Textbook Definition and 998 Threads

I am reshaping my course on special relativity (master level intermediate relativity course, I am getting it back after having the GR course instead for a number of years) and I find myself wanting to include two things: - A more geometrical approach to Minkowski space. - Basic classical...

I was a denizen of this forum some 15 years ago during undergrad. However I since joined the dark side working in software on ML, AI, and distributed data processing. Every now and then I pick up a physics textbook to get into the weeds of a topic I would have missed due to skipping out on grad...

Hello, I am currently preparing to learn the 8.01 course "Physics I" via the MIT OCW and I am trying to find an adequate textbook for that purpose. In the three courses that I have found, the first two use: Young, H. D., and R. A. Freedman. University Physics. which is quite expensive in my...

Summary: In need of a textbook on solid mechanics Hello, I was asked to teach a class in FE analysis (this is not the issue) for solid mechanics (and, specifically, plane stress and strain) The issue is that some students will be deficient in solid mechanics (long story, I will have the time...

Hi, I am going to be a 1st year college student in China this fall. I have a lot of interest for calculus and math in general, and I am wondering if the books I have in hand are good for self study. High school math here stopped the at the derivatives, didn't went further. The two books I...

I know I should not study cosmology from books that are too dated. Can you recommend an up-to-date cosmology book? I am studying GR from Carroll's book. Do I need to study astrophysics first or other topics?

Hello, Can someone recommend me a good textbook to (self-)study aerodynamics, optimally with focus on aircrafts. I am a graduated student in physics and therefore familiar with all the basic concepts of fluiddynamics and calculus. But, apart from that, I have no further knowledge in the field...

I would like to buy a Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics for Engineer textbook. I have 2 options, they are: 1. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0133521702/?tag=pfamazon01-20 2. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0132788128/?tag=pfamazon01-20 Can someone please tell me which one of above Fluid Mechanics textbook...

I need a little guidance on how they got the last step to derive acceleration, I can follow up till there. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I find it hard to move on unless I have understood.

I was wondering if there is any such textbook which shows how a real physicist actually goes about developing models and or theories to explain experimental observations. I want to see how it is done in practice. Is there such a book? At a level that an undergraduate can understand. It is great...

I'm a graduate student and am interested in learning computational solid-state physics. Ideally, I'd like a textbook which covers solid-state physics and the time-dependent semiconductor Bloch equations from a computational perspective. Does anybody have any suggestions?

My textbook is deriving wave speed on a string under tension with confusing thetas. It assumes ##\tan \theta_1 = \frac{-F_1}{F_T}## and ##\tan \theta_2 = \frac{F_2}{F_T}## which confuses me. I know for sure theta is the angle due to the position of y and x, ##\tan \theta = \frac{y}{x}##, but I...

Like many of you, I love physics and math textbooks. I'm always on the look out for new textbooks that will aid in my understand of both subjects. But it's just not practical to scroll through Amazon all the time to find new textbooks. How do you guys go about it? For example, I really love the...

Is there any sort of textbook that covers multiple engineering areas that is at an introductory level?

Hi, I want your opinion regarding modern notetaking technology. Is it better than using the classical pen & paper? As a physics student it would be an advantage to save my notes in the cloud.

Griffiths "introduction to elementary particles" serves a great introduction as a first course on particle physics for undergraduate students. But what are the possible alternatives of this textbook? Like being more beneficial in the long run, more time-consuming, for aspired students. But it...

The textbook (Nelson 11) at my school lists the "big 5" equations for uniform acceleration. In all but one, they use vectors. For vf^2=vi^2 + 2ad, the opt not to use vectors. Is there a deep reason why we would not want to use the vectors? I understand that when you square the velocity, the...

Hi. This semester I have chosen "Properties of Matter" as my Physics Elective. The university syllabus generically prescribes texts by Newman & Searle to be studied in this regard but tbh I find them somewhat outdated. Below I have attached a small snippet of my course syllabus. I shall be...

Summary:: Hi all, does anyone know a good Zemax textbook? I’d like to learn. Hi all, does anyone know a good Zemax textbook? I’d like to learn. I am a professional looking to move into the optical engineering field.

Summary:: An elementary example calculation involving entropy in a textbook seems wrong I was reading an elementary introduction to entropy and the second law of thermodynamics. The book gave the example of a gas in a chamber suddenly allowed to expand into an additional portion of the...

I can read less text content easily. my way of reading it is to make slides of all those texts and learn from the slides. But I have issue with reading huge huge texts as you know in this case it will require too much time when I do this. Is there way to simplify this reading style? eg-: of...

Hi! I want to self study some of quantum mechanics so i need introductory textbook. I've taken courses on linear algebra that covers all "Linear algebra done right" by Sheldon Axler, multivariable calculus, two courses on general physics and the basics of differentials equations. I really like...

So far, I've taken Ordinary Differential Equations and Introduction to Mathematical Proof. My plan is to take "Introduction To Number Theory" for next semester in Spring 2022. But my professor told me that she won't use a textbook for this class. I was wondering what are some of the good...

While revising Rotational motion, I came across a qualitative question which blew me away. Meaning I couldn't even understand the question let alone answer it😅. It has to do with these objects called spinors which as I understand are evoked in quantum mechanics and Relativity. I am attaching the...

(EDIT: I have also added 2 snippets of the syllabus of the entire Math Physics course in my curriculum as reference). I am currently in the 3rd Semester of my 3 year UG Physics degree from where the subject of Math Physics has been separately included. I need extensive guidance from someone...

Thanks to another thread I created, I already know what pre-requisite math subjects to study, and in what order to study them, before I'm ready to start studying Quaternions. I'm just very curious about what specific textbook, would you folks on this forum recommend that I get to study...

First of all, I attached pictures of the very last algebra textbook that I have finished studying. I'm going the self taught route. I really loved this book because it had lots of examples, practice exercises, quizzes and even tests! It also had answers in the back. It's currently my favorite...

Hi, PF I left reading for a while, and now I must revisit a quote from Spanish 6th edition of "Calculus", by Robert A. Adams. The quote is " 4.2 Extreme values problems (...) As we've seen, the sign of ##f'## shows if ##f## is increasing or decreasing". Obvious, I shouldn't care and...

Hello, could you please recommend some good introductory textbooks for studying core topics in astrophysics/cosmology, and especially dark matter? I know that 'An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics' by Caroll and Ostlie is a good book, but I 'm looking for something more concise, so to speak...

This isn’t a HW problem per say, but it’s an example shown in my statics textbook that is used to try an explain that you need to add a couple moment to move a force to a point not on the line of action, and I’m just not seeing how the direction of the couple moment is correct. See the image...

On page 344 of "A First Course in GR" he writes the following: When I do the integration I get the following: ##\int_0^{\chi^2}d\chi^2= \int_0^{r^2}\frac{dr^2}{1-r^2}= \chi^2 = -\ln (1-r^2)##, after I invert the last relation I get: ##r=\sqrt{1-\exp(-\chi^2)}##, where did I go wrong in my...

I want to learn about the non holonomic case in lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. I've seen that many people say that Goldstein 3rd ed is wrong there. Where should I go to learn it. My mathematics level is at the level Goldstein uses. Please help

Can someone please tell me the book that contain integration using hyperbolic substitution for beginner? I know that hyperbolic functions is taught in Calculus book but most of them is only some identities and inverses of hyperbolic functions.

Until I understand how to use maple for my steps by steps algebra manipulation feature (which I learned it has), I'll use PF for some help in the algebra. I want to derive the expression for ##D=-\Delta \sin^2 \theta## on page 313 in Equation (11.89). Attachments of printscreen below. I wrote...

What's your (single) favourite textbook, and why? Not limited to Physics, but keep it STEM. :smile: Maybe some relevant criteria: - nostalgia factor - scientific accuracy - writing style - level of insight / new perspective? etc.

I saw the following equation on page 31 in Purcell's EM textbook. $$F=\epsilon_0\int_{E_1}^{E_2} E\, dE=\frac 2 {\epsilon_0} (E_2^2-E_1^2)$$ Here, F is the force on a unit area. And then he claims that since ##E_2-E_1=\sigma/\epsilon_0##, the equation can be further simplified to $$F=\frac 1...

I want to teach myself the basics of economics and see that many people recommend this book to absolute beginners. What's your take on it, and is it a book suitable for noobs? If not, what are some decent alternatives of it? Thanks in advance.

Perhaps this is a fever dream, but I seem to recall a classic Physics textbook that had illustrations of 3D vectors using autostereograms. However, I can't remember which one (or find any evidence that I'm not making this up). I also have the notion that this was very early, well before the...

I want to learn some probability & statistics on my own. I am well versed in Calc 1-3 , elementary ODEs and very little linear algebra. I want a comprehensive , introductory textbook which is NOT COOKBOOK STYLE. I might be self studying AP statistics next term so if the book covers everything I...

Hi, PF I've got a translation into spanish of the sixth edition of "Calculus", by Robert A. Adams. At the second chapter, "Differentiation", eleventh section, I would like to know: the title of the section (Could it be "Velocity and Acceleration"?); and a sentence of the Example 2 ("A point P...

Hi! I was looking for a Calculus textbook to buy and was debating between Courant and Apostol. I was planning on reading Spivak parallel to one of these. My question is does Apostol cover more material than Courant does or are they practically the same. Sorry if this has already been asked, I...

I am seeking a geometry proofs textbook. In other words, I seek a textbook that shows all geometric proofs from start to finish. There are books that show proofs worked out as a reference book for students. Can someone provide me with a good geometry book for this purpose? I am particularly...

I seek current textbook recommendations for Modern Physics (Relativity, Quantum, Nuclear, Particles), upper undergraduate and graduate level, preferably that which are used at top-tier universities. Suggestions appreciated.

I decided to go through Born and Wolf's bible of optics but... Um... The book has no problems. Which kinda sucks. Does anyone know if there's some kind of resource to supplement that?

Hey guys, so I was on this thread on tips for self studding physics as a high schooler with the aim to become a theoretical (quantum) physicist in the future. I myself am a 15 year old who wants to become a theoretical physicist in the future. A lot of people in the thread were saying that...

Hey guy, I'm having problems to understand the final part of this section. The book says we have the lagrangian from one particle (106.16), then we have some explanation and then the total lagrangian is given(106.17). For me is everything fine until the 106.16, then i couldn't get what is going...

Hi, I'm a 15-year-old high school student and I was wondering what textbook you guys recommend for Special- and General Relativity. I'm familiar with the concept of the Metric Tensor and Christoffel Symbols, but I wanted a good textbook where I can really learn derive it all and gain a deeper...

Hi guys, I'm having trouble computing a pass 1 to 106.15. It's in the pictures. So, what a have to do is the derivative of ##f## with respect to time and coordinates. Then I need to rearrange the terms to find the equation 106.15. I am using the following conditions. ##r## vector varies in...

Hi Does anyone know a book of general physics (which covers the subjects of physics as a whole) with complete exercises?

Hi, My name is Cam and I've just literally joined so wanted to say hi first 🙂 I'm self studying Maths and Physics and wanted to know a good textbook that deals with arithmetic/pre-algebra/basic geometry? I know Physics mainly used Applied Maths, but I'm wanting to educate myself as thoroughly...