Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez

In summary, the conversation is about graduate level course lecture notes on classical mechanics, which are available online and are highly praised for their clarity and focus on the Lagrangian approach. The notes are geared towards mathematicians and cover various topics, including symmetry. They can be found on the website of the lecturer, who is also known for his 'This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics' section.
  • #1
jackiefrost
140
1
Graduate course lecture notes - Excellent!

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/classical/texfiles/2005/book/classical.pdf"

jf
 
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  • #2
Very good indeed, particularly as it's geared towards mathematicians, such as myself.
However, that is only the first few weeks' notes of one of the two courses on classical mechanics for which there are notes on his website.
Those notes lead with the Lagrangian approach, focusing on action priciples, but there is another set, based more on the Hamiltionian formulation.
Anyway, the lot of them can be found here:
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/classical/
Also, check out the rest of his site (including many more notes, mostly on quantization), the 'This Week's Finds In Mathematical Physics' bit is pretty much legendary!

Matthew
 
  • #3
These notes are wonderful. This is much easier than most mechanics textbooks! It makes many topics(like symmetry) easier to understand.
 

1. What is the purpose of "Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez"?

The purpose of "Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez" is to provide a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the principles of classical mechanics, a fundamental branch of physics that studies the motion of objects under the influence of forces.

2. Who is the author of "Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez"?

The author of "Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez" is John C. Baez, a mathematical physicist and professor at the University of California, Riverside. He is known for his work in quantum gravity, knot theory, and other areas of mathematical physics.

3. What topics are covered in "Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez"?

"Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez" covers a wide range of topics in classical mechanics, including Newton's laws of motion, conservation of energy and momentum, rotational motion, and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. It also includes discussions on more advanced topics such as chaotic motion and symplectic geometry.

4. Is "Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez" suitable for beginners?

Yes, "Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez" is suitable for beginners as it assumes no prior knowledge of classical mechanics or advanced mathematics. However, some familiarity with calculus and basic physics concepts would be helpful.

5. Are there any additional resources that can supplement "Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez"?

Yes, there are several additional resources that can supplement "Lectures on Classical Mechanics - J. Baez", including practice problems and solutions, online lecture notes, and other textbooks on classical mechanics. Additionally, the author's website has a forum where readers can discuss the lectures and ask questions.

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