Mathematical Methods and Physical Insights


Book Description

Mathematics instruction is often more effective when presented in a physical context. Schramm uses this insight to help develop students' physical intuition as he guides them through the mathematical methods required to study upper-level physics. Based on the undergraduate Math Methods course he has taught for many years at Occidental College, the text encourages a symbiosis through which the physics illuminates the math, which in turn informs the physics. Appropriate for both classroom and self-study use, the text begins with a review of useful techniques to ensure students are comfortable with prerequisite material. It then moves on to cover vector fields, analytic functions, linear algebra, function spaces, and differential equations. Written in an informal and engaging style, it also includes short supplementary digressions ('By the Ways') as optional boxes showcasing directions in which the math or physics may be explored further. Extensive problems are included throughout, many taking advantage of Mathematica, to test and deepen comprehension.




Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering


Book Description

Suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, this new textbook contains an introduction to the mathematical concepts used in physics and engineering. The entire book is unique in that it draws upon applications from physics, rather than mathematical examples, to ensure students are fully equipped with the tools they need. This approach prepares the reader for advanced topics, such as quantum mechanics and general relativity, while offering examples, problems, and insights into classical physics. The book is also distinctive in the coverage it devotes to modelling, and to oft-neglected topics such as Green's functions.




Basic Training in Mathematics


Book Description

Based on course material used by the author at Yale University, this practical text addresses the widening gap found between the mathematics required for upper-level courses in the physical sciences and the knowledge of incoming students. This superb book offers students an excellent opportunity to strengthen their mathematical skills by solving various problems in differential calculus. By covering material in its simplest form, students can look forward to a smooth entry into any course in the physical sciences.




Mathematical Methods


Book Description

Intended to follow the usual introductory physics courses, this book contains many original, lucid and relevant examples from the physical sciences, problems at the ends of chapters, and boxes to emphasize important concepts to help guide students through the material.




A Guided Tour of Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences


Book Description

This completely revised edition provides a tour of the mathematical knowledge and techniques needed by students across the physical sciences. There are new chapters on probability and statistics and on inverse problems. It serves as a stand-alone text or as a source of exercises and examples to complement other textbooks.




Exercises and Problems in Mathematical Methods of Physics


Book Description

This book is the second edition, whose original mission was to offer a new approach for students wishing to better understand the mathematical tenets that underlie the study of physics. This mission is retained in this book. The structure of the book is one that keeps pedagogical principles in mind at every level. Not only are the chapters sequenced in such a way as to guide the reader down a clear path that stretches throughout the book, but all individual sections and subsections are also laid out so that the material they address becomes progressively more complex along with the reader's ability to comprehend it. This book not only improves upon the first in many details, but it also fills in some gaps that were left open by this and other books on similar topics. The 350 problems presented here are accompanied by answers which now include a greater amount of detail and additional guidance for arriving at the solutions. In this way, the mathematical underpinnings of the relevant physics topics are made as easy to absorb as possible.







Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences


Book Description

Designed for first and second year undergraduates at universities and polytechnics, as well as technical college students.




Linear Algebra As An Introduction To Abstract Mathematics


Book Description

This is an introductory textbook designed for undergraduate mathematics majors with an emphasis on abstraction and in particular, the concept of proofs in the setting of linear algebra. Typically such a student would have taken calculus, though the only prerequisite is suitable mathematical grounding. The purpose of this book is to bridge the gap between the more conceptual and computational oriented undergraduate classes to the more abstract oriented classes. The book begins with systems of linear equations and complex numbers, then relates these to the abstract notion of linear maps on finite-dimensional vector spaces, and covers diagonalization, eigenspaces, determinants, and the Spectral Theorem. Each chapter concludes with both proof-writing and computational exercises.




Mathematical Methods for Oscillations and Waves


Book Description

Anchored in simple and familiar physics problems, the author provides a focused introduction to mathematical methods in a narrative driven and structured manner. Ordinary and partial differential equation solving, linear algebra, vector calculus, complex variables and numerical methods are all introduced and bear relevance to a wide range of physical problems. Expanded and novel applications of these methods highlight their utility in less familiar areas, and advertise those areas that will become more important as students continue. This highlights both the utility of each method in progressing with problems of increasing complexity while also allowing students to see how a simplified problem becomes 're-complexified'. Advanced topics include nonlinear partial differential equations, and relativistic and quantum mechanical variants of problems like the harmonic oscillator. Physics, mathematics and engineering students will find 300 problems treated in a sophisticated manner. The insights emerging from Franklin's treatment make it a valuable teaching resource.