Description
This textbook is designed to complement graduate-level physics texts in classical mechanics, electricity, magnetism, and quantum mechanics. Organized around the central concept of a vector space, the book includes numerous physical applications in the body of the text as well as many problems of a physical nature. It is also one of the purposes of this book to introduce the physicist to the language and style of mathematics as well as the content of those particular subjects with contemporary relevance in physics.
Chapters 1 and 2 are devoted to the mathematics of classical physics. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 — the backbone of the book — cover the theory of vector spaces. Chapter 6 covers analytic function theory. In chapters 7, 8, and 9 the authors take up several important techniques of theoretical physics — the Green’s function method of solving differential and partial differential equations, and the theory of integral equations. Chapter 10 introduces the theory of groups. The authors have included a large selection of problems at the end of each chapter, some illustrating or extending mathematical points, others stressing physical application of techniques developed in the text.
Essentially self-contained, the book assumes only the standard undergraduate preparation in physics and mathematics, i.e. intermediate mechanics, electricity and magnetism, introductory quantum mechanics, advanced calculus and differential equations. The text may be easily adapted for a one-semester course at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level.
Chapters 1 and 2 are devoted to the mathematics of classical physics. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 — the backbone of the book — cover the theory of vector spaces. Chapter 6 covers analytic function theory. In chapters 7, 8, and 9 the authors take up several important techniques of theoretical physics — the Green’s function method of solving differential and partial differential equations, and the theory of integral equations. Chapter 10 introduces the theory of groups. The authors have included a large selection of problems at the end of each chapter, some illustrating or extending mathematical points, others stressing physical application of techniques developed in the text.
Essentially self-contained, the book assumes only the standard undergraduate preparation in physics and mathematics, i.e. intermediate mechanics, electricity and magnetism, introductory quantum mechanics, advanced calculus and differential equations. The text may be easily adapted for a one-semester course at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level.
Un libro que contiene los elementos básicos que necesita cualquier estudiante de ciencias
日本だったら2万円ぐらいするんじゃね？っていう本。それがこの値段。すごい(小並感)。
Had a siper time reading it. Author knows his stuff. I learned a lot of math and some applications. Worth my time spent.
This book is a rigorous approach to many of the math subjects relevant to physics: vector and Hilbert spaces, Special functions (Sturm-Liouville theory), Complex analysis, Group theory, and Green’s functions, etc.
Make no mistake, it is indeed first and foremost a math book, not a physics one. It has a high level of rigor, being very precise and thorough with definitions and using those definitions in subsequent, detailed proofs of important theorems. At the same time however, the theorems that this book proves, examples used, and guiding philosophy is very much based in what a physicist would find interesting and relevant to coursework in upper division courses highlighted in a way that is a bit more informative than what one would find in a physics textbook.
Its strength lies in teaching math to a physics student interested in learning the proofs and underlying framework for the math used in a “whole, from the ground up” approach rather than the rather piecemeal approach to math in physics courses. However, one can also skip the proofs and just read the theorems and examples to get at the important information needed to calculate “stuff”.
The presentation is well laid out but I don’t think this text is good for self-learning. It’s enjoyable and I love that the examples and questions are generally physics related – so you don’t find yourself asking too often, “so.. why am I learning this for”? I think this textbook would be perfect if you had the help of an instructor. I’ll throw in here that my mathematical knowledge extends to 2nd year undergraduate level. So it might actually be ok for self-studying just a little outside my knowledge atm.