Analytic Approximations in GR and Gravitational Waves

Abstract

Analytic approximation methods in general relativity play a very important role when analyzing the gravitational wave signals recently discovered by the LIGO and Virgo detectors. In this contribution, we present the state-of-the-art and some recent developments in the famous post-Newtonian (PN) or slow-motion approximation, which has successfully computed the equations of motion and the early inspiral phase of compact binary systems. We discuss also some interesting interfaces between the PN and the gravitational self-force (GSF) approach based on black-hole perturbation theory, and between PN and the post-Minkowskian (PM) approximation, namely a non-linearity expansion valid for weak field and possibly fast-moving sources.