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 Physicists


Book Description

Table of Contents Mathematical Preliminaries Determinants and Matrices Vector Analysis Tensors and Differential Forms Vector Spaces Eigenvalue Problems Ordinary Differential Equations Partial Differential Equations Green's Functions Complex Variable Theory Further Topics in Analysis Gamma Function Bessel Functions Legendre Functions Angular Momentum Group Theory More Special Functions Fourier Series Integral Transforms Periodic Systems Integral Equations Mathieu Functions Calculus of Variations Probability and Statistics.







Mathematics for Physics


Book Description

An engagingly-written account of mathematical tools and ideas, this book provides a graduate-level introduction to the mathematics used in research in physics. The first half of the book focuses on the traditional mathematical methods of physics – differential and integral equations, Fourier series and the calculus of variations. The second half contains an introduction to more advanced subjects, including differential geometry, topology and complex variables. The authors' exposition avoids excess rigor whilst explaining subtle but important points often glossed over in more elementary texts. The topics are illustrated at every stage by carefully chosen examples, exercises and problems drawn from realistic physics settings. These make it useful both as a textbook in advanced courses and for self-study. Password-protected solutions to the exercises are available to instructors at www.cambridge.org/9780521854030.




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.




Mathematical Methods for Optical Physics and Engineering


Book Description

The first textbook on mathematical methods focusing on techniques for optical science and engineering, this text is ideal for upper division undergraduate and graduate students in optical physics. Containing detailed sections on the basic theory, the textbook places strong emphasis on connecting the abstract mathematical concepts to the optical systems to which they are applied. It covers many topics which usually only appear in more specialized books, such as Zernike polynomials, wavelet and fractional Fourier transforms, vector spherical harmonics, the z-transform, and the angular spectrum representation. Most chapters end by showing how the techniques covered can be used to solve an optical problem. Essay problems based on research publications and numerous exercises help to further strengthen the connection between the theory and its applications.




Mathematical Methods in Physics


Book Description

Physics has long been regarded as a wellspring of mathematical problems. Mathematical Methods in Physics is a self-contained presentation, driven by historic motivations, excellent examples, detailed proofs, and a focus on those parts of mathematics that are needed in more ambitious courses on quantum mechanics and classical and quantum field theory. Aimed primarily at a broad community of graduate students in mathematics, mathematical physics, physics and engineering, as well as researchers in these disciplines.




Mathematical Physics


Book Description

For physics students interested in the mathematics they use, and for math students interested in seeing how some of the ideas of their discipline find realization in an applied setting. The presentation strikes a balance between formalism and application, between abstract and concrete. The interconnections among the various topics are clarified both by the use of vector spaces as a central unifying theme, recurring throughout the book, and by putting ideas into their historical context. Enough of the essential formalism is included to make the presentation self-contained.




Introduction to Mathematical Physics


Book Description

Mathematical physics provides physical theories with their logical basis and the tools for drawing conclusions from hypotheses. Introduction to Mathematical Physics explains to the reader why and how mathematics is needed in the description of physical events in space. For undergraduates in physics, it is a classroom-tested textbook on vector analysis, linear operators, Fourier series and integrals, differential equations, special functions and functions of a complex variable. Strongly correlated with core undergraduate courses on classical and quantum mechanics and electromagnetism, it helps the student master these necessary mathematical skills. It contains advanced topics of interest to graduate students on relativistic square-root spaces and nonlinear systems. It contains many tables of mathematical formulas and references to useful materials on the Internet. It includes short tutorials on basic mathematical topics to help readers refresh their mathematical knowledge. An appendix on Mathematica encourages the reader to use computer-aided algebra to solve problems in mathematical physics. A free Instructor's Solutions Manual is available to instructors who order the book for course adoption.




Mathematical Methods for Physicists


Book Description

This text is designed for an intermediate-level, two-semester undergraduate course in mathematical physics. It provides an accessible account of most of the current, important mathematical tools required in physics these days. It is assumed that the reader has an adequate preparation in general physics and calculus. The book bridges the gap between an introductory physics course and more advanced courses in classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermal and statistical physics. The text contains a large number of worked examples to illustrate the mathematical techniques developed and to show their relevance to physics. The book is designed primarily for undergraduate physics majors, but could also be used by students in other subjects, such as engineering, astronomy and mathematics.