Should I memorize all the derivations in QM?

[Zerkor]

Hi. I'm a self-learner, and I'm doing an introductory QM from Griffiths. My question is should I memorize all the derivations and proofs in the book or I just have to memorize the final results? Another point is that I have nobody to ask about my solutions to problems or to help me in the hard ones, so, is it okay to skip the problems or should I solve them all?

 

[phinds]

Rather than memorize things, you'd do much better to make sure that you UNDERSTAND them, then you should be able to reproduce them if needed.

 

[Vanadium 50]

It is more important to remember than to memorize.

 

[F=qE]

It's probably even more important at the undergrad level to know how to apply those derivations to other situations and the results of those derivations to solve problems.

If you were coming from the perspective of an undergrad QM course, you would probably fail all the exams if your strategy was just 'memorize derivations'

 

[NathanaelNolk]

so, is it okay to skip the problems or should I solve them all?

I guess, you should try your best, and see which problems you're able to solve. If you see you can't solve any of them, I suggest re-reading the chapter. If you can do I'd say 60-70% of the exercices, you can move on to the next chapter. But I don't know much about Griffiths Introductory, so if it really is hard, then you should just skip the problems that are way to hard, at your level of understanding.
Isn't there anyone (a teacher, a physics student or such) who could help you out with this book ?

 

[Zerkor]

Aha. I think that I understand them clearly but I just don't spend time studying them carefully -I mean the derivations-. But I think I have to spend more time on them. Thanks for help :)

 

[Zerkor]

I guess, you should try your best, and see which problems you're able to solve. If you see you can't solve any of them, I suggest re-reading the chapter. If you can do I'd say 60-70% of the exercices, you can move on to the next chapter. But I don't know much about Griffiths Introductory, so if it really is hard, then you should just skip the problems that are way to hard, at your level of understanding.
Isn't there anyone (a teacher, a physics student or such) who could help you out with this book ?

- Griffiths offers a small number of problems at the end of each section (sometimes 2 or 3 problems only) but not all of them are quite hard. And some of them are marked so that every reader should do them carefully.

- No. I don't know anybody to help me. It is even worse to tell you that maybe there is nobody to help me in the city I live in :\

 

[F=qE]

As an undergrad QM student 2 years ago, I did QM with the Griffiths book. I argue it is far more important to be able to do the problems than memorize the derivations. My exams were never straight derivations. The problems really aren't too hard from Griffiths - some were tedious algebra, but never crazy impossibly hard. It's designed for a 3rd year undergrad.

 

[Zerkor]

As an undergrad QM student 2 years ago, I did QM with the Griffiths book. I argue it is far more important to be able to do the problems than memorize the derivations. My exams were never straight derivations. The problems really aren't too hard from Griffiths - some were tedious algebra, but never crazy impossibly hard. It's designed for a 3rd year undergrad.

My problem is that I can't even check whether my answers are true or false

 

[F=qE]

You can - Griffiths QM textbook solutions are all over the internet because it's such a common undergrad book. Have you tried googling something like 'Griffiths quantum mechanics solutions PDF'?

 

[NathanaelNolk]

Is that what you're looking for ? <<link deleted>>

 

[F=qE]

Is that what you're looking for ? <<link deleted>>

My point exactly. If you (OP) wanted to see if you were doing the problems right - all you needed was a simple google search.

Just FYI - I think the 3rd edition is the newest for quantum. But still. It could be the 4th now.

 

[NathanaelNolk]

By now, you can even legally find entire textbooks, so I guess you shouldn't have too much trouble finding the solutions of such a book.

 

[F=qE]

By now, you can even legally find entire textbooks, so I guess you shouldn't have too much trouble finding the solutions of such a book.

My you in the above was directed at the op, sorry ill edit that.

 

[jtbell]

Is that what you're looking for ? <<link deleted>>

From the bottom of the second page of the PDF referenced by the deleted link:

2005 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

We do not allow posting of links to such material, unless they are explcitly authorized by the publisher.

 

[NathanaelNolk]

My bad, wasn't aware of that.

 

[Zerkor]

Thanks a lot guys for your help. I will try to handle it :)