.
Aside from the fourth chapter (which is weak at best) and the cumbersome notation, this is one of the best textbooks for quantum mechanics out there. Chapter 1 is the best discussion of linear algebra in quantum mechanics I have ever seen, and it alone is worth about $40. Although sometimes a little scattershot, the third chapter, on angular momentum, is also the best introduction to the theory of angular momentum I have ever seen. The text does not baby you like some undergraduate texts (the Griffiths immediately comes to mind), and treats you like an actual physicist capable of working through some pretty complicated problems.
Perturbation theory is an almost purely mathematical tool with very little physical "intuition" to be had, and therefore these sections of the book are not bad.
As far as I can tell, with Baym out of the picture, the race for "standard" graduate school textbook on QM is a dead heat between the established Sakurai and the upstart Shankar, and both books have their ups and downs. The Shankar can be too long-winded at times, although it covers path integration in much greater depth than the Sakurai. However, the Sakurai's treatment of symmetry operations is much more in-depth than the Shankar's. As far as I am concerned, the only way to get the best of both worlds right now is to drop the cash and read both books. The Sakurai is probably a much better way to learn the subject, but there are a few holes in Sakurai that Shankar covers well, although with a verbose style and with very simple problems.
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Quantum Mechanics - Fundamentals and Applications to Technology
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Quantum Mechanics (2nd Edition)
ASIN: 0471330442 |
Book Description
Linking physics fundamentals to modern technology-a highly applied primer for students and engineers
Reminding us that modern inventions-new materials, information technologies, medical technological breakthroughs-are based on well-established fundamental principles of physics, Jasprit Singh integrates important topics from quantum mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, and materials science, as well as the special theory of relativity. He then goes a step farther and applies these fundamentals to the workings of electronic devices-an essential leap for anyone interested in developing new technologies.
From semiconductors to nuclear magnetic resonance to superconducting materials to global positioning systems, Professor Singh draws on wide-ranging applications to demonstrate each concept under discussion. He downplays extended mathematical derivations in favor of results and their real-world design implication, supplementing the book with nearly 100 solved examples, 120 figures, and 200 end-of-chapter problems.
Modern Physics for Engineers provides engineering and physics students with an accessible, unified introduction to the complex world underlying today's design-oriented curriculums. It is also an extremely useful resource for engineers and applied scientists wishing to take advantage of research opportunities in diverse fields.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect for engineers.......2000-08-22
This book covers topics in modern physics that are the most important for the engineer. It makes an equilibrated use of figures, tables and conceptual diagrams, thus providing a clear guideline for the student. It also provides small but interesting historic introductions in some chapters, that also help to understand why different theories appeared. This could all be done without forgetting the necessary theoretical and mathematical rigorousness. A very good book for engineers.
Book Description
In this second volume of The Quantum Theory of Fields, available for the first time in paperback, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg continues his masterly expoistion of quantum theory. Volume 2 provides an up-to-date and self-contained account of the methods of quantum field theory, and how they have led to an understanding of the weak, strong, and electromagnetic interactions of the elementary particles. The presentation of modern mathematical methods is throughout interwoven with accounts of the problems of elementary particle physics and condensed matter physics to which they have been applied. Exercises are included at the end of each chapter.
Customer Reviews:
The most authoritative book on QFT ever.......2006-01-02
Before Weinberg's books, a typical graduate student in theoretical physics would study the standard textbooks (e.g. Itzykson-Zuber, Peskin-Schroeder) to pass QFT courses. When confronted with actual research problems, he would discover that all he has learned is how to do calculations in perturbation theory, that he is unfamiliar with a host of ideas and techniques that are widely used in the present-day research literature and that he has to resort to original papers and reviews to learn them.
Weinberg's three-volume set drastically changed this situation, giving the most authoritative and complete presentation of QFT to appear in a textbook. Although it is not suitable for beginning graduate students, it is invaluable for covering all these topics that are typically omitted in QFT courses and for providing valuable insight missing from other textbooks.
The highlight of the set is Volume 2, which includes most topics where Weinberg has made his own invaluable contributions. In his inimitable style, Weinberg guides us through the great developments in QFT from the 1960's to the 1980's, including most topics that are essential for a working knowledge of modern QFT. The presentation is crystal clear throughout and every topic is presented in as much detail as it deserves. In particular, the chapters on spontaneously broken symmetries are simply masterpieces, the treatment of anomalies is the most complete ever, while the chapter on extended objects is a thorough overview of an ever-expanding subject. This book is a must for everyone working on theoretical physics.
If you appreciate Vol 1, you'll want Vol 2. .......2005-03-26
I have found this text extremely useful as a guide to the essentials of modern renormalization theory, as well as modern quantization techniques for Non-abelian gauge theories. The chapter on extended field configurations is nice, though it is meant as an overview and guide to the literature. What I like most about this volume is the discussion of experimental or phenomenological issues that complements many of the discussions. He has a broad base of knowledge in particle physics, as well as field theory. If you don't have volume 1, get that first.
Delightfully insightful.......2002-12-23
This book has some of the most exquisite expositions on the theoretical aspects of quantum field theory that you are ever likely to run into, i.e. Weinberg's name is literally stamped on every page for brilliance. There are topics treated here that are not likely to be found anywhere else, for instance Batalin-Vilkovisky Quantization. Weinberg's treatment of the proof of renormalizability is compact and yet very readable. And his chapter on anomalies is simply speaking the authortiative treatment. This book is a must have for anyone interested in the more theoretical aspects of Field Theory. Though I would recommed a few months with Peskin & Schroeder, and volume 1 of Weinberg to get the full flavour of Weinberg's treatment.
Excellent, despite some idiosyncracies.......1999-01-22
This is another gem of a book by Weinberg. The discussion is fairly modern at places (for instance nice discussion of BRST, BV Formalism, RG and Anomalies), but could have been more modern and compact in certain other places (like chiral lagrangians, standard model etc.). However, even those parts are a pleasure to read. It is just that some other aspects could have been discussed (as I hope he does in the third volume), such as SUSY, especially QFT dualities. Anyway, an excellent book!
Book Description
Modern physics was born from two great revolutions: relativity and quantum theory. Relativity imposed a locality constraint on physical theories: since nothing can go faster than light, very distant events cannot influence one another. Only in the last few decades has it become clear that quantum theory violates this constraint. The work of J. S. Bell has demonstrated that no local theory can return the predictions of quantum theory. Thus it would seem that the central pillars of modern physics are contradictory.Quantum Non-Locality and Relativity examines the nature and possible resolution of this conflict. Beginning with accurate but non-technical presentations of Bell's work and of Special Relativity, there follows a close examination of different interpretations of relativity and of the sort of locality each demands. The story continues with a brief discussion of the General Theory of Relativity. This second edition also includes a new author's preface and an additional appendix.The book introduces philosophers to the relevant physics and demonstrates how philosophical analysis can help to resolve some of the problems. All of the physics is presented from first principles, and as much as possible is presented pictorially.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating and somewhat disquieting.......2007-05-17
This is a great book - captivating, a bit technical in places (but you can easily avoid the technical details and still understand the theses), and ultimately somewhat disturbing in the best sense of that word (it will knock away a lot of your presuppositions). Quantum non-locality (QNL) has been experimentally verified and there is no question that it exists. Particles too far apart to "communicate" at speeds less than the speed of light nonetheless do somehow "communicate". Lorentz invariance, a cornerstone of relativity, has also been well verified experimentally. Yet Einstein's philosophical underpinning of special relativity, the democracy of all reference frames, seem to be radically called into question by QNL. The author goes through every theory put forward so far to reconcile special relativity (with its philosophical underpinning intact) with QNL, and shows that none can cut the mustard. Trying to reconcile QNL with general relativity leads to even worse conundrums. Science is in a deep quandary! This book will blow your mind if you let it.
Maudlin. A Great Teacher.......2006-01-06
In this delightful read, Maudlin goes through an array of topics revolving around non-locality, relativity, and the mathematics involved. However, although I didn't find any "new" ideas in the text, I was amazed at how quickly & clearly he explained the said topics. Without exaggerating, in 80 pages of this book I attained what had taken me an entire stack of now useless books on quantum physics (particularly Bell's theorem), relativity, linear algebra, and philosophy(don't read Philosophy of Physics by Lange, you'll get it all out of this)
Anyone who has a prior introduction to Quantum theory will love this. I'd suggest Quantum Reality by Herbert, But there are lots of good ones out there.
Crystal Clear.......2005-08-12
There are many books which discuss the issue of quantum non-locality and discuss its connections to relativity theory. The vast majority of them, however, are either un-serious popular pap, or serious tomes written by professional philosophers who are at least as confused as the authors of the pap.
Maudlin's book stands out like a beacon of light in this fog of confusion and muddle-headedness. It is accessible to anyone with a basic high-school education in math and physics, yet surpasses the vast majority of technical papers on this subject in depth, clarity, and (most importantly) correctness. If you want to understand the issue of non-locality that makes some people worry so much about quantum theory and its consistency with relativity, read this book -- study this book -- and this holds whether you are a Joe Schmoe off the street or a famous Professor from (say) Boston University.
A lucid survey of the implications of Bell's Theorem.......2002-03-11
It's no coincidence that those writing the clearest books in the philosophy of physics are also those doing the best work in the field. Maudlin's book is a perfect example of this. It is also remarkably self-sufficient, providing a review of special relativity, and a brief and lucid presentation of the foundations of quantum mechanics in the appendix. As a result, it should be readable by anyone with a high school education. Those already familiar with the physics and/or the issues may want to skip parts, though I should note that I found a couple hidden gems regarding things I was unfamiliar with or mistaken about even in the introductory sections.
The bulk of the book examines whether and to what extent quantum mechanics entails four superluminal phenomena often taken to be ruled out by relativity: superluminal matter transport, superluminal signaling, superluminal causation and superluminal information transfer. Maudlin convincingly argues that only the latter two of these are entailed by quantum phenomena. The book ends with an critical examination of the various theories put forward to circumvent these difficulties, and provides a brief discussion of how these issues hold up when we move to General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory.
Book Description
Although there are many textbooks that deal with the formal apparatus of quantum mechanics (QM) and its application to standard problems, none take into account the developments in the foundations of the subject which have taken place in the last few decades. There are specialized treatises on various aspects of the foundations of QM, but none that integrate those topics with the standard material. This book aims to remove that unfortunate dichotomy, which has divorced the practical aspects of the subject from the interpretation and broader implications of the theory.
The book is intended primarily as a graduate level textbook, but it will also be of interest to physicists and philosophers who study the foundations of QM. Parts of it could be used by senior undergraduates too.
Customer Reviews:
Look out, Sakurai.......2006-09-10
Did Griffiths leave a fog in your head? Are you tired of trying to read sections on the formalism of quantum mechanics that don't even mention Hilbert spaces or Riesz's Representation Theorem? Did the typesetting in Sakurai traumatize your children? And doesn't it just burn you when you're trying to take a class on quantum mechanics and the Dirac notation isn't even used until you're at least half-way through the book? Ballentine is here to fix all of that. This book is exactly what we've needed for years. The relevant mathematics are developed and proofs are given for important results. Modern developments in the physics make up the motivation for the text, but the notation is streamlined and the typesetting makes it readable, making this book an excellent possible replacement for Sakurai. More than that, because the book assumes an undergraduate background in quantum mechanics, the examples and topics are practical and realistic. Ballentine takes every opportunity to anticipate misunderstandings in the theory and misinterpretations of the theory. It's refreshing to find a book that treats both the mathematics and physics of quantum mechanics with equal and exacting rigor. I would emphatically recommend this book as an alternative for physics instructors who are thinking about using Sakurai for their text, and for anyone who feels that their quantum mechanical education was a little too faith-based.
Very Good book - that gives diffrent ides to Quantum Mechanics.......2006-03-09
Very Good book - that gives diffrent Sides to Quantum Mechanics. Please advise for continue books for that book.
excellent QM text.......2005-05-04
I'm writing to lend support to the above positive reviews. I found Ballentine's approach clear and straightforward, but I had already taken an undergraduate QM course before reading this text. Thorough attention is devoted to foundational details. The discussions of measurement and interpretation cleared up some confusing misconceptions I acquired from Griffith's text.
The text seems to lack in the simple, idealized examples common in introductory texts. I think this is an advantage for an advanced text but may make it more difficult as an introductory text.
This book will be a classic.......2003-11-06
This it's the best book on QM Who I read ever, I'm A Bch student of physics, and I readed many book on this subject, but always the authors just put some results from some stupid arguments like "It's Natural". In this case the author just give mathematical and very deep physical arguments in every step of the development of the QM theory.
It's the Clearest book on the subject and it's not hard to read, I strongly recomend read the hole book, after this you adquire a very deep knowlowedge of the theory, of the nature, and lot of tools to solve any QM problem. Congratulations Dr Ballentine you really do an excelent Job
wonderful treatment.......2003-04-13
This is a great book. Mathematically accurate and very precise. No bologne. I loved it. The only bummer is that it doesn't treat some experimentally useful topics (decay of states, e.g.) but it's a great book to learn from.
Product Description
The Quantum Challenge, Second Edition is an engaging and thorough treatment of the extraordinary phenomena of quantum mechanics, and of the enormous challenge they present to our conception of the physical world. Traditionally, the thrill of grappling with such issues is reserved for practicing scientists, while physical science, mathematics, and engineering students are often isolated from these inspiring questions. This book was written to remove this isolation. Greenstein and Zajonc present the puzzles of quantum mechanics using vivid references to contemporary experiments. The authors focus on the most striking and conceptually significant quantum phenomena, together with a clear theoretical treatment of each. The depth and extent of the challenge of quantum mechanics becomes increasingly compelling as they move from the simplest experiments involving single photons or particles, to the famous Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen and Bell's Theorem, and then to macroscopic quantum phenomena.
Customer Reviews:
excellent for first year grad students.......2006-12-29
This book is great for understanding QM conceptually. You should have studied QM at least at the undergraduate level already - the authors assume you already know the math. I'm a first year grad student in electrical engineering and the level is perfect for me (that is, challenging and slow to read, but very rewarding and not too frustrating). The authors go over a lot of spiffy experiments that have taken place in the last 50 years. They give you the experimental schematic, tell you the "expected result", give you charts of the actual result, and discuss what it means. As an engineer, this style of learning is great for me, because there's a lot of pretty diagrams and plots.
The authors also teach you how to apply the math you learned in your undergrad to actually analyze real world situations. For example, they analyze scattering events inside a fission reactor using the uncertainty principle and conclude *warning: spoilers* that the uncertainty in the position of a particle in a fission reactor is one hundred times bigger than the cross section of the nucleus it is to strike. (This is a fundamental uncertainty due to the Heisenberg Principle, not due to faulty measuring equipment). This means that we cannot visualize a fission chain reaction as these neat little balls that bounce around, splitting nuclei apart. It means that we cannot be sure what is going on inside at all. I thought that was neat.
The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics made accessible.......2006-08-24
Even after taking an advanced-level quantun mechanics course my junior year of college, I had only heard vague reference to Bell's Inequalities, and certainly had not heard of delayed-choice experiments or Bohm's formulation of quantum mechanics. I knew nothing about quantum computation, hidden variable theories, or really anything at all beyond the Copenhagen Interpretation.
Quantum mechanics tends to bring up philosophical questions in first-time students. I have a friend who after taking his first quantum course, was adamant, to near the point of hysteria, that quantum mechanics must be wrong because to him the collapse of the wave function simply did not make sense. For him, and for myself, The Quantum Challenge was exactly what we needed. It takes questions about the meaning of quantum mechanics and answers them firmly and concretely (to the extent that the answers are known) in light of experimental results. These are the sort of things they don't teach you in physics class, where you diagnolize matrices, solve Schrodinger Equations, and learn approximation methods for months without understanding how everything you're doing works in application.
I was a teaching assistant for an intensive, 4-week quantum mechanics course for high school students this summer. The Quantum Challenge was our text. At first, I was skeptical of using this route to introduce students to quantum physics, but now I realize that it is much more successful than a traditional approach towards the mathematics of quantum. After working with Quantum Challenge, my students had a better understanding of quantum physics than they would have if we had spent four weeks trying to teach differential equations and linear algebra to them.
The book does include some math and is not for a complete beginner in quantum mechanics. Before reading it, you should understand bra-ket notation and have enough quantum mechanics to do simple one-dimensional problems, but after that, dive into the arcane and fascinating world of the quantum.
An honest presentation of the puzzles in Quantum Mechanics.......2005-10-03
This is the only pedagogical book I have seen that tries to explain the issues in interpreting Quantum Mechanics without trying to sell the reader on a philosophical direction first. The authors just try to explain the implications and rationale behind QM as it is today, without promoting a "new direction". I think this is extremely useful - even if you want to go somewhere else, it helps to know where you are, to start.
There is a lot of discussion of the relevant experiments and the issues they settle (and raise). This is rather grounding.
The reader will need a good undergraduate-level capability in mathematics and previous exposure to quantum physics, in order to make real progress with this book. I think this is unavoidable, as QM is inherently mathematical. Given this background, the reader should find this book clear and well filled-out.
(I am writing about the 1st edition - I'm not sure how the 2nd edition differs.)
Great book........2005-01-01
I had Professor Zajonc for my Modern Physics class. He assigned some readings from his book; I don't think anyone read it. They should have because this book is immensely readable and it was a LOT better than his lectures. I think I learned more reading this book than going to class, which admittedly I didn't do very often.
This book is an excellent bridge between popular accounts of quantum mechanics, which focus on the consequences but have no math in them at all, and technical accounts, which are all math. This book is a good medium. If you have knowledge of undergraduate math and physics you should be able to get through this book.
The Quantum Challenge.......2003-06-17
This is the best book available, by far, on experimental results of the quantum measurement problem. It is one of the few books that are beyond popular accounts, which generally do not have the depth necessary to understand the measurement problem, and - on the other hand - very technical quantum optics volumes. I give it my highest recommendation for anyone with some science background to become acquainted with the quantum measurement problem in detail. It is a triumph and comprehensive in its coverage and reference to quantum measurement experiments. Every scientist should read this book.
Book Description
The Quantum Mechanics Solver uniquely illustrates the application of quantum mechanical concepts to various fields of modern physics. It aims at encouraging the reader to apply quantum mechanics to research problems in fields such as molecular physics, condensed matter physics or laser physics. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students will find a rich and challenging source of material for further exploration. This book consists of a series of problems concerning present-day experimental or theoretical questions on quantum mechanics. All of these problems are based on actual physical examples, even if sometimes the mathematical structure of the models under consideration is simplified intentionally in order to get hold of the physics more rapidly. The new edition features new themes, such as the progress in measuring neutrino oscillations, quantum boxes, the quantum thermometer etc. Secondly, it includes a brief summary on the basics of quantum mechanics and the formalism we use. Finally, the problems under three main themes: Elementary Particles, Nuclei and Atoms; Quantum Entanglement and Measurement; and Complex Systems.
Customer Reviews:
Extremely useful.......2004-01-10
If you are studying quantum mechanics using popular textbooks such as Griffiths', Shankar's, Liboff, Sakurai, Ballentine, ... you must have this problem book on shelf. You can look up ALMOST every typical problem that appeared on qualifying exams--almost any hard problem you don't know how to solve. I personally find this very very helpful. Hihgly recommended!
Customer Reviews:
Misleading Claims and a Defensive Tone Undermine Book.......2004-08-14
Dr. Stenger can be informative and even witty but ultimately I'd have to say this book is more than a little misleading. Other reviewers have walked away with the notion that quantum mechanics "makes perfect sense", something few thoughtful physicists would be comfortable saying. I'm an atheist who has no patience with New Age writers but Stenger seems to be almost obssessively on guard against any hint of mysticism, weirdness or even ambiguity. The book is published by an off-shoot of the magazine SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, and it shares that publication's tendency to strike an almost holier-than-thou tone -- or I should say a "rationaler-than-thou" tone. Stenger does too much sneering and dismissing. He tries to buffalo his readers by assuring them that the mathematics of quantum mechanics isn't weird -- just the WORDS are. That's a weak argument at best. Applied mathematics doesn't usually lead to paradoxical physical concepts. Stenger's own preferred interpretation of QM involves recognizing that the relativistic version of the Schrodinger equation has solutions that imply backward travel in time. In other words, he capitalizes on the weirdness implicit in the purportedly unweird mathematics (Traditionally the "reverse" solutions are ignored.) Incidentally, Stenger argues that time-travel on a sub-atomic scale somehow doesn't even qualify as weird -- just counter-intuitive. That, apparently, is a more rational word than "weird".
Stenger repeatedly belittles alternate interpretations of QM and points out that functionally all serious interpretations are the same. This means that the interpretations he favors have no more going for them technically than the ones he derides. His objections are as much philosophical as they are scientific -- and yet thoughout the book he is contemptuous of philosophical considerations. He finds holistic hidden variables implausible but then acknowleges (very much in passing) that his time-travel variation of QM is also not accepted by most physicists. Apparently one's philosophical perspective is more important than Stenger wants to admit. He even goes so far as to say that most practicing physicists don't think at all about philosophic stuff -- so it can't be very important. That's another misrepresentation. Many, maybe most, physicists simply memorize the formalisms of their profession and contribute little to its development. The giants of QM, on the other hand, were frequently aware of and intrigued by the implications of their formalisms. John Bell, a man Stenger admires, spent his career encouraging scientists to more closely examine the assumptions of the Copenhagen interpretation -- and he made a hallmark contribution to QM because of his philosophical curiosity.
Stenger seems always on edge at the thought of holism and this leads to another of the book's repeated contradictions. His suggestion that particles from the future travel back to the past and influence the present seems pretty darned "holistic" to me. (That's not to say it couldn't be true.) Why is spatial holism metaphysical while temporal holism merely counter-intuitive? Both ideas have theoretical justifications and neither has significant empirical support. Why should only one of these theories be considered respectable? Why shouldn't both be further developed?
Decoherence is an intriguing idea but also seems to have more than a tinge of holism about it. (Sub-atomic particles, the theory says, have an existence because of each other. What collapses all those mysterious wave functions [or rather, what renders collapse unneccessary] is the interactive nature of reality itself. The theory still seems to suggest -- like its precusor interpretation, Copenhagen -- that if taken individually particles don't always precisely exist.)
Contrast Brian Greene's new book with this one. Green has a deep appreciation for De Broglie-Bohm hidden variables, while by no means accepting that the theory is on the right track. He admires decoherence but recognizes that to date it's still begging a few questions. Also consider John Gribbin's Q IS FOR QUANTUM. It's a basic, excellent and nuanced overview of the field in the form of an encyclopedia. Gribbin is fair to all serious interpretations of QM, while making his own preferences clear. He doesn't slight the partly-philosophical motivation for those preferences.
Lastly, let me again stress that the weirdness of QM is not purely, or even largely, a useless metaphysical misconception. Technicians have forced a single atom to occupy two separate places at the same moment. As Stan Lee would put it, "Nuff said."
Does quantum theory imply mysticism?.......2003-05-14
Contrary to some of the other reviews, I think this is a pretty good book. Let me point out that my own background is astrophysics (undergrad) and mathematics (grad). Stenger does a creditable job of laying out the major philosophical issues of quantum theory. He has included some sidebars for the more mathematically sophisticated. My own reading left me feeling that Stenger's aim is primarily to urge readers to approach any extrapolation from quantum facts to quantum ontologies with a great deal of skepticism. Many people have construed issues of measurement to mean that 'mind' collapses wave functions. Stenger points out that 'mind' is not easily defined, is likely an emergent property of base matter, and suggests we stop reverting to Cartesian dualism every time things get confused. He discusses De Broglie and Bohm's guiding field, and points out that regardless of its correctness, it provides a viable alternative ontology, so clearly the mystical approach is not a foregone conclusion.
The book could be better. It would be nice if he spent a bit more time discussing some of the confusion regarding 'mind', but I think he has done a good job of laying out the basic issues for the well-educated lay person, and of urging skepticism before seizing upon strange phenomena as a justification for one's metaphysics.
One order of quantum physics; hold the mysticism, please........2002-03-25
This book is a great companion to Dancing Wu Li Masters. Where Dancing Wu Li Masters gives a good, somewhat mystical overview of quantum physics and the history of its development, The Unconscious Quantum shows that people who want to understand quantum physics need not resort to mysticism or Eastern philosophy. While Stenger does address mystical interpretations when summarizing the history of quantum physics, he concludes by offering a logical, consistent, non-mystical paradigm.
Stenger acknowledges that the microworld of quanta cannot be viewed in the same way as the macroworld of concrete objects that make up our everyday experience. However, if people are willing to suspend their everyday intuition and accept some very logical but unintuitive concepts, like time symmetry and decoherence, then the quantum world makes perfect sense without mastering Zen or contemplating your navel.
Stenger also shoots down the ideas of consciousness directly affecting the physical world, and faster-than-light communication between quantum particles. He explains the EPR "paradox" and other experiments which spawned these interpretations, and how they can easily be resolved using the simple but unintuitive concepts already mentioned.
The text is written for the science amateur, and requires little background knowledge, but some persistence with technical concepts (you may have to read a few parts twice to get the idea). Supporting equations are included in boxes, separate from the text. The text stands alone, but mathaholics are welcome to indulge themselves in the formulae. The first six chapters are the most technical, but it gets much easier after that, and it's definitely worth it for anbody who wants a genuine understanding of quantum physics, sans the mystical rhetoric that pervades most pop literature on the subject.
an unsophisticated diatribe.......2001-10-03
Stenger sets himself up against almost all of the major figures of 20th century quantum mechanics in denying the existence of nonlocality (action at a distance). Many experiments have demonstrated nonlocality, with one of the best performed by a French team headed by Alain Aspect of the Institut d' Optique Theorique et Appliquee. Stenger admits that the team "is probably right" and then goes on to present his own dubious theory that tries to salvage every assumption of classical physics except determinisim. Stenger holds the opinion that leading theorists such as Bohm, Schrodinger, Stapp, Josephson, De Beauregard and many others are all wrong. Why doesn't he include in his book comments on his views from some of these theorists who disagree with him?
His motivation for attempting to remove nonlocality from QM is clear: "At least this would put an end to mystical speculations about quantum mechanics demanding a holistic universe" (page 197).
When he writes on subjects other than physics, his arguments are crude, unsophisticated, and display his ignorance. For instance, "psychic phenomena have failed to be verified after 150 years of attempts involving thousands of independent experiments." (page 289). In the first place , the first sophisticated and systematic research only goes back to 1882 with the founding of the Society for Psychical Research, not 1845 (his book was written in 1995). Postive results have been consistently obtained, but they have always been discounted by critics if the protocol was not 100% perfect, thereby allowing the possibility of a 'normal' explanation - such as fraud. However, modern methods have become virtually foolproof, and combined with modern statistical techniques such as meta-analysis, they have obtained independently-replicated results with odds against chance of over ten thousand to one (see chapters 3-5 in The Conscious Universe by Dean Radin, additional sources listed there).
The only evidence Stenger offers for his narrow opinion is one-sentence reference to a highly-controversial 1987 report written by two arch-skeptics, psychologists Ray Hyman and James Alcock. For a balanced discussion of the Hyman-Alcock report, see Radin's book, pages 215-218. If the new age goop in the bookstores needs to be balanced by Stenger's book, then Stenger's book needs to be balanced with far more sophisticated works like Radin's. For more balanced discussions of QM, see The Mystery of the Quantum World by Euan Squires, and The Quantum World by JC Polkinghorne.
To keep us in check..........2001-08-29
I enjoyed this book immensely. If you read The Dancing Wu Li Masters, then you must read this book as well. It will bring you back down (this is a good thing).
Mr. Stenger writes very clearly and puts forth a good dialogue about what is and is not quantum physics. Before jumping on the New Age quantum, "science and Eatern mysticism are the same" bandwagon, be certain you are educated on the story from someone who lives it. Mr. Stenger lives quantum physics.
While the language is different, the goal is the same -- Mr. Stenger is merely seeking truth. Truth does not conform to the way we wish, no matter how hard we try. This book is one way to make certain that we keep the truth we think we have in check. P.S. Leon Lederman's book The God Particle is worth checking out as well.
(FYI: This is an old review from an old email address)
Book Description
Quantum Mechanics: Classical Results, Modern Systems, and Visualized Examples is a comprehensive introduction to non-relativistic quantum mechanics for advanced undergraduate students in physics and related fields. It provides students with a strong conceptual background in the most important theoretical aspects of quantum mechanics, extensive experience with the mathematical tools required to solve problems, the opportunity to use quantum ideas to confront modern experimental realizations of quantum systems, and numerous visualizations of quantum concepts and phenomena. Changes from the First Edition include many new discussions of modern quantum systems (such as Bose-Einstein condensates, the quantum Hall effect, and wave packet revivals) all in the context of familiar textbook level examples. The book continues to emphasize the many connections to classical mechanics and wave physics to help students use their existing intuition to better learn new quantum concepts.
Customer Reviews:
A serious attempt at teaching quantum mechanics.......2007-03-20
I have been much impressed by Robinett's introduction to quantum mechanics. He seriously attempts to teach the principles of the subject, and does so with considerable effect. His quasi-derivation of the Schroedinger equation is notable.
I have used this twice in introductory quantum mechanics courses. Some students were vocal in their dislike of the book. However they seemed to have learned quite a bit from it. Given the adverse comments to be found about all other books in physics on Amazon the negative comments inspire contempt rather than respect. If Robinett errs, it is in attempting to teach Qm rather than in pounding formulae into students.
Not for the Undergrad!.......2004-10-17
Bought this book to assist me in the introductory level of Q.M. What a waste! Couldn't understand much of it and I already have a BS degree with over 2years of college math. This is defintely an intermediate to upper level Q.M book even though its said to be an undergrad. I wish that some of the people that give these reviews would mention the level their basing their opinion on. The reviews when I bought this book were very good but it must have been from graduates or such.
An interesting presentation of the subject.......2003-07-11
Robinett's book is a comprehensive is somewhat mathematical treatment of the fundamental aspects of this fascinating subject.
Among the things most pleasing about the book are:
1. A constant connection with classical physics principles;
2. An early introduction to and development of the wave packet and operators and a physical interpretation of Schrodinger's equation;
3. A comprehensive discussion of various QM models in both their mathematical and physical aspects: the infinite well and other 1-D potentials, SHO, scattering;
4. Two-D and Three-D QM and the development of the Hydrogen atom;
5. Development of Gravity and QM;
6. An abundance of examples, many based on experimental results for the student to try out.
The mathematics is clear, and unlike many other books, the author takes the trouble to present many of the intermediate steps. I should say, however, that there are quite a few TYPOS sprinkled throughout the text. They are only a minor distraction and if anything, finding and fixing them can be a useful learning experience! My criticsm would be that the sections on the physical and mathematical development of Spin is too short. Indeed, the Stern-Gerlach and associated gedanken experiments which are so fundamental to an understanding of the postulates of QM do not get much of a mention.
Having said this, the book is certainly a good introduction to the subject. It complements other traditional texts like French and Taylor quite well.
This Book Should Not Exist.......2002-04-03
We used this book in my undergrad quantum class, and not a single student ever had anything good to say about this book. The entire semester was a complete haze. Griffiths writes a beatiful intro QM text.
Very interesting but a bit on the esoteric side.......2000-04-25
This is only intro level quantum mechanics book that I have seen that really makes an attempt to get to the heart of the matter of quantum mechanics and its connections to classical physics. The notion of breaking the subject down by dimensionality of the problems is certainly unique and creative. The book covers a wide range of topics ranging from quantum gravity to chaos. Derivations are presented in a clear and readable way. Moreover, the problems are really fun and interesting. My ONLY reservation is that what *I* really like about the book, first time students would probably hate! However, for a course aimed at theoretical students in physics or in chemistry, this would be a hit.
Average customer rating:
- Good all-round text on modern physics
- Good Value
- Clear, detailed account of modern physics
- Too many topics
|
Introduction to the Structure of Matter: A Course in Modern Physics
John J. Brehm , and
William J. Mullin
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 047160531X |
Book Description
A first course in two of the 20th century's most exciting contributions to physics: special relativity and quantum theory. Historical material is incorporated into the exposition. Coverage is broad and deep, offering the instructor flexibility in presentation. Nearly every section contains at least one illustrative example (with all calculations), and each chapter has a wide selection of problems. Topics covered include relativistic dynamics, quantum mechanics, parity, quantum statistical physics, the nuclear shell model, fission, fusion, color and the strong interaction, gauge symmetries, and grand unification.
Customer Reviews:
Good all-round text on modern physics.......2005-10-20
This hefty textbook provides a solid introduction to the major fields of modern physics; i.e. physics in the 20th century. These topics are relativity, the structure of atoms, quantum mechanics, and nuclear physics. The text is appropriate for physics majors in the 3rd or 4th year of college, and is also a good book for students of materials science who are learning modern physics as an elective. The book is comparatively low on math and high in verbosity compared to other physics texts of the same subject matter; hence making it more accessible to non-physicists like engineers, chemists, etc... Each chapter comes complete with homework problems, and in this reviewer's experience, they are well done and error-free. I do not recommend this book for a one-semester class, it covers enough subject matter for 2-3 classes in modern physics - quantum mechanics. Overall, a good book to learn about modern physics and its ties with materials science.
Good Value.......2003-01-27
This is a junior or senior level text on essentially all of modern physics. Every topic is well explained and at a high level. It is short of a graduate text, but very good in terms of physics rather than mathematics. The main difference being ,I think, is a graduate text uses more advanced math (calculus of variations, bras and kets,group theory, etc) whereas this book only uses partial differential equations . However, the PDEs do suffice to accurately derive the results, and the student should certainly know both approaches.
Numerical solutions are given to about half of the chapters problems.
Additionally, the authors have went to the trouble of tracing the origin and development of the subjects, and explaining the motivations and difficulties that the pioneers faced, when possible.
It is true there is too much material to be covered in a single year...but I think this just adds to the value since it can be used as a reference as well as text.
Clear, detailed account of modern physics.......2001-02-20
This book does cover a lot of information that it seems overwhelming. However, this is only because the authors explain the concepts "all the way". For example, the discussion on wave packets includes the explanation of phase (an excellent diagram for learning how to visualize phase and group velocity) plus some details on complex analysis. Basically I find the descriptions of experiments, concepts and math very clear and detailed.
I would say that the verbosity of this book is excellent for people who like to get all the details clear. Readers with much faster brain processors, those who can't wait to learn more of QM or those who understands much of the fundamental physics and math behind QM might be bored by this book.
Summary:
Pros: 1. Clear Explanations 2. attention to thorough and detailed explanation 3. some excellent diagrams!!!!
Cons: 1. Too verbose for some 2. rather heavy to carry around!!!
Too many topics.......2000-03-25
This book is meant for first or second year major student in physics. I am a second year student myself and I found this book quite frustrating. It covers many topics in modern physics, perhaps too many. The treatment of subject is not thorough enough and especially the real theoretical side is often omitted. The subject is difficult enough by itself and this book is not the greatest source of information.
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