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This volume, dedicated to Prof. Gabriele Veneziano on the occasion of his retirement from CERN, starts as a broad historico-scientific study on the work on string theory and nonperturbative QCD that has been pioneered by Prof. Veneziano in the late 60s and early 70s. It goes on to examine the many ramifications this and similar early work has spawned over the past decades and the reader will find state-of-the art tutorial reviews on string cosmology, string dualities and symmetries, and much more.

The book includes a concise updated scientific biography of, and an interview with, Prof. Veneziano, in which he relates his personal views about the present and future of fundamental physics. This is followed by the commented draft of an unpublished paper of 1973 of his, anticipating interesting results which were rediscovered and published more than a decade later.

Overall, this volume is a vast and unique canvas where the re-examination of older and the presentation of newer results and insights are skillfully mixed with personal recollections of the contributing authors, most of them involved in the early days of string and quantum field theory, about Prof. Veneziano and the many interrelated topics considered.

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This text aims to present the achievements of nuclear research from over half a century in a concise and systematic form. Emphasis throughout is on the fundamental principles underlying present understanding of nuclear structure and interactions. ... Read more

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This second edition of Baumann's Mathematica in Theoretical Physics shows readers how to solve physical problems and deal with their underlying theoretical concepts while using Mathematica to derive numeric and symbolic solutions. Each example and calculation can be evaluated by the reader, and the reader can change the example calculations and adopt the given code to related or similar problems. The second edition has been completely revised and expanded into two volumes: The first volume covers classical mechanics and nonlinear dynamics. Both topics are the basis of a regular mechanics course. The second volume covers electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, and fractals and fractional calculus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very good book
This is a very good book in it's subject. The examples taken from Quantum Mechanics ,Fractals and General Relativity are quite impressive.But I would expect even more problems taken from the field of Electrodynamics.I think that this book is a"must have" for anyone who's interesting in computational methods for solving basic problems of theoretical physics. ... Read more

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Based on lectures given in honor of Stephen Hawking's 60th birthday, this book comprises contributions from the world's leading theoretical physicists. Popular lectures progress to a critical evaluation of more advanced subjects in modern cosmology and theoretical physics. Topics covered include the origin of the universe, warped spacetime, cosmological singularities, quantum gravity, black holes, string theory, quantum cosmology and inflation. The volume provides a fascinating overview of the variety of subjects to which Stephen Hawking has contributed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Great Book Celebrating The Career (and Life) of a Gifted Cosmologist
An age-old tradition in the scientific community is to celebrate the career of an eminent scientist upon reaching his or her 60th birthday.This particular volume was written to celebrate Steven Hawking's 60th birthday, which not only because of his prolific scientific work, but also his physical condition is all the more reason to celebrate his life and achievements, during which, physics has grown to encompass the entire spectrum of matter - bridging particle physics with cosmology.

The book is divided into 9 sections, with topics ranging from Desitter Space, M-Space, Hawking Radiation, Black Holes, Spacetime, Singularities, Quantum Gravity, Cosmology, as well as an overview of Hawking's career.As one would expect, the sections are high-quality writings, providing not only a celebration of Hawking's lifework, but also a time capsule for future researchers of the history of the state of the art in physics at the beginning of the 21st Century.

Contributors include Hawkings' one-time research partner Roger Penrose, as well as other luminaries of the physics research community, including Martin Rees, Kip Thorne, Werner Israel, Leonard Susskind, James Hartle, Alan Guth, and others.In addition to the discussions of physics theory, there are more personal references made by the likes of Stanford's Leonard Susskind in which he recounts debating with Hawking on information loss in black holes; with the University of Oxford's Roger
Penrose on the theory of black hole entropy; and with Caltech's Kip Thorne on cosmic censorship (the existance of naked singularities) and the possibility of time travel.

Incidentally, Hawking and Susskind have been named Distinguished Research Chairs of the Perimeter Institute in Canada, at which the likes of Lee Smolin and Gerard t'Hooft are also members.

THE CURRENT GREAT PHYSICISTS ALL IN ONE BOOK
This book of insightful and sometimes very witty presentations to honor this very courageous icon of science and mathematical physicist is MUST reading for all Physicists and Applied Mathematicians who want to get a glimse of the great minds of the past 40 years. I enjoyed every page. You do not need a PhD to comprehend this book, just a solid scientific and mathematical foundation. Good reading, fellow scientists and mathematicians! Prof Dan Remy (ret)

Books like this don't come along often
This book collects a series of lectures given at a conference celebrating Stephan Hawking's sixtieth birthday. If you don't know who Stephen Hawking is then this book is definitely not for you! His contributions are too extensive to give a comprehensive list here, a very short list of highlights would include seminal contributions to singularity theorems, quantum cosmology, co-authoring one of the great books in general relativity and his discovery that black holes emit (approximately?) thermal radiation. The lectures collected in this book provide a more complete overview of the many areas in which he has contributed. Given Hawking's accomplishments it's not surprising that the books contributors include many of the world's most prominent physicists.

There are forty-four chapters covering a vast range of topics in theoretical physics. The level of the material also has a wide range, from introductory to very advanced discussions. I thought the selection of papers was great.

The first part of the book is at a very introductory level. That isn't to say the material isn't quite interesting. The topics include basic general relativity, gravity waves, cosmology and singularities. This part should be accessible to a general audience.

The remainder of the book is more advanced, some of it quite advanced. Nevertheless I would expect much of it to be accessible to advanced undergraduates. Some of the material is fairly standard such as cosmology (standard general relativity treatment), inflation and black holes (standard general relativity version). However, most of the topics presented involve less well understood physics.

It's difficult to describe the breadth of the content without just looking a table of contents, but I'll try to give a rough idea of it. Not surprisingly there are many talks on physics of black holes that isn't completely understood. A partial list of black hole topics includes: primordial black holes, inner-horizon stability (a tentative answer is given), string effects and information loss. Here is a very coarse grained list of the rest of the content: loop quantum gravity, chronology protection conjecture, topology change, the holographic principle (or conjecture, depending on who you ask), Euclidean quantum gravity, topology change, string theory (touched on in many talks), quantum cosmology (basic, with supersymmetry and implication for the problem of time), cosmology (a wide variety) and more.

In summary, many interesting ideas in theoretical physics are discussed. They naturally center on general relativity, quantum gravity and cosmology. Even the difficult topics are fairly accessible. I would expect most graduate students would enjoy it, as would many advanced undergraduates with a solid background in general relativity and quantum mechanics (however, a lot of the material is quite challenging). Some of the material would also be interesting to astronomy and astrophysics students too. ... Read more

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All there is to know about functional analysis, integral equations and calculus of variations in one handy volume, written for the specific needs of physicists and applied mathematicians.
The new edition of this handbook starts with a short introduction to functional analysis, including a review of complex analysis, before continuing a systematic discussion of different types of integral equations. After a few remarks on the historical development, the second part provides an introduction to the calculus of variations and the relationship between integral equations and applications of the calculus of variations. It further covers applications of the calculus of variations developed in the second half of the 20th century in the fields of quantum mechanics, quantum statistical mechanics and quantum field theory.
Throughout the book, the author presents a wealth of problems and examples often with a physical background. He provides outlines of the solutions for each problem, while detailed solutions are also given, supplementing the materials discussed in the main text. The problems can be solved by directly applying the method illustrated in the main text, and difficult problems are accompanied by a citation of the original references.
Highly recommended as a textbook for senior undergraduates and first-year graduates in science and engineering, this is equally useful as a reference or self-study guide.
... Read more

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Mathematical Physics is an introduction to such basic mathematical structures as groups, vector spaces, topological spaces, measure spaces, and Hilbert space. Geroch uses category theory to emphasize both the interrelationships among different structures and the unity of mathematics. Perhaps the most valuable feature of the book is the illuminating intuitive discussion of the "whys" of proofs and of axioms and definitions. This book, based on Geroch's University of Chicago course, will be especially helpful to those working in theoretical physics, including such areas as relativity, particle physics, and astrophysics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Mathematical physics beyond calculus level starts here
If you want to study all these beautiful modern topics in mathematical physics that lie beyond calculus-level mathematics but you have a finite lifetime, then this is the book for you.

Traditionally, mathematical physics was (and still is!) based on calculus-level maths, but nowadays there are many topics in this field that require a higher level of mathematical sophistication.

One needs algebra, topology, measure theory, functional analysis, but also smooth manifolds, Riemannian geometry, connections on bundles, distributions & pde, infinite dimensional manifolds and geometric topology. Not all these topics go into this book, but be sure that the first four do!

This little book is probable the best introduction to mathematical physics at a higher level, for someone who has already some experience with 'standard' mathematical physics (otherwise one may find this approach somewhat unmotivated).

An ideal continuation of Geroch's book is Mme Choquet's Analysis, Manifolds & Physics.

Superb!
Ever wondered what a mathematician means when (s)he talks about categories? You don't know what a Lebesgue measure is or what bounded operators are good for? Or you have no clue what homotopy and homology are about? In that case look no further, because this book is the answer to those questions and many more!

It is clear, concise, general and fun to read, which you normally don't find in a book on mathematical physics. The book teaches modern mathematical concepts that show up all over the physics community. Normally you would have to buy several books to read about these ideas, but this one has them all. It's great as a textbook and good as a reference. Why wait any longer? Just order it!

very useful
This is a very nice, compact (no pun intended) book - it's not a mathematics textbook in the usual sense (i.e. a detailed users manual) but an overview of how all the different bits fit together in mathematical physics - a map.It sits beside Choquet-Bruhat et al.'s Analysis, Manifolds and Physics on my shelf.

It's worth pointing out that Robert Geroch is thanked, together with Roger Penrose, in the preface to 'The Large-scale Structure of Spacetime', as inspiration and influence.

Excellent book for illuminating some of the math in physics
I first read this excellent book about 6 years ago when I was beginning to realize that my undergraduate physics education wasn't going to teach me the math I wanted to know, especially since my main interest in physics was of a more theoretical bent. This book provides an excellent outline of many of the mathematical concepts that are rarely covered (or at least rarely covered well) in most physics curriculums. Running the gamut from category theory to basic group theory to algebraic topologyand beyond, this book provides much of the basic mathematical framework that many modern physical theories rely on.Highly recommended.

One of my favorite books
Robert Geroch's "Mathematical Physics" is a stunningly beautiful exposition of basic mathematics needed for science using the minimal amount of category theory not to be insane from the modern mathematical perspective (he cleverly hints at more category theory in the problems).I would consult this book first on basically any of the subjects that he covers.You will find the most elegant, original and to the point discussions there.There nothing on differential geometry, however. ... Read more

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A lucid presentation of statistical physics and thermodynamics which develops from the general principles to give a large number of applications of the theory.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Very dense
This book covers a lot of material in a fairly straightforward order - but it's very dense and not a lot of helpful examples. Good for reference, but Pathria is probably better if you're going through grad level stat mech for the first time.

classic yes but pretty much useless
Dont listen to people who tell you this is a classic text. Yes this is classic because everyone says so but no one has really learnt anything new from it.

If your intention is to understand thermodynamics and stat mechanics, this is the wrong book. If you are already a master of the subject, then Landau will converse with you. Otherwise he talks to himself!

In other words this is bed time reading for the expert (everything in it is right), but is completely useless as learning material.

Of course if you are like everyone who thinks this is a "must have" (and cannot read) for every physicist, just buy it and put it in the shelf. It looks nice.

Great Book, the best I've ever seen!
no words can describe the richness and clarity of this book.the description of Maxwell's distribution, Gibbs formalism,etc...all with marvelous clarity and rigour. Everyone who wants to learn statistical Mechanics (under and graduates) MUSTread this book.

Unrivalled Masterpiece
This book is a classic, especially in the sense it is somewhat old fashioned in its basic approaches when compared with newer books. For example it examines statistics and entropy from the ergodic as opposed to the ensemble approach. Information Theory and role of symmetry and symmetry breaking is not treated in detail. However I can't hold these omissions against the book since these developments happend mostly in the late 70s.

What Landau does here, and which in explicably very few Statistical Mechanics books do nowadays, is the full Gibbs Formalism. Not only is the Gibbs Formalism more compatible with Quantum Mechanics, it can also fits in beautifully with Ensemble Statistics and Inofrmation Theory. More over, it is at once clear Maxwell and Boltzmann statistics are only special cases of the Gibbs formalism, and can be easily shown in a few lines.

What Landau does, is to gave an elegant and cohesive view the trully fundamental features of Statistical Mechanics. Chapters 1-6 of this book alone displays a deeper level of understanding than whole books that have been written. If you are interested in Statistical Mechanics at all, this must be a centerpiece of your library.

THE BEST BOOK ON STATISTICAL PHYSICS
This is the Volume 5 of the famous Course of Theoretical Physics by L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz. All serious students of theoretical physics must possess the ten volumes of this excellent Course, which cover in detail and rigour practically all the branches of theoretical physics. The Volume 5 treats the subject of classical and quantum statistics. It contains an unusual approach of these subjects, based on the general Gibbs method, avoiding the introduction of ergodic hypotheses and, in the case of the ideal gas, of "a priori" probabilities, which are difficult to justify and serves only to obscure the exposition. The book is complete and contains chapters not usually found in other similar books, such as the chapter on second-order phase transitions. The clarity of exposition and rigour is notorious in this book. A magnific book! ... Read more

Product Description
"The Six Core Theories of Modern Physics is a useful andamazingly compact compendium of the central equations and concepts ofmodern physics, treating broad areas while stressing their underlyingunity. It stands as an ideal summary of all that a beginning graduatestudent should have learned, and that other scientists with a physicsbackground will want to recall." -- Dr. Daniel Gardner, CornellUniversity Medical College

Charles Stevens, a prominent neurobiologist who originally trained as abiophysicist (with George Uhlenbeck and Mark Kac), wrote this bookalmost by accident. Each summer he found himself reviewing key areas ofphysics that he had once known and understood well, for use in hispresent biological research. Since there was no book, he created his ownset of notes, which formed the basis for this brief, clear, andself-contained summary of the basic theoretical structures of classicalmechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, statisticalphysics, special relativity, and quantum field theory.

The Six Core Theories of Modern Physics can be used by advancedundergraduates or beginning graduate students as a supplement to thestandard texts or for an uncluttered, succinct review of the key areas.Professionals in such quantitative sciences as chemistry, engineering,computer science, applied mathematics, and biophysics who need to brushup on the essentials of a particular area will find most of the requiredbackground material, including the mathematics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good concise overview of key physics, with derivations
I have enjoyed reading this book, and it has helped refresh my memory and fill in some gaps in my physics knowledge.This book can be useful for beginning physics graduate students studying for qualifying exams, or for older physicists (like myself) who want to brush up on some topics. I haven't yet read the whole book, but the parts I've read are clearly written and have concise summaries of these fundamental theories, with derivations that are detailed enough for someone with a physics training to follow easily.This isn't a perfect book, but I admire the goal of trying to write a concise derivation of key results in modern physics, and it does well in several places.I have found several typos and minor errors, which are recorded for the benefit of others at

http://w3.pppl.gov/~hammett/talks/2001/coretheories-errata.pdf

Sloppy if not downright wrong
I bought this for half price from a used bookstore (they had several copies) so I should've been warned. Within a few pages of starting this book, in a section of vector algebra, the author states that all vectors in an orthonormal basis are eigenvectors of all unitary operators. That's a ludicrous statement that is trivially wrong. Being a bit afraid that I might be led astray when reading sections on material I didn't already know, I checked the web for other mentions of this book. The only website I found (besides the publishers) was one hosting a lengthy errata for the book, full of corrections to sloppy mistakes in this book. Warning number two. Here it is (you'll need it):

w3.pppl.gov/~hammett/talks/ 2001/core-theories-errata.pdf

I think the idea behind this book is great, and I haven't found anything yet as aggregious as the mistatement about unitary transforms. But beware. This isn't a book by a physicist, and it shows.

Great companion for learning QFT.
I am self-studying QFT and have bought several of the standard textbooks -- they are all tough going.

Stevens's book helped me greatly in understanding the path-integral approach: the section on functional calculus was very well presented, then applied in the two chapters on quantum mechanics (QM) and quantum field theory (QFT). I especially liked the connection made with classical probability theory, something I haven't seen in my QFT books.

You will not learn QM from this book. In fact, with a QM-101 background, you may find the QM chapter hard to follow. However, if you have started to learn QFT, it should add value.

The other chapters were of less interest to me personally, but I thought they nicely reviewed their topics from a fresh viewpoint, in particular special relativity and thermodynamics.

Six Core or "hard" Core?
While it's pleasant having an overview of physics in one place I am unhappy with the lack of care in writing the text. For example, the section on functional calculus frequently changes notation during an explanation. Also, much more emphasis should have been placed on the fact that the differentiation of functionals produces functional DENSITY derivatives. However, with some effort, I DID succeed in understanding this section. Needs greater clarity of presentation, perhaps with more diagrams.

great pocket book of physics
This is a concise and elegant summary of the fundamentals of the six core theories of physics. It even includes a convenient math review. Although the author might have the "beginning graduate student" in mind, now at theend of my Ph.D. training in applied physics at Harvard, I still had a greattime reading it!. ... Read more

Product Description
An engagingly-written account of mathematical tools and ideas, this book provides a graduate-level introduction to the mathematics used in research in physics. The first half of the book focuses on the traditional mathematical methods of physics - differential and integral equations, Fourier series and the calculus of variations. The second half contains an introduction to more advanced subjects, including differential geometry, topology and complex variables. The authors' exposition avoids excess rigor whilst explaining subtle but important points often glossed over in more elementary texts. The topics are illustrated at every stage by carefully chosen examples, exercises and problems drawn from realistic physics settings. These make it useful both as a textbook in advanced courses and for self-study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book!
Warning: review based on first half of book.
I used this book for a graduate level Mathematical Physics class where We worked through Chapters 1 through 9.I've skimmed a little through the rest which also looks good.So let me tell you it's strengths and weakness.The book is definitely intended for graduate physics students.Most of the examples are actual physics uses of the math you learned (and there a lot), because of this you probably need a solid undergrad background in physics at least classical mechanics, E&M and Quantum, as well as Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations (and more math exposure the better!).

Strengths:
1.It goes through a lot of math!In fact because of this it is useful as a reference book as well, the book is 800 pages.Covering a broad range of traditional mathematical physics and more modern methods(e.g. Differential Geometry, Groups, ect.)

2.Lots of real world examples.This I think is probably it's biggest strength, and makes it worth the purchase, at least for me.The starts by explaining the mathematical concept, and then gives you worked out examples from physics.A lot of modern mathematics is extremely abstract, these examples help to get a feel for what the math actually says.

3.The explanations are thorough.For the most part, the book does not gloss over topics.The rigor is what one would expect for a theoretical physics, not as rigorous a pure math course, but more rigorous then what is presented in physics courses.

Weakness:
1.Because the book covers a lot of material and gives so many worked out examples 'simple' steps in derivation are omitted.For the most part this is not a problem.It just means you have to spend more time on each page, perhaps with pencil and paper, but it does make it hard to casually read.(This probably better then the other option where every step is included, the book would have probably been 2000 pages)

2.This is probably a statement about the material in general then about the book.The math is hard.It takes a lot of time and work on the part of the reader to really understand a lot of these concepts.


Overall:
As an aspiring theorist, I have a lot of math and physics books on the shelf(more like shelves).Its hard to say for sure but I see this as a book I can and will return to throughout my graduate school experience for help on understanding the math used in my courses.If your a senior in undergrad physics or somewhere in your graduate program this is a book that will return the investment.If you want a mathematical reference that is relevant to physicist this book is also for you. If you haven't taken that many math courses or don't have a solid physics background you might want to explore other books before diving into this one. ... Read more

Product Description
The fourth edition contains seven new sections with chapters on General Relativity, Gravitational Waves and Relativistic Cosmology. The text has been thoroughly revised and additional problems inserted.


The Complete course of Theoretical Physics by Landau and Lifshitz, recognized as two of the world's outstanding physicists, is published in full by Butterworth-Heinemann. It comprises nine volumes, covering all branches of the subject; translations from the Russian are by leading scientists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Just one word; genius.
Being both a mechanical engineer and an absolute lover of physics, I have few words to describe what this book means. This book is simply the bible of field theory in
this world. However is not to everyone, it is a very hard book, rigorous mathematically talking, profound and definitive, this is that kind of book you only catch up and face it when you have a rigorous and a considerable knowledge of both physics and advanced calculus, obviously if you have neither one nor other, you'd better get another text, maybe an intermediate one. It is interesting that it starts with special relativity and finishes with general relativity; you'd better be good in tensor calculus. Landau left a legacy unequaled in terms of theoretical physics; all of his books on this series are way above average and absolutely definitive texts in theoretical physics.

A good reference book for EM students
By "good" in the title, I mean probably the best of all times when in comes to what the book is about. Instead of elaborating on how good it is (quite a few reviewers have done that already), I'll try to say something about what the book is about, and its best usage.

The book is about microscopic electromagnetic theory (EM) within a general physical framework and General Relativity.

The "microscopic" qualifier means that you are not going to learn anything about macroscopic fields within material bodies. Granted, microscopic and macroscopic EM are identical in vacuum, but they are not within material bodies. Most introductory courses deal with (at least static) macroscopic EM, so be aware that you probably can't use this book as a standalone text in the first EM course you take. (There is a complete volume in the same series devoted to macroscopic EM.)

The fact that it is written in the langaue of a "general physical framework" means that very many of the tools of classical mechanics are used. Knowledge of Newtonian mechanics in the language of Newton is definitly not a sufficient background; the Lagrangian formulation as well as the Hamiltonian formulation, including variational principles and the Hamilton-Jacobi equation are required background material. In addition, the setting is the spacetime of special relativity, including tensors, Lorentz transformations and all that comes with it. The generality of the text (and probably lack of space) prohibits the exposition of hairy detailed solutions of complex specialized EM problems.

I percieve the required background as follows: Mathematical analysis in several variables, including integration in several dimensions. Naturally, vector analysis and linear algebra are needed. Also a working knowledge of functional analysis is pretty useful. Classical mechanics is a must and a general introductory course on wave mechanics is useful and one on EM is probably mandatory. I can think of more stuff, but let's stop here.

If you do have the required background I congratulate you. If you do not, and the book is the recommended as a text, then the instructor probably knows what he is doing and will provide complementary material. In any case you will find a logically coherent presentation of EM. This is definitly not the way things emerged historically and maybe not the most efficient way pedagogically.

1. Special Relativity including particle mechanics.
2. The electromagnetic field tensor.
3. The Maxwell equations.
4. Electrostatics
5. Electrodynamic waves including the frequency domain of light as a special case (optics).
6. Radiation from moving charges.

As you can see, the order is almost the reverse of the order in elementary books where the field tensor probably is introduced (if at all) in the last optional chapter. The normal introductory EM book also doesn't let you even see the Maxwell equations before you have solved a gazillion electrostatic problems etcetera.

For me personally, Landau was the fourth text. I finally got to appreciate what the first three tried to teach me when it comes to physical insight. Needless to say, the other ones did succed in teaching some mathematical tricks, but it was Landau that put EM in the web of physics.

I can't comment on the part on General Relativity - I can just assume that it is good.

Does the Work of at Least Four Modern Texts on the same subject
Truly rough going in the latter parts of the book, but still the best of the best: straight forward economical and elegant. All the derivations are classics and transparent in their exactness. All of the moving parts of advance physics are present here, and fit, and are taken in their proper or logical sequence. Most derivations are novel and include uncommonly elegant shortcuts that have endured over time.

The last part of the book is no walk in the park -- especially for those of us who have been away from advanced mathematics for a while - because here a few curve balls and subtleties are slipped in. Still the avoidance of line integration was a welcomed side benefit.

However, even with its subtleties in the second half: with repetition and enough time, and with the help of other texts, including the valuable volume I of this series, one can still muddle through until the eureka moment occurs.

A valuable gauge against which today's texts in field theory are to be measured. This book does the work of about four modern texts on the same subject.

Five Stars

Physics/math study
This is an absolute necessity for a graduate student!Studying math/physics.One of the very best available.I was very pleased in the condition of the book, and the price made it affordable for me.

The work of a master
Landau's approach to Classical Field Theory demonstrates his ability to be clear, concise, and elegant without drowning out the physics with math. I will say, however, that Landau requires a certain maturity to appreciate his style (same goes for Rudin's books of analysis). I would recommend this title to those with a working knowledge of classical E & M, vector/tensor analysis, and of special relativity. It is also wise to work through the author's Theoretical Mechanics to get a taste of their style. I believe, contrary to many, that this book is appropriate for self study if one is willing to do the work (not only the exercises but following along pencil in hand). I suggest reading a passage and then covering it up and then trying to do the derivations by hand. My only complaint is the quality of print, which has is not the fault of the authors. It is especially annoying at first. ... Read more

Product Description
Our understanding of the physical world was revolutionized in the twentieth century the era of modern physics . This book, aimed at the very best students, extends the coverage of the theoretical groundwork of today's physics presented in the previous volume: Introduction to Modern Physics: Theoretical Foundations (Vol. I). Typically, students have to wade through several courses to see many of these topics. The goal is to give them some idea of where they are going, and how things fit together, as they go along.

The present book focuses on the following topics: reformulation of quantum mechanics, angular momentum, scattering theory, lagrangian field theory, symmetries, Feynman rules, quantum electrodynamics, including higher-order contributions, path integrals, and canonical transformations for quantum systems. Many problems are included that enhance and extend the coverage. The book assumes a mastery of the material in Vol. I, and the continued development of mathematical skills, including multivariable calculus and linear algebra. Several appendices provide important details, and any additional required mathematics. The reader should then find the text, together with the appendices and problems, to be self-contained. The aim is to cover the framework of modern theoretical physics in sufficient depth that things make sense to students, and, when finished, the reader should have an elementary working knowledge in the principal areas of theoretical physics of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Product Description

Have you ever wondered why the language of modern physics centres on geometry? Or how quantum operators and Dirac brackets work? What a convolution really is? What tensors are all about? Or what field theory and lagrangians are, and why gravity is described as curvature?

This book takes you on a tour of the main ideas forming the language of modern mathematical physics. Here you will meet novel approaches to concepts such as determinants and geometry, wave function evolution, statistics, signal processing, and three-dimensional rotations. You will see how the accelerated frames of special relativity tell us about gravity. On the journey, you will discover how tensor notation relates to vector calculus, how differential geometry is built on intuitive concepts, and how variational calculus leads to field theory. You will meet quantum measurement theory, along with Green functions and the art of complex integration, and finally general relativity and cosmology.

The book takes a fresh approach to tensor analysis built solely on the metric and vectors, with no need for one-forms. This gives a much more geometrical and intuitive insight into vector and tensor calculus, together with general relativity, than do traditional, more abstract methods.

Don Koks is a physicist at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation in Adelaide, Australia. His doctorate in quantum cosmology was obtained from the Department of Physics and Mathematical Physics at Adelaide University. Prior work at the University of Auckland specialised in applied accelerator physics, along with pure and applied mathematics.

Customer Reviews (4)

great read
This is a really nice book, wonderful read but not quite an introductionaery book . i would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fresh & inspiring perspective on topics he or she has reviewed before in more basic form. its great to tie the knot between different disciplines & fields though

the one one piece which i missed are references to more indepth literature of the various topics. in particular when the author quite often uses the term, "we will not go into this here"

other then that, great book , i will read it again some day

The book I turn to for clarity on mathematical physics
I own about a dozen textbooks on different subjects in mathematics covering topics like Fourier analysis, mathematical statistics and mathematical physics. I also have textbooks on quantum mechanics and solid state physics that use a lot of that math. This all came about through graduate school studies and my current job. Having studied much of this material in school and on the job, I thought I understood the basics of it all. Yet when I started reading this book I discovered some eye-opening insights and had several aha-of-course! moments that kept me reading on.

As Dr. Koks explains, the book is more a narrative than a textbook. Thus, there are no problem sets, no useless end-of-chapter summaries, no extraneous color-coded exercise boxes. Instead, Dr. Koks gets straight to the point of explaining the whys of several mathematical phenomena in conversational, common-sense prose. For example, Dr. Koks discusses the familiar exponential function and its relation to radioactive decay by drawing a parallel to a group of persons each flipping a coin; this analogy intuitively shows, in a manner equations can't, why radioactive decay follows exponential behavior. Another example I found useful was his point about the relationship between the reciprocal lattice and a vector cobasis. I've worked with reciprocal lattices but never realized that point before. And his explanation of how a probability density evolves from a histogram is superb, invoking nothing more than first-semester calculus. Yet I've never seen a comparable explanation in any of the statistical books I've read.

The above examples are from the first few chapers of the book, which I've read. The latter chapters cover aspects of tensors, special and general relativity, field theory, and cosmology. Having embarked on self-study of these subjects out of academic curiosity, I know I'll be turning to this book for clarification on a lot of these subjects. But even though I've noted that the book is not a textbook per se, the number of equations is still on par with any mathematics textbook, and I wouldn't recommend this book for the mathematically faint of heart. Yet the equations aren't there to intimidate but instead are used to make the author's points. With a bit of effort they can be readily understood.

If you're studying mathematical physics (say, using Hassani), quantum mechanics, special or general relativity, or just love a clear exposition on the subtleties of many of the mathematical concepts underlying physics, you will want this book for its lucid discussions that are usually missing from mainstream textbooks. The book is accessible to advanced undergraduates, and as a working professional with an engineering Ph.D. I glean all sorts of insights from it. I highly recommend _Explorations in Mathematical Physics_.

UNIQUE AND MONUMENTAL
If you aim at reaching the summit of a mountain so that you can seize the whole atglance, then you must read this precious and (relatively) small book.
Most textbooks exhibit kilometers of formulas, but are unable to tell you the essence (i.e. the concepts). This is obvious, because the mathematical language (like all the languages) is not semantic!
In Explorations, instead, a formula is never a starting point; it is the formalization of a line of reasoning. The absence of specific arguments doesn't matter; on the contrary, it's to your advantage. In this way, in fact, you can't lose yourself in details and may concentrate on the project of the author, who can give you very much. I am hinting at the conceptual foundations of Physics in splendid symbiosis with their modern mathematical counterparts.
I don't see any restriction on the reading public. The book is for anyone loves (first of all) knowledge and (then) Physics. Besides, in my opinion, it is the ideal guide (in the use of ordinary textbooks) for truly concerned undergraduate and graduate students. After all, Differential Calculus and an introductory course in Linear Algebra are the only requirements, even though the book ranges (in clear and polish style) over the entire realm of Physics.
I am not saying that Explorations is an easy book. On the other hand you can't combine simplicitywith a profound thought, unless you admit that the simplicity of the form is always related to the complexity of the content. From this point of view Don Koks treats a difficult matter with the greatest simplicity one could possibly imagine.
In all sincerity, only the reading of section 2.10 (dealing with Commutators and the Indeterminacy Principle) has been somewhere laborious to me. Besides, I think (but I could be wrong) that section 8.10 (dealing with Exterior Calculus and the Theorems of Stokes and Gauss in Higher Dimensions) could have been written with greater clarity.
As an ex-professor I want to send a message to the students:if you do your best to assimilate this superfine pedagogical work, your course of study will be handy and pleasant.

Delivers on its promise
As an advanced undergraduate physics student, I found this book to be one of the few physics books which focusses on bridging the gap between physical understanding and the mathematics. I found the book a bit too orientated towards diff forms and relativity. To round it off a bit more, I would have liked to see some of the more difficult concepts from electromagnetics included e.g explanations behind quadrupole tensors, stress-energy tensor, helmoltz decomposition and TE,TM,TEM waves. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an approachable introduction to the important topics and recent developments in the field of condensed matter physics. First, the general language of quantum field theory is developed in a way appropriate for dealing with systems having a large number of degrees of freedom. This paves the way for a description of the basic processes in such systems. Applications include various aspects of superfluidity and superconductivity, as well as a detailed description of the fractional quantum Hall liquid. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must for learning the modern approach to many body theory
First of all, I want to emphasize that my review below is
dedicated to both the "Quantum field theory of condensed matter
physics", and its companion volume "Quantum field of strongly
correlated electron systems".

Condensed matter physics, or more specially, the many body physics
has experienced some revolutionary changes in the past forty
years. Although the classic book by AGD still serves as the best
introduction to the Fermi liquid theory and the diagrammatic
techniques, there indeed exist a gap and a difference in flavors
between the older textbook and the research literature. As far as
I know, the only textbook prior to Nagaosa's two-volume set of
monograph, which stresses the functional integral approach to many
body physics is Negele and Orland's book. However, the latter is
devoted to the discussions of formalism. Only very few specific
condensed matter problems are addressed in this book and many
interesting results are buried in the unsolved problem sets. This
is an annoying feature for people who use this book for self
study.

In the past several years, some textbooks which stress the "modern
approaches" start to appear on the market. These include X.-G.
Wen's book and A. Altland and B. Simon's book. Both of the books
are very good. In my opinion, Nagaosa's two-volume set of little
books stand out from the following distinguishing features: First,
it is short and clear, and most of the calculational details are
clearly presented so that we can really finishing reading these
books. Second, within the limited pages, it does a good job of
introducing as many different topics as possible. For example, the
first volume contains a nice discussion of the classic topics such
as the RPA theory of the Coulomb gas and the Bogoliubov's theory
of superfludity. The discussion of the superconductivity is
completely modern. Nagaosa stresses the RG point of view and
presents a detailed discussions of the phase action and the effect
of dissipation on the Josephson junction. The first volume also
contains a nice discussion of the U(1) lattice gauge theory and
the related confinement problem. The last chapter has a brief but
nice introduction of the Chern-Simon gauge transformation and the
Ginzburg-Landau-Chern-Simons theory of the quantum Hall effect.
The second volume devotes more exclusively to the
"non-perturbative" techniques of field theory. Among them, the low
dimensional field theory techniques are neatly introduced in the
first two chapters. The book then turn into the introductions of
topics such as the t-J model, magnetic instabilities of correlated
electron systems, and the gauge theoretical approach to correlated
electron systems.

Overall, I would say that this two-volume set is a must for anyone
who is eager for learning a modern field theoretical approach to
many body physics. My only complaint about this book is about its
price , concerning it page number-to-price ratio. For this reason,
I give it four stars.
... Read more

Product Description
This second edition of the excellent reference work has been supplemented by such up-to-date topics as depletion forces, surface modification by plasma polymerization, principles of lithography, or inverse gas chromatography, while the number and variety of exercises has been increased.
The text reflects the many facets of this discipline by linking physical fundamentals, especially those taken from thermodynamics, with application-specific topics. Similarly, the theory behind important concepts is backed by clearly explained by scientific-engineering aspects as well as a wide range of high-end applications from microelectronics and biotechnology.
Written to be understood intuitively by those with a general comprehension of the topic, and not burdened by details, this book is aimed at advanced students (and their teachers) in physics, chemistry and material sciences, as well as engineers and natural scientists requiring background knowledge in surface and interface science. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic for classically trained physicists trying to understand liquid-surface interfaces
As a physics graduate student venturing into the biophysical realm or warm, charged, and wet surfaces I was in dire need of a textbook that provides the background journal authors assume for a reader.This book derives the equations that everyone in the field needs to know and exposes the reader to a wide enough variety of topics that I've often looked up new chapters when I encounter a new concept.

This is a textbook with a very practical emphasis.It reads like a physics or chemistry textbook that has taken a step towards engineering, a healthy combination for the experimental scientist.Questions are few, usually 'plug and chug,' and act to emphasize a certain point or show an application, with a few 'derive this equation' type questions.Most derivations in the text take half a page to two pages and assume that the reader has taken courses statistical mechanics and electromagnetism, but seem to always end with nice neat explanations of the answers that will allow the reader to apply the final result even if some of the details of the derivation are skipped.

I first found this book through Google books and after reading the section on the Poisson Boltzmann equation decided to order the book through my university's inter-library loan.When I had the book in hand I realized that my confusion in understanding the field's basics were due to the presentation I'd seen and found that the basic concepts were simple and almost immediately became able to apply the derivations to my research.When I had to return the book I bought a copy from Amazon.

In summary, this book is an excellent source to get up to speed in any field where solids and liquids meet. ... Read more

Product Description
The richly illustrated book comprehensively explains the important principles of diatomic and polyatomic molecules and their spectra in two separate, distinct parts. The first part concentrates on the theoretical aspects of molecular physics, such as the vibration, rotation, electronic states, potential curves, and spectra of molecules. The different methods of approximation for the calculation of electronic wave functions and their energy are also covered. The introduction of basics terms used in group theory and their meaning in molecular physics enables an elegant description of polyatomic molecules and their symmetries. Molecular spectra and the dynamic processes involved in their excited states are given its own chapter. The theoretical part then concludes with a discussion of the field of Van der Waals molecules and clusters.
The second part is devoted entirely to experimental techniques, such as laser, Fourier, NMR, and ESR spectroscopies, used in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and material science. Time-resolved measurements and the influence of chemical reactions by coherent controls are also treated. A list of general textbooks and specialized literature is provided for further reading.
With specific examples, definitions, and notes integrated within the text to aid understanding, this is suitable for undergraduates and graduates in physics and chemistry with a knowledge of atomic physics and familiar with the basics of quantum mechanics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Concise textbook linking different areas
Specializing in the field of vibrational spectroscopy, I found it took increasingly more time to learn about each new approach, theoretical or experimental, in molecular physics. The book by prof. Demtroeder is exactly what I needed - precise, concise and elegant in presentation of the heart of the matter. It can be read by a student to grasp the principles, as well as by the professional who cannot afford weeks to pursuit ten articles or more to find out what the basic assumptions or experimental necessities in each theory or experiment are. I would reccomend warmly this book to everybody in search of the explanations of both basic and advanced levels of molecular physics. ... Read more