mathematics for physicists discussion thread

[TCO]

good problems? Does it teach?

[Ramo]

Really good book to learn from. I don't think it has that many problems (but they're usually fine) if that's what you're looking for.

[TCO]

I find problems (and drill) to be an effective tool for learning. Even more so when the concepts are difficult than when they are easily grasped.

[Ramo]

It's been over a year since I've used it, but IIRC it has enough problems to learn from. The real draw is his ability to explain the physical concepts in intuitive terms.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
yeah

me too

[TCO]

Originally posted by Ramo
It's been over a year since I've used it, but IIRC it has enough problems to learn from. The real draw is his ability to explain the physical concepts in intuitive terms.

thanks.

[Jon Miller]

I will look through my collection

I acutally liked Wangness better as a lower level book

Jon Miller

[TCO]

I doubt that is really a book. In any case, the vagueness makes the reference useless.

[Jon Miller]

Wangness is an E&M book

I used it in Undergrad

Jon Miller

[TCO]

ok

[Jon Miller]

lots of examples

Jon Miller

[KrazyHorse]

Re: mathematics for physicists discussion thread

Originally posted by TCO
For the math-physics studs: Do you guys actually have a good command and intutive feel for multivariable calc and PDE? I felt like I could handle integral and differential calc. But I never got the div/grad/curl thing straight. Is that a common issue?

You should know what they are pretty intuitively, what the poisson/laplace equation are (i.e. what a "source" or "sink" does to a vector field)

Grad is a really obvious physical quantity; it points in the direction of maximal incline of the function and its length is the derivative in that direction. Think of being on a hill; grad points to the direction which is instantaneously the steepest.

Divergence talks about sources and sinks. Understanding the radial vector field r^-2 (whose divergence is the 3-d dirac delta function) should provide significan understanding.

Curl is slightly more complex.

It basically measures the swirling of a vector field.

Think about the vector field (in the plane) which is purely tangential and which goes as 1/r

Again, the curl of this function is a dirac delta function.

Now think about how you use Greens functions (which are basically superpositions of delta functions) to solve boundary value equations, and how understanding the previous two examples of delta-function div and curl actually give you the whole story.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by TCO
Well...for Jackson, can it be studied by somone with my level of knowledge? Or do I need something easier. As for Arfken, it does not have problem solutions. I wonder if there is an answer book that I can buy. What do you suggest to learn from?

If you want to buy a completely solid and very physically intuitive book, buy Griffiths Intro to EM

There is no better undergrad level text that I've seen.

Jackson is not what you want, trust me.

It's a very good book for the rigorously inclined, and excellent for those who want to do complicated problems in agonizing detail.

[KrazyHorse]

You cannot generally buy solutions manuals unless you can show your bona fides (i.e. that you're a prof and not somebody who wants to cheat on homework)

PM me, TCO.

[Jon Miller]

I looked at griffiths, but didn't use it

I think I liked Wangness better

Jon Miler