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Theoretical Physics
Among the finest, most comprehensive treatments of theoretical physics ever written, this classic volume comprises a superb introduction to the main branches of the discipline and offers solid grounding for further research in a variety of fields. Students will find no better one-volume coverage of so many essential topics; moreover, since its first publication, the book has been substantially revised and updated with additional material on Bessel functions, spherical harmonics, superconductivity, elastomers, and other subjects.The first four chapters review mathematical topics needed by theoretical and experimental physicists (vector analysis, mathematical representation of periodic phenomena, theory of vibrations and waves, theory of functions of a complex variable, the calculus of variations, and more). This material is followed by exhaustive coverage of mechanics (including elasticity and fluid mechanics, as well as relativistic mechanics), a highly detailed treatment of electromagnetic theory, and thorough discussions of thermodynamics, kinetic theory and statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics and nuclear physics.Now available for the first time in paperback, this wide-ranging overview also contains an extensive 40-page appendix which provides detailed solutions to the numerous exercises included throughout the text. Although first published over 50 years ago, the book remains a solid, comprehensive survey, so well written and carefully planned that undergraduates as well as graduate students of theoretical and experimental physics will find it an indispensable reference they will turn to again and again.
930 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 6, 2020
This is a comprehensive, detailed theoretical physics textbook, of encyclopedic breath and of enormous coverage, aimed at upper-undergraduate and graduate students in physics.
It is a thick tome that can at times present a quite forbidding, highly mathematical treatment of advanced subjects in theoretical physics (such as hydrodynamics), but it is definitely a textbook that does provide a highly rewarding experience to the reader willing to approach it with sufficient determination, time and careful study.
The book is uncompromisingly mathematical in its approach, and some derivations are concise almost to the point of being sibylline, but many mathematical techniques, including some of more sophisticated mathematical methods (such as advanced elements of multivariate calculus, theory of complex functions and calculus of variations) are explained quite nicely, albeit necessarily briefly, in a first introductory section of the book.
In general, it must be said that this book represents a great compendium on most of classical physics (with the exception of General Relativity), providing a first-class treatment of a great variety of subjects, of which I found the sections on deformable solids, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics particularly well designed, delivering a great compromise between level of detail and readability.
A wide range of topics in basic theoretical physics is covered with elegant conciseness, and some derivations are absolutely brilliant. The author is also clearly a virtuoso in multivariate calculus as well as in the calculus of variations, and he is uniquely accomplished in applying such techniques to many items treated in the book.
On the not-so-positive side, there are a few issues with this book:
- as I mentioned beforehand, some derivations are really very concise, almost cryptic, and could have been delivered in a more approachable manner. Some illustrations are of average quality and are not well-explained, leaving too much interpretative work to the reader. Some of the explanations in English are ambiguous and potentially misleading: they look like have been designed more to be used as a reference for a reader already familiar with the subject, rather than as a proper explanation.
- some of the notational choices by the author are quite peculiar, and not always in sync with the most commonly accepted standards. In the section on Quantum Mechanics, the Dirac notation is not adopted
- the section on quantum physics, while done reasonably well, is necessarily dated, focusing exclusively on very traditional elements of wave mechanics, with no mention whatsoever of developments that post-date the publishing date of this book (such as QED, QCD, Path Integrals etc.).
This book is not recommended as an introductory textbook, however it does deliver a very comprehensive and relatively advanced treatment of many themes of theoretical physics; it is impressive in its range and detail of the subjects treated, delivering a tremendous amount of information on the most disparate items: it definitely was, speaking in terms of personal reading experience, well worth the time and effort invested in going through it.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
It is a thick tome that can at times present a quite forbidding, highly mathematical treatment of advanced subjects in theoretical physics (such as hydrodynamics), but it is definitely a textbook that does provide a highly rewarding experience to the reader willing to approach it with sufficient determination, time and careful study.
The book is uncompromisingly mathematical in its approach, and some derivations are concise almost to the point of being sibylline, but many mathematical techniques, including some of more sophisticated mathematical methods (such as advanced elements of multivariate calculus, theory of complex functions and calculus of variations) are explained quite nicely, albeit necessarily briefly, in a first introductory section of the book.
In general, it must be said that this book represents a great compendium on most of classical physics (with the exception of General Relativity), providing a first-class treatment of a great variety of subjects, of which I found the sections on deformable solids, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics particularly well designed, delivering a great compromise between level of detail and readability.
A wide range of topics in basic theoretical physics is covered with elegant conciseness, and some derivations are absolutely brilliant. The author is also clearly a virtuoso in multivariate calculus as well as in the calculus of variations, and he is uniquely accomplished in applying such techniques to many items treated in the book.
On the not-so-positive side, there are a few issues with this book:
- as I mentioned beforehand, some derivations are really very concise, almost cryptic, and could have been delivered in a more approachable manner. Some illustrations are of average quality and are not well-explained, leaving too much interpretative work to the reader. Some of the explanations in English are ambiguous and potentially misleading: they look like have been designed more to be used as a reference for a reader already familiar with the subject, rather than as a proper explanation.
- some of the notational choices by the author are quite peculiar, and not always in sync with the most commonly accepted standards. In the section on Quantum Mechanics, the Dirac notation is not adopted
- the section on quantum physics, while done reasonably well, is necessarily dated, focusing exclusively on very traditional elements of wave mechanics, with no mention whatsoever of developments that post-date the publishing date of this book (such as QED, QCD, Path Integrals etc.).
This book is not recommended as an introductory textbook, however it does deliver a very comprehensive and relatively advanced treatment of many themes of theoretical physics; it is impressive in its range and detail of the subjects treated, delivering a tremendous amount of information on the most disparate items: it definitely was, speaking in terms of personal reading experience, well worth the time and effort invested in going through it.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
December 1, 2024
Theoretical Physics is a 1986 reprint of a 1932 classic textbook by Georg Joos. The book assumes you attained proficiency in Differential and Integral Calculus. Joos arranged the book into eight parts and forty-six chapters.
Joos covers the topic well. He opens with a mathematical grounding in Vectors, Waves, and the Calculus of Variations. Theoretical physics has a wide range of professional coverage, so the book discusses many topics. However, because of its age, the book misses some issues. The developments I can think of are Black Hole Entropy, Hawking Radiation, Quantum Electrodynamics, Cosmic Background Radiation, and computer advancements. There are more, but I didn't look them up.
The book contains exercises and sample problems to increase proficiency in the subject, and Joos does a phenomenal job of explaining the equations and their meanings. While the book is a reprint of an older textbook, it offers a mathematical grounding that makes reading it worthwhile. There are solutions to the exercises at the back, a suggestion for further reading, and a comprehensive index.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
Joos covers the topic well. He opens with a mathematical grounding in Vectors, Waves, and the Calculus of Variations. Theoretical physics has a wide range of professional coverage, so the book discusses many topics. However, because of its age, the book misses some issues. The developments I can think of are Black Hole Entropy, Hawking Radiation, Quantum Electrodynamics, Cosmic Background Radiation, and computer advancements. There are more, but I didn't look them up.
The book contains exercises and sample problems to increase proficiency in the subject, and Joos does a phenomenal job of explaining the equations and their meanings. While the book is a reprint of an older textbook, it offers a mathematical grounding that makes reading it worthwhile. There are solutions to the exercises at the back, a suggestion for further reading, and a comprehensive index.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews