Textbooks Definition and 456 Threads

Hi, I would like to learn chemistry, and I am self taught. I would like to learn chemistry to the point, where if i see a chemical equation, I then know exactly what I need to do to synthesize it, and was wondering if anyone could provide any resources for me to do that. Thank you very much...

I was reading the lists of required books to read at certain colleges who offer Great Books programs, and I noticed that such Great Books programs frequently require students to read seminal physics and seminal mathematics and science books. The following list gives many different examples of...

So I am in the area in between years 10-11. I am currently on exchange and I have a lot of time so I thought I would study for year 11's topics so that the next few years would be easier. The main subjects I wan't to focus on are Biology and Chemistry. I had bought a book without doing any real...

Hello everybody, I am taking a calculus 1 course at my local community college this summer. I was wondering if it is absolutely necessary to read the textbook in math because I see it that the professor teaches the theory and techniques in lecture, and covers the same exact material. Right? What...

I am trying to work my way through Stephen Pope's "Turbulent Flows". I'm finding that my Achilles heel (as has been throughout my undergraduate degree) is maths. Since this book is essentially applied maths, I'm finding it difficult. So I'd like to simultaneously work through a course in...

The recent LIGO result seems likely to lead to a lot of rewriting of textbooks. Some topics that occur to me: (1) Obviously it needs to be discussed in any GR textbook's discussion of gravitational waves. (2) The fact that the waveform matches so well with GR calculations seems to be extremely...

Dear Physics Forum friends, I recently got interested in the Russian textbooks in mathematics, which I am completely blown away by their exposition, insights, and excellent problem sets. I have been reading translated versions of Russian books written by authors like Kolmogorov, Arnold, and...

Hey, I'm one of those people who's been trying to learn Physics for ages before finishing high school (writing it down like this really makes me sound like some hopeless nerd with nothing better to do..) but never got around to doing it because my calculus knowledge sucks so much. :-) My...

I want a good linear algebra textbook in order to learn to use linear algebra in physics but also to use it in more theoretical mathematics courses. I hope that with this poll i will also help others that want to study from a proper Linear Algebra textbook.

Hi. I've recently finished high school and am planning to study science/physics, hence I'll be doing a lot of calculus courses but I'm looking to do more than that. I was looking to find some good sources, whether they be online or in textbook format or whatever. As for where I'm at currently, I...

Hello!can someone propose a good textbook for quantum mechanics and mathematical physics(including green function)?I would like to buy those books so i want something which is one of the best to have in your libraby!

Hi everyone, I was hoping you guys could recommend some good solid-state physics textbooks or lecture notes. Thanks in advance.

I hope this post won't become too tedious. I've completed my undergrad studies in physics and if things go well i will begin my master's degree in April. The thing is, since my path to graduation has been peculiar (to say the least) I'm kinda weak in maths skills atm and need to improve. I'm...

Hey, everyone. I am in 7th grade, but skipped a grade in science and 2 in math. To prepare for hard high school and college, I want to find a website where there are free online high school and college math and science textbooks, for free! Can someone recommend a site?

For two books that have been recommended today on PhysForums, when I followed the links to look them up (both Amazon links) I saw they were available on Kindle as well as hard copy. This seems to me to be a new development, as I can't remember seeing any e-book versions of technical mathematical...

Which of the two books would you pick as an undergraduate engineering student if you were to study the subject of Heat and Mass Transfer entirely on your own? 1. Heat and Mass Transfer: Fundamentals and Applications by Cengel & Ghajar 2. Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer by...

Hi, anyone who studied in Germany will be familiar with the theoretical and experimental physics books written by Nolting and Demtroeder respectively. These books are really the standard at undergraduate level but are much more rigorous and detailed than a lot of English language textbooks, e.g...

I am an advanced 8th grader and I'm very interested in physics. However, I want to study calculus first (I know precaculus, but I will study it a bit further before beginning calculus). Does anyone have recommendations for good, interesting calculus books if my main goal in studying it now (as...

There are two textbooks each of calculus and physics which interest me. I am almost finished Stewart's Precalculus, which I have spent countless hundreds of hours on over these last couple of months in autodidactic zeal; and I am intent upon doing over a calculus textbook before moving on to...

I currently study undergraduate physics. I used to have the philosophy that the only way you really learn stuff was by reading all the chapters in the textbook. But now I'm on my 5th semester taking upper-level undergraduate courses and starting to think this philosophy will drain all my energy...

I will be a sophomore this year, and I intend to self-study AP Physics 1&2. I took a non-math based semester intro course last year, so I'm basically going in blind. I've done my research and I'm intending to use Physics: Principles with Applications (7th Edition) (Douglas C. Giancoli) and...

I want to read some books on the major different fields(solid state,computational and any other except from medical physics and the astro,theoretical,cosmo stuff) in order to get a feel for what I might want to pursue later on my degree.I don't want it to be a textbook as you might agree...

Hello All, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some really good, graduate-level textbooks or sources on quantum field theory and antiparticles. I've browsed through several QFT titles, but if anyone has any books they think would be a good grad-level introduction I'd be grateful...

Suggestion for best book for basic EE please. I think I need the very basic one. Please. :biggrin:

Hi there. Can anybody recommend a good textbook for an undergraduate wanting to study group theory (especially representation theory). I'm thinking of reading "visual group theory" by Carter for conceptual understanding but I also need a book to study alongside this that gives a more formal...

I love free textbooks (especially since standard ones are so expensive), and I discovered this site, OpenCulture, which maintains a list of free textbooks, each authored by university professors or departments of education. Scroll down to "Physics" or "Mathematics" for the links: Hope this helps!

I've just made it through my freshman physics year (covering introductory Linear algebra, Mechanics, Single- and multivariable calculus, Thermodynamics, Wave Theory, and Scientific computing). Due to some health issues, I am essentially unable to attend lectures, but I am, to be frank, a gifted...

Dear Physics Forum advisers, My name is Phoenix, a sophomore with major in mathematics and an aspiring applied mathematician in the theoretical computing. I wrote this email to seek your recommendation on the textbooks for abstract algebra. I want to self-study the abstract algebra during...

Hi, I'm looking for a great software for drawing illustrations in physics (Graphs, geometry, box drawings, integral and area 2d Graphs) and perhaps some trigonometry (triangles, Graphs, unit circles with angles/degree). I'm on a windows computer and the purpose is for making textbooks and ebooks?

Hey y'all! I am taking my first linear algebra course next semester and we are using Bretscher's book. I have heard some pretty awful things about the way it is laid out, so I would like to hear your thoughts on the text. For some background information I have completed Calculus 1-3 (using...

Hello all, I'm a third year university physics major. I haven't read much on Fourier analysis however I have had been introduced to it through an oscillations and waves class. My professor was saying that it can be applied to many different areas and is extremely helpful tool to have under your...

Dear Physics Forum personnel, I am a college sophomore in U.S. with a major in mathematics and an aspiring algebraic number theorist. I wrote this email to seek a recommendation on one or two outstanding linear algebra textbook that can supplement the Linear Algebra (Friedberg et al.), which...

Hi, I'm studying on my own for AP exams a year from now and need some advice on which books to get. I'm taking AP calculus (AB or BC, haven't decided yet), AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, and AP Physics C: Mechanics. I already have a Calculus book by Ron...

Does anyone know of any good textbooks on fast reactors and/or breeder reactors?

Hi all, I am starting an internship with Lockheed Martin on Tuesday, May 26. I have just been notified of my duties, which will involve resolving issues with hydrophones/transducers. I am looking for recommendations of good textbooks that I could refer to during this internship. I am a rising...

I need textbook recommendations for self studying physics. I thought of buying the classic Halliday Resnick Walker Fundamentals of Physics, but was confused about which edition I need to buy. I plan to teach myself the whole of basic physics, thus forming a base to further study certain topics...

Is the following a good recommendation? Special relativity: Introduction to Special Relativity, by Robert Resnick (Wiley 1968) Electromagnetism: Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd ed., by David J. Griffiths Classical mechanics: Classical Mechanics, 3rd ed., by Goldstein, Poole & Safko Quantum...

Dear Physics Forum personnel, I am a college sophomore in US with double majors in mathematics and microbiology. I apologize for this sudden interruption but I wrote this email to seek your advice regarding to utilizing multiple textbooks per mathematical field. I always thought that...

Dear Physics Forum friends, Why so many people recommend Spivak, Apostol, and Courant calculus textbooks, especially as a preparation toward the advanced courses like analysis and abstract algebra? Are they really necessary? I have been studying Apostol's Mathematical Analysis, Rudin's PMA...

Looking for textbook recommendations for condensed matter physics at both undergrad and graduate level. Preferably to self teach with, and including questions/answers.

what is the best book to understand general,classic and modern physics ??

Hey PF, as my thread a week or two ago said I am currently planning on taking a college Calc and Analytic Geometry class with formal education only up to Geometry. I am very proficient in Geometry, good in algebra 1, have some experience in Trig and a little in Algebra 2. For this reason I was...

Hi, everyone I was directed here by a poster in another thread and thought I'd post my question to you guys in this area of the forums. I had some questions about Mike Spivak's math textbooks. It was alluded to in another thread that his books are quite difficult. Yet, from what I can...

Hi, I'm currently waiting for admission into an engineering course at a local university,however,it has been a long time since I did any real math and most of the math was taught to us in a "plug & play" manner. I want to ensure that my mathematics fundamentals are strong enough so that it...

I am a 1st-year physics student and over the summer am planning on self-studying some extra maths courses. I was considering geometry, statistics, and algebra as these seem to not require too many prerequisites and are useful in physics. Could anyone recommend some good textbooks/online...

Hello everyone, This semester I'm taking the following important classes in physics and I was hoping you guys could help me out a little and state which good books you know concern the subjects. The courses are Quantum Mechanics 1, Statistical and Thermal Physics and lastly Electromagnetism and...

I have a copy of both Lang's text and Larson and Edwards' text, and was wondering which would be best for someone looking for a deeper understanding of Calculus. Any and all advice is welcome here! I was working through Kleppner & Kolenkow's Introduction to Mechanics and decided I need a much...

I've spent the last 4 years doing a chemistry degree, and before that I did maths, chemistry and biology at 6th form. (that's junior & senior year at high school if you're from across the Atlantic). So I've learned about a decent amount of science but with a distinct lack of physics, which I'm...

Dear Physics Forum friends, I am a sophomore in US with double majors in mathematics and microbiology. I am interested in self-studying the real analysis starting now since it will help me on my current research on computational microbiology, prepare for upcoming math research (starting on...

Hello I was looking for a volume set in intermediate/advanced math and I can't seem to find anything. I already have a book in calculus 2 but I'm looking to self study everything after that through advanced math. I want to be a theoretical physicist, but I'm open to learning interesting math...