What Technical Textbooks Should I Add to My Collection?

In summary, the conversation is about a person looking for more textbooks on the technical side, particularly in the fields of cosmology and general relativity. They mention the textbooks they already have and ask for recommendations. The other person suggests several books that they have found helpful and informative, including "Introduction to Cosmology" by Scott Dodelson, which covers topics such as detecting gravitational waves and initial conditions. They also mention Dodelson's coverage of metrics and anisotropies, and provide an example of the book's table of contents.
  • #1
Mordred
2,090
106
Not sure if this is the best location to ask this lol, I find myself at a quandary, I'm an avid reader and I'm looking for more textbooks to add to my collection. Preference on the technical side. I prefer seeing the related metrics etc.

Textbooks I already have.

"First three minutes" by Weinburg
"Introductory to particle physics" by Peter Griffith
"Introductory to Cosmology" by Barbera Ryden
"Modern Cosmology 2nd edition" by Scott Dodelson
"Towards the mathematics of quantum field theory" by Frederic Paugam
"Introduction to Quantum mechanics" by A.C Phillips
"Introduction to Astronomy and Cosmology" by Ian Morison
"Elementary Differential Geometry" by Barrett O'Neill



although these aren't precisely textbooks they are of the same format to count as such

"Relativity: The Special and General Theory" reprint by Albert Einstein
"Particle Physics of the Early Universe" By Uwe Gein weiss
"Astrophysics and Cosmology" by Juan Garcıa-Bellido
"Fields" by W. Siegel
DIFFERENTIAL GEOMETRY :A First Course in Curves and Surfaces by Theodore Shifrin
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
ah good a moderator found a better post location lol

preference on Cosmology and GR,SR related textbooks
 
  • #3
Hi Mordred! What specifically are you looking for in the realm of GR/SR textbooks?
 
  • #4
better coverage of Minkowski metrics the one book I have covering SR and GR, by Albert Einstein posted in my list doesn't go into great detail its a reprint of Einsteins original. So not the greatest considering the more modern developments
 
  • #5
So are you looking for modern pedagogical treatments of SR and GR?
 
  • #6
absolutely, I've read numerous dissertations and articles on the subject however it would be nice to have a decent hard copy lol. Obvously several of my books cover the EFE aspects however any further material will expand my database and knowledge.

the book I mentioned is a free for distribution so I can link it for comparision

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30155/30155-pdf.pdf

For example I have no decent coverage of Kerr space-time and killing vectors, nor Boyer-Lindquist coordinates, much of what I learned on those subjects is via this forum and articles I've located.
 
Last edited:
  • #7
Well there are a plethora of books I can suggest (GR is one of those special subjects of physics for which pedagogically brilliant books are abundant) but let me just list my favorites i.e. the ones that I've found most instructive, elegant, and conceptually deep.

(1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805386629/?tag=pfamazon01-20
(2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805387323/?tag=pfamazon01-20
(3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/3642372759/?tag=pfamazon01-20
(4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0226502457/?tag=pfamazon01-20
(5) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0226870332/?tag=pfamazon01-20
(6) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691033234/?tag=pfamazon01-20
(7) https://www.amazon.com/dp/9400754094/?tag=pfamazon01-20

I especially love (4) and (6) because both deal extensively with the concept of rotation in GR, which is unequivocally my most favorite topic in GR. (7) is also incredibly amazing because it is very comprehensive and uses Cartan calculus to a great degree (as opposed to the Ricci calculus used in most GR texts) and as such allows for an easy transition into general gauge theories. (1), being an introductory text, has very instructive problem sets and insightful discussions (this is the book we use for the undergraduate GR course at my university). (5) is a classic that basically everyone involved in relativity knows more or less inside and out so it speaks for itself.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Likes Demystifier
  • #8
many thanks, I'll probably pick up a couple of them judging from the prices. Course I'll have to slip it past the wife lol. She tends to ask why I study this space stuff as she puts it "I'll never go there" I usually tell her I'm already there but she doesn't grasp that lol
 
  • #9
Mordred said:
She tends to ask why I study this space stuff as she puts it "I'll never go there"

My mom says the same exact thing haha. She's a biologist so to her, something like interference of de-Broigle waves in a Sagnac ring due to the twist of the time-like Killing field of a spinning star is hopelessly abstract.

By the way, what is your opinion of Dodelson? I'm doing a project on low frequency band gravitational waves from inflation and was thinking of using Dodelson as my primary reference for the needed background.
 
  • #10
Dodelson is an excellent reference he has a good coverage of detecting gravitational waves,acoustic oscillations, large scale anisotropies, Boltzmann and polarization, along with weak lensing and analysis techniques. His book is not for the faint of heart as he expects you to already have a decent understanding in Calculus and cosmology, however I know you have those skills already. He also has good coverage of harmonic oscillator.

Barbera Ryden does a better job showing the metrics of the FLRW metrics in regards to geometry and distance measures, however I use Dodelson for the more advanced metrics.

his chapter on the initial conditions will help, however he tends to bounce around the same principals in his other chapters lol.

Initial Conditions 139
6.1 The Einstein-Boltzmann Equations at Early Times 139
6.2 The Horizon 142
6.3 Inflation 144
6.3.1 A Solution to the Horizon Problem 146
6.3.2 Negative Pressure 151
6.3.3 Implementation with a Scalar Field 151
6.4 Gravity Wave Production 155
6.4.1 Quantizing the Harmonic Oscillator 156
6.4.2 Tensor Perturbations 157
6.5 Scalar Perturbations 162
6.5.1 Scalar Field Perturbations around a Smooth Background 162
6.5.2 Super-Horizon Perturbations 164
6.5.3 Spatially Flat Slicing 169
6.6 Summary and Spectral Indices 170 Exercises

this one chapter table of contents will give you some idea of the intensity of the metrics in the book

here is his Anisotropies table of contents

Anisotropies
8.1 Overview
8.2 Large-Scale Anisotropies
8.3 Acoustic Oscillations
8.3.1 Tightly Coupled Limit of the Boltzmann Equations
8.3.2 Tightly Coupled Solutions
8.4 Diffusion Damping
8.5 Inhomogeneities to Anisotropies
8.5.1 Free Streaming
8.5.2 The Ct's
8.6 The Anisotropy Spectrum Today
8.6.1 Sachs-Wolfe Effect
8.6.2 Small Scales
8.7 Cosmological Parameters
8.7.1 Curvature
8.7.2 Degenerate Parameters
8.7.3 Distinct Imprints Exercises
9 Probes of Inhomogeneities
9.1 Angular Correlations
9.2 Peculiar Velocities
9.3 Direct Measurements of Peculiar Velocities
9.4 Redshift Space Distortions 9.5 Galaxy Clusters Exercises You can probably get an indication of how informative this book is from those two tables of contents

edit: by the way I had to type that in so if there is spelling mistakes its my fault not the books lol
 
Last edited:
  • #11
Brilliant, thank you Mordred!
 
  • #12
no problem, I can easily promise you will not be disappointed in having that book in your collection. I easily count it among my best purchases. Also thanks again on your recommended books
 
  • #13
Another article that is an excellent compilation and reference you may be interested in is

"Fields" best part is its free 885 pages of various field related metrics, I find this reference invaluable

http://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/9912205v3.pdf
 
  • #16
sweet, I also bought a copy of Wald's General relativity, there was a copy at the university, between that your added posts and George Jones post, that should give me an excellent coverage of GR lol
 
Last edited:
  • #17
George Jones said:
Another free GR book, this one by Blau,

http://www.blau.itp.unibe.ch/newlecturesGR.pdf

I've been skimming over this text I particularly love the fact he refers to many of the arxiv articles I have in my collection. My thanks again for this
 

1. What are the best textbooks for learning a specific subject?

The best textbooks for learning a specific subject can vary depending on personal learning styles and the level of detail needed. Some popular textbooks that are generally well-regarded include "Campbell Biology" for biology, "Organic Chemistry" by Paula Bruice for chemistry, and "Principles of Microeconomics" by N. Gregory Mankiw for economics.

2. What are the most recommended textbooks for undergraduate students?

Some commonly recommended textbooks for undergraduate students include "Calculus" by James Stewart for math, "Introduction to Psychology" by James W. Kalat for psychology, and "American Government: Institutions and Policies" by James Q. Wilson for political science.

3. Are there any textbooks that provide good practice problems?

Yes, there are many textbooks that provide practice problems to help students reinforce their understanding of the material. Some examples include "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" by Douglas C. Giancoli for physics, "Elementary Linear Algebra" by Howard Anton for linear algebra, and "Financial Accounting" by Jerry J. Weygandt for accounting.

4. Are there any online resources for finding and comparing textbooks?

Yes, there are several online resources that can help you find and compare textbooks. Some popular options include websites like Amazon, Chegg, and TextbookRush, which allow you to search for textbooks by title, author, or ISBN and compare prices from different sellers.

5. How can I save money on textbooks without compromising on quality?

There are a few ways to save money on textbooks without sacrificing quality. You can try renting textbooks instead of buying them, purchasing used textbooks, or looking for international editions of textbooks which may be cheaper. You can also try buying digital versions of textbooks, which are often less expensive than physical copies.

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top