Role within programme and connections to other courses. The Special Theory of Relativity is one of the foundations of modern physics. It underlies our understanding of particle physics and gravitation. This course builds beyond the introduction begun in the Physics course Mechanics I. It is recommended for all physics and mathematics students who wish to pursue the study of particles, fields and gravitation. Content. The course provides an introduction to the physical principles (Lorentz invariance, constancy of the speed of light, equivalence, of mass and energy) and the mathematical underpinnings (Minkowski spacetime, tensors), of the theory of special relativity. This course is cross listed MATH 3463. Credit cannot be obtained for both MATH 3463 and PHYS 3912.