What books to learn Electromagnetism?

[d3nat]

Hi,

So I'm studying Electromagnetism this semester, and my professor held up four books for us to get to study from.

I know for sure one was Feynman's lectures, and one of the others he said was the 'Bible' for E&M (expensive, only comes in hard cover, I believe was green...).

The thing is, I'm going to the library to get all my course books, but my professor hasn't uploaded the book selection for this course on blackboard. I've tried emailing him, but he's not getting back. And since this class only meets once a week, I don't want to wait to see him again to ask.

So, besides Feynman's book, what other three books would you suggest that they might be? I know this is a bit of a stupid question (asking you to guess my coursebooks), but I want to at least go and rent a few before they are all taken out.

Thanks

 

[espen180]

Two books that are widely used are Griffith's Introduction to Electrodynamics and Jackson's Classical Electrodynamics.

 

[jbunniii]

Purcell's "Electricity and Magnetism" is also well regarded.

 

[Daverz]

The green book must be the first edition of Jackson.

My favorite EM book is Schwartz, Principles of Electrodynamics.

 

[rezeew]

for your question! Electromagnetism is a fascinating subject and there are definitely some key books that can help you learn and understand it better. In addition to Feynman's lectures, some other popular books on Electromagnetism include "Introduction to Electrodynamics" by David J. Griffiths, "Classical Electrodynamics" by John D. Jackson, and "Electricity and Magnetism" by Edward M. Purcell. These books are often referred to as the "holy trinity" of Electromagnetism textbooks and are widely used in universities around the world. They cover the fundamental principles of Electromagnetism in a clear and comprehensive manner, and also include many examples and practice problems to help solidify your understanding.

In terms of the "Bible" for E&M that your professor mentioned, it could possibly be "The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Volume II: The New Millennium Edition: Mainly Electromagnetism and Matter" by Richard P. Feynman. This is a more advanced text that dives deeper into the subject and is often used for graduate-level courses.

I understand your concern about not being able to access your course books yet and I would recommend trying to get a hold of your professor or checking with your university's library to see if they have any of these books available. If not, there are also many online resources and lecture notes available that can supplement your learning. I wish you the best of luck in your studies!