this book is the first to present a comprehensive development of space-time geometry using the 2-spinor formalism. there are also several other new features in our presentation. one of these is the systematic and consistent use of the abstract index approach to tensor and spinor calculus. we hope that the purist differential geometer who casually leafs through the book will not automatically be put off by the appearance of numerous indices. except for the occasional bold-face upright ones, our indices differ from the more usual ones in being abstract markers without reference to any basis or coordinate system. our use of abstract indices leads to a number of simplifications over conventional treatments.
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