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A 767-page introduction to the math you need in theoretical physics. I know all this stuff - no wonder I can't remember people's names or my own phone number. Now you too can be reduced to nerdly uselessness!
Tragically, this book was written by someone who doesn't know how to type quotation marks in LaTeX.
Tragically, this book was written by someone who doesn't know how to type quotation marks in LaTeX.
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Wen Su+1Mathematics is a powerful tool to describe physics, to expand existing understandings, to make useful applications out of theories. Math is a powerful tool to aid us in the understanding of physics, but understanding math is not the measurement for understanding physics. Feynman said:
"...if we have a way of knowing what should happen in given circumstances without actually solving the equations, the we 'understand' the equations, as applied to these circumstances. A physical understanding is a completely unmathematical, imprecise, and inexact thing, but absolutely necessary for a physicist."
767 pages should not have the intimidating effect of making you think that you are incapable of understand theoretical physics. :)Sep 29, 2012
+Timothy Gowers You can create a circle called "Read Later" with absolutely nobody in it. Then, "share" this post with that circle (and just that circle).Sep 29, 2012
The book seems very useful as a kind of index or reference. I'll probably use it to remember things while I'm studying. But it certainly could be made more appealing to the eyes.
+John Baez I was reading your list of books (excelent!) and I was wondering what do you think about two of my favorite books that aren't on your list: Gilbert Strang's Introduction to Linear Algebra (his "Calculus" is on your list) and Lev Landau's collection Course of Theoretical Physics.Sep 29, 2012
+Marcelo Resegue - I should add that series by Landau - and Lifshitz, right? I never studied from it extensively, for some reason, but I read the beginning of the part on thermodynamics, and I really liked it. For example, it explained why stuff you see around you tends not to be spinning. (Classically, you can show a system in thermodynamic equilibrium has no angular momentum.) And of course it's a famous series.
I never looked at Strang's intro to linear algebra.Sep 29, 2012
Boyce and Diprima ODE (with the strange attractors on the cover) is my all time favorite text.Oct 13, 2012
Thanx to everybody for your interest..
There is a new version available on arXiv, same organization same length, and purpose, some errors corrected, and an improvement on manifolds, fiber bundles and Clifford algebras.
About quotes : actually I use Scientifc World which is a LaTex editor, and it is native in English, so I do not really control this feature !Apr 24, 2014
