P. Peter: Post-doctoral position at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), Cambridge University. Research positions: Chargé de Recherches (1994-2002), Medaille de bronze (bronze medal) du CNRS (1995), Directeur de Recherches, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris since 2002. ; J.P. Uzan: Post-doctoral position at the Department of Theoretical Physics (DPT), Geneva University. Research positions: Chargé de Rechecherches au CNR, teaches the course of Theoretical Cosmology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, teaches at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris.

Fills a niche that other recent cosmology texts leave open, namely self-contained derivations in cosmology that span both fundamental issues and applications to the real universe that are of great interest to observers.

• PART I: OVERVIEW OF THE THEORETICAL BASIS; PART II: THE MODERN STANDARD COSMOLOGICAL MODEL; PART III: BEYOND THE STANDARD MODELS

P. Peter: Post-doctoral position at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), Cambridge University. Research positions: Chargé de Recherches (1994-2002), Medaille de bronze (bronze medal) du CNRS (1995), Directeur de Recherches, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris since 2002. ; J.P. Uzan: Post-doctoral position at the Department of Theoretical Physics (DPT), Geneva University. Research positions: Chargé de Rechecherches au CNR, teaches the course of Theoretical Cosmology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, teaches at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris.

Fills a niche that other recent cosmology texts leave open, namely self-contained derivations in cosmology that span both fundamental issues and applications to the real universe that are of great interest to observers.

• PART I: OVERVIEW OF THE THEORETICAL BASIS; PART II: THE MODERN STANDARD COSMOLOGICAL MODEL; PART III: BEYOND THE STANDARD MODELS

P. Peter: Post-doctoral position at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), Cambridge University. Research positions: Chargé de Recherches (1994-2002), Medaille de bronze (bronze medal) du CNRS (1995), Directeur de Recherches, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris since 2002. ; J.P. Uzan: Post-doctoral position at the Department of Theoretical Physics (DPT), Geneva University. Research positions: Chargé de Rechecherches au CNR, teaches the course of Theoretical Cosmology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, teaches at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris.

Fills a niche that other recent cosmology texts leave open, namely self-contained derivations in cosmology that span both fundamental issues and applications to the real universe that are of great interest to observers.

• PART I: OVERVIEW OF THE THEORETICAL BASIS; PART II: THE MODERN STANDARD COSMOLOGICAL MODEL; PART III: BEYOND THE STANDARD MODELS