Blennow to follow up Altland?

[Vmax]

TLDR: is Blennow "Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering" a good follow-up to Altland "Mathematics for physicists"?

Hello everybody,
returning to physics after 30-something years, I felt the need to brush up my maths first. It took me 6 months and I'm currently more than half way through the Altland "Mathematics for physicists" book, covering the math for undergraduate studies at the right level of sophystication, most of which I howewer already knew (being an aerospace engineer) but enjoyed reviewing, not to mention I picked up a lot of new concepts and illuminating interpretations.
That being said, as I now want to tackle graduate level physics, I feel the need to round up my understanding in some areas that Altland treats too succintly or just mentions in passing (e.g. groups and symmetries, PDE, tensor analysis). I don't have the time to study one of the many excellent dedicated monographies on each topic, but I could accommodate a "second" mathematical methods book.
In this spirit I was wondering if the Blennow book "Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering" could be a good follow-up to the Altland book. I am relying on the community for advice or alternative titles.
Thank you and have a great day!
V

P.S. I might have seen on this forum (or another forum, can't remember) a thread about the two mentioned books but could not find it, if you could point me to the thread it would be great.

 

[Frabjous]

It is a nice book and a reasonable choice. You will not really know until you try it.

 

[Ibix]

Blennow has certain advantages if you continue to post in this forum.

https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/the-birth-of-a-textbook/

 

[Vmax]

Thank you for your answers, I found especially interesting the link on the origins of the book. I think the Blennow book could be a good fit for my needs. The only thing is that a solution manual is mentioned in the linked article, but I cannot find it on the editor website. Since solutions to problems are essential to me while learning new topics (and lots of the book topics are new to me), I would very much appreciate if someone could point me to a place where I can get the solution manual.

V

 

[Frabjous]

There is an instructor’s manual which is only available to instructors. By policy, PF does not provide information on books that are not legally available.
If you have questions about specific problems, post a thread. You will have to show your attempt at the problem.

 

[Vmax]

Thank you Frabjous for the clear answer, I appreciate the frankness. I apologize for the poor wording, I meant if there was an online store where I could buy the solution manual since I didn't find it on the publisher store nor in any of the main online stores. Now I know why I couldn't find it, thanks to your clarification.

Btw, I don't see in the published index of the book an answers appendix, so none of the problems in the book has a solution nor an answer available to anyone who is not an instructor, which makes perfect sense for classroom use but not for self study purposes, unfortunately.
Can anyone suggest a viable alternative book on mathematical methods for physics, at the same level (just beginning graduate) that has answers in the back or a commercially available students solutions manual?

Thank you so much,
V

 

[mad mathematician]

I'd recommend Arfken (I used it a bit for a third mathematical methods for physicists course, you can't have enough maths... that's why I am so MAD....
) I wonder which edition are they nowadays?...


P.S
I used it for the part that was needed for the course.

 

[Frabjous]

There are several threads on mathematical methods.

 

[Vmax]

@mad mathematician : Thank you, indeed I think Arfken could be a candidate as a reference work.

@Frabjous : I've dived into many of those threads, nothing conclusive though, it seems like math methods become very course/school dependent at the graduate level, I'm starting to think I'd be better off getting a reference book and peruse it on a "as needed" basis.

V