GRAVITATION AND COSMOLOGY IN (1+1) DIMENSIONS

Various dynamical aspects of a non-trivial theory of gravitation in (1 + 1) dimensions are investigated. It is shown that many features of Einstein's general relativity for (3 + 1) dimensions are qualitatively and to some extent quantitatively duplicated in this theory, including gravitational collapse, cosmological solutions and gravitational waves. Contact with Newton's theory is made and post-Newtonian expansions of the theory give relativistic corrections, similar to those of general relativity. Thereby this theory is presented as viable for both pedagogical purposes as well as a laboratory for the testing of new theoretical ideas.