A good quantum mechanics book for the self-learner?

[Moneer81]

Hi,
I am sure the topic of quantum mechanics books has been discussed many times, so excuse me if I am asking questions that already have been answered. I am trying to teach myself quantum mechanics so I am looking for a book that would take me through the subject step by step, kinda like John R Taylor's Classical Mechanics if anyone heard of it. I bought "quantum mechanics demystified" a book from the "Demystified" series because I thought it would approach the subject in a slower pace but it was very frustrating because the author made a lot of assumptions and skipped a lot of things, it is more of a review book for those who already know QM.
Any ideas?

 

[inha]

How much mathematics do you know?

 

[matrixx333]

Moneer81,

I am currently on the same quest as you, I am trying to teach myself quantum mechanics. Inha has a very important question as mathematics is the core of the subject we are attempting to teach ourselves.

What I am currently doing is learning mathematics from the "Schaum's Outline" series first reviewing college algebra, then trigonometry, then I am going to move onto calculus.

I have a few web resources that are currently helping me along as well:

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/"
http://www.purplemath.com/modules/"

I don't know if you already know introductory physics, if so then these links obviously aren't for you. I am going from scratch :) Hope this helps.

 

[neurocomp2003]

griffiths.

 

[Moneer81]

I know enough mathematics I think (Calculus I, II, III, Diff eq, linear algebra) and I've had all the introductory physics and some advanced physics too.

Is Griffiths the same author of Introduction to Electrodynamics? because I wasn't a big fan of that book. Or is it written differently with more explanations and step by step instructions? I also heard that he is on the GRE committee so it might be worthwhile to get used to his questions and read his book.

 

[Son Goku]

I'd have to say that my favourite so far has been "Principles of Quantum Mechanics" by Shankar.
It reads like an up to date version of Dirac's old monograph of the same name.

 

[ironcross77]

I prefer sakurai 'modern quantum mechanics'

 

[chroot]

Another vote for Griffiths.

- Warren

 

[G.F.Again]

Quantum Theory: Concepts and Methods by Asher Peres will help you, I think.

 

[rachmaninoff]

Quantum Theory: Concepts and Methods by Asher Peres will help you, I think.

I highly doubt that - it's a graduate level textbook that explores foundational issues in QM, it's not even comprehensive. I just ordered it yesterday in fact - it keeps getting cited by papers on entanglement, I believe it has a lot of very recent stuff in it.

The first chapters introduce formal tools: the mathematics are precise, but not excessively abstract. The physical interpretation too is rigorous. It makes no use of the uncertainty principle of other ill-defined notions. The central part of the book is devoted to Bell's theorem and to the Kochen-Specker theorem. It is here that quantum phenomena depart most radically from classical physics. There has recently been considerable progress on these issues, and the latest developments have been included. The final chapters discuss further topics of current research: spacetime symmetries, quantum thermodynamics and information theory, semiclassical methods, irreversibility, quantum chaos, and especially the measuring process. In particular, it is shown how modern techniques allow the extraction of more information from a physical system than traditional measurement methods. For physicists, mathematicians and philosophers of science with an interest in the applications and foundations of quantum theory. The volume is suitable as a supplementary graduate textbook.

source

 

[rachmaninoff]

Typical introductory texts on QM are -

D. Griffiths
A.P. French & E.F. Taylor
R. Shankar
S. Gasiorowicz
H. Ohanian

All are available at Amazon, or any half-decent university library.

 

[Manchot]

I also vote for Griffiths.

 

[dicerandom]

I'm currently enrolled in the 3rd quarter of a year-long upper division QM sequence, we used Liboff. I do not recommend that book. I've had a chance to read through some of Griffiths and Gasiorowicz, both of them are better than Liboff in my opinion although I prefer Griffiths. I also used Griffiths' E&M book for upper division E&M, I find his QM book to be more likable than the E&M one.

I also have a copy of Shankar, although I consider that to be more graduate level than any of the three I mentioned above. I like what I've read in it though, I'm planning on working through it over the summer.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I have a strong background in mathematics. For this reason, my tastes may differ from yours. I read Dirac and liked it the best. However, it contains no exercises. I read Liboff, and liked it the least. It seems to have no unifying theme. I am currently reading Shankar and I like it very much. As Son Goku pointed out, it seems heavily influenced by Dirac's book. One theme that runs through Shankar's book is that of the propagator. Liboff mentions it on one page, but doesn't use it for anything. Also, Shankar has chapters on Feynman path integrals. I believe these two concepts are valuable for future learning. On the other hand, Liboff covers more topics. I never looked at Griffiths' book, but I gather it is more to the explanation side than the math side. Perhaps if you have time to read more than one, it would be good to start with Griffiths.

Visit my web page www.erratapage.com for errata pages on any book.

 

[anjor]

Well.. i got 3 personal favorites.
Before attempting to even start the subject, one can read "Alice in quantumland". It gives one a feel of the subject... an awesome read!
After reading that, now i have started really teaching myself the subject. My method of studying is - reading schiff, keeping Feynman lectures at side.

 

[robphy]

These books, "Understanding [More] Quantum Physics" by Morrison,
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0137479085/?tag=pfamazon01-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0139283005/?tag=pfamazon01-20
might be a good stepping stone for the self-learner
to the more advanced QM texts.

 

[anjor]

changing my opinion...
sakurai and shankar now!

 

[G01]

I vote for Griffiths. I'm currently teaching myself out of that book and I like the way its written, though you may want to get a book of problems with solutions as well, if your looking for walkthroughs for a lot of problems. The only problem with Griffith's is that he has a less than average amount of examples.

 

[cgw]

Which of the above have good exercises (with answers). Just reading the stuff makes my eyes cross. I need to work through problems to really get it.

 

[muppet]

I'd recommend Quantum Physics by Eisberg and Resnick. The discussions of the theory are very readable and don't assume much, and there's quite a few examples incorporated into the text. I don't know exactly how far it goes as I'm only a 1st yr undergrad myself, but it extends comfortably beyond my course in volume and depth. As far as I can tell from course handbooks etc. it covers up to about 2nd year work in good detail, with appendices extending into more advanced work like peturbation theory. Answers are provided to about half the problems (they miss out ones where e.g. the answer is a sketch.)

 

[DeepQ]

If you are just getting started, even if you are an advanced student, be sure to read QED, the Strange Theory of Light and Matter, by Richard Feynman.

Why? Because it grounds you with an intuitive feel that is not usually so apparent in the other texts (because quantum is a mathematical model, not a physical theory). QED will take only a day (or so) to read and understand.

 

[cgw]

If you look around in the Tutorial area you will find online videos of Feynman giving a QED lecture (in the 70's I think). Probably a live version of QED, the Strange Theory of Light and Matter (I have glanced at it but have not read it). I found the third book of his lectures in the library and started to read it. I will have to buy it soon.
No problems to work through though.

 

[PrinceOfDarkness]

For a padagogic intro, use Griffiths' book.
For problem solving, try Zettili's QM book. Also Tamvakis' solved problems book on QM is excellent.
I personally like Liboff, except the 14th chapter (scattering)!

 

[Doom of Doom]

I strongly suggest D. Griffiths. I have now taught myself electrodynamics and quantum mechanics from his books, and I am currently self-studying with his book on elementary particles. They are great books!

 

[^_^physicist]

Modern Quantum Mechanics- J.J. Sakurai.


It requires a large commitment to mathematics; however, it doesn't waste time with a focus on a historical treatment.

Quantum Mechanics in Hilbert Spaces- Eduard Prugove?ki

I haven't had a chance to pick it up for my self; however, I hear very good things. It might not be very good as an introduction unless you are one of those that loves to start with abstraction and work your way through the painstaking process of using largely generalized processes.

 

[daveb]

I like Griffiths as well, but I found that the Schaum's outline book for QM is relatively decent (several of them are, and several of them blow large chunks of donkey doo!)

 

[hjaohuang]

I have read Griffiths, A.P. French and Gasiowariz, and found Griffiths was the best, illuminating and clear, though sometime you may need to finish his problems to go head.

 

[Erythro73]

Griffiths is the best book for me. It is clear and comprehensive on many levels. Griffiths not only gives you the equations and the way to use it, he talks about the concepts and explain it all very well.
Liboff is very good (but like someone else said before me, it seems like there's no unifying theme)
The Gasiorowicz's book is good if you already know QM.
The Cohen-Tannoudji is good if you're well prepared to understand QM with a very rigorous mathematical treatment of the subject. I do not recommend it for an introduction.
Sakurai is very good too, but seems to be more like a graduate textbook. But I used it to better understand the Dirac notation.

 

[malawi_glenn]

Quantum Chaos, is that introductory Quantum mechanics?

 

[malawi_glenn]

Yes. Exactly

http://www.cocomartini.com/rainyland/product_info.php?products_id=1186"

^_^

I searched through its table of contents and saw nowhere concepts of introductory quantum mechanics.

It starts with theory of nonlinear dymanics and classical chaos. Then the semiclassical inteprentation of Quantum Mechanics and finally combining those two concepts.