritative introduction to contemporary cosmology for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.

This textbook provides advanced undergraduate and graduate students with a complete introduction to modern cosmology. It successfully bridges the gap between undergraduate and advanced graduate texts by discussing topics of current research, starting from first principles. Throughout this authoritative volume, emphasis is given to the simplest, most intuitive explanation for key equations used by researchers. The first third of the book carefully develops the necessary background in general relativity and quantum fields. The rest of the book then provides self-contained accounts of all the key topics in contemporary cosmology, including inflation, topological defects, gravitational lensing, galaxy formation, large-scale structure and the distance scale. To aid understanding, the book is well illustrated with helpful figures and includes outline solutions to more than ninety problems. All necessary astronomical jargon is clearly explained, ensuring the book is self-contained for any student with undergraduate physics.

Institute for Astronomy homepage includes contact details and links to information about the Institute, staff and students, research programmes, undergraduate courses and to related institutions and resources. The Institute is a research and teaching group within the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh. It is one of the UK's major centres of astronomical research, with cosmology, active galaxies and star formation being particular strengths. The IfA runs introductory courses in astronomy for students of any discipline at first year level, Honours Degree courses in Astrophysics (both BSc and MPhys), and research degrees leading to the award of PhD.