Physicsforums Bibliography: Discussion thread

[micromass]

This is the discussion thread for the Physicsforums bibliography. In this thread, you can suggest new books to be added to the bibliography and you can make comments about existing books. These posts will be transferred to the actual bibliography thread by a mentor.

When suggesting a new book to the bibliography, please include:

• Name of the book
• Author
• Category (for example: Physics > Condensed Matter), categories can be found in the bibliography thread
• Amazon link for the book
• Description of the book: Contents, level (high school, freshman, grad, etc.), prerequisities
• Opinion of the book

When making a comment/opinion about an existing book, please state clearly the name and the author of the book.

Any other feedback (such a missing categories) is also welcome in this thread.

 

[Saitama]

I suppose most people know about this one.

Book 1:
Name: Organic Chemistry
Authors: Robert T. Morrison, Robert N. Boyd
Category: Other Sciences>Chemistry
Amazon link for the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0136436692/?tag=pfamazon01-20
Description of the book: I can't really say much about who needs it but i am in High School and i love this book. I guess there are no prerequisites for this book.

Book 2:
Name: March's Advanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, and Structure
Authors: Jerry March, Michael B. Smith
Category: Other Science>Chemistry
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471720917/?tag=pfamazon01-20
Description of the book: I suppose that this book is not really made for high school students like me but i have bought it because it has almost all the reactions which i encounter while solving the problems. You should check out the reviews on amazon.

 

[jbunniii]

• Author: Rudin
• Title: Principles of Mathematical Analysis
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/007054235X/?tag=pfamazon01-20
• Prerequisities: Rigorous calculus, including epsilon-delta proofs. Spivak's "Calculus" would be more than sufficient preparation.
• Contents: Metric space topology, series and sequences, differentiation, Riemann-Stieltjes integration, uniform convergence, functions of several variables, differential forms, basics of Lebesgue integration

For the well prepared reader, this is a beautifully clear treatment of the main topics of undergraduate real analysis. Yes, it is terse. Yes, the proofs are often slick and require the reader to fill in some nontrivial gaps. No, it doesn't spend much time motivating the concepts. It is not the best book for a first exposure to real analysis - that honor belongs to Spivak's "Calculus." But don't kid yourself that you have really mastered undergraduate analysis if you can't read Rudin and appreciate its elegance. It also serves as a nice, clean, uncluttered reference which few graduate students would regret having on their shelves.

 

[Meir Achuz]

Name: Classical Electromagnetism
Author: Jerrold Franklin
Category: Physics/Electromagnetism
Amazon url: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805387331/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Level: First year graduate course text.
Opinion: This book is on the level of Jackson, but with the readability of Griffiths.
It has good Amazon reviews.

 

[espen180]

• Title: Advanced Linear Algebra
• Author: Steven Roman
• Category: Mathematics > Algebra
• Amazon link for the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0387728287/?tag=pfamazon01-20
• Contents: Vector spaces, linear maps, module theory, structure theory of linear operators, metric spaces, normed & inner product spaces, Hilbert spaces, tensor products, linear programming, affine geometry, algebras, umbral calculus.
• Prerequisities: Having completed at least one year of proof based linear algebra. Basic abstract algebra, in particular group and ring theory, is also assumed.
• Opinion of the book: This is the most comprehensive and the best written linear algebra book I have seen. The exposition is clear, thorough, and rigorous. It is a great textbook and is also a good reference book.

 

[BloodyFrozen]

• Author: Apostol
• Title: Calculus Volumes 1 & 2: with an Introduction to Linear Algebra
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471000051/?tag=pfamazon01-20
• Prerequisities: PreCalculus/Algebra & Trig ; Ideal with a basic knowledge of calculus however, it's fine without it.
• Contents: **Integration is treated before differentiation.** Set theory, limits, continuity, integration, differentiation, applications, series, differential equations, complex numbers, vector algebra, linear spaces

A very good book for a motivated reader. It requires the reader to be mature, and the intellectual level is challenging. It may require a lot from the reader (especially a beginner), but definitely worth the study.

 

[alissca123]

Title: Analysis I,II,III
Author: Herbert Amann, Joachim Escher
Category: Mathematics > Analysis
Amazon link for the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/3764371536/?tag=pfamazon01-20
Contents: Foundations, convergence, continuous functions, differentiation in one variable, sequences of functions, integral calculus in one variable, multivariable differential calculus, line integrals, elements of measure theory, integration theory, manifolds and differential forms, integration on manifolds.
Prerequisities: Just some mathematical maturity (some previous exposure to analysis wouldn't hurt...).
Opinion of the book: This is a marvelous series of books. The authors cover FAR more material than can be covered in a 3 semester sequence. The explanations are very clear, there are great, illustrative examples and some nice problems.
Everyone trying to learn analysis should read Amann&Escher, it is that good.