Electromagnetic Field Theory by Bo Thide

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the book "Electromagnetic Field Theory" by Bo Thide, focusing on its content, presentation, and suitability for students in comparison to other texts in the field. Participants evaluate the book's accessibility, clarity, and pedagogical effectiveness.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the book is professionally presented and includes numerous figures, making it visually appealing.
  • Others express concern about the book's brevity compared to Jackson's text, suggesting it may not cover topics in sufficient depth.
  • One participant points out that Thide's writing includes skipped steps and inconsistent notation, which could confuse students.
  • A participant mentions Thide's research on Orbital Angular Momentum encoding applied to radio waves, indicating a connection to advanced topics in the field.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express mixed views on the book's effectiveness; while some appreciate its layout and accessibility, others criticize its clarity and depth. No consensus is reached regarding its overall suitability for students.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations are noted regarding the book's clarity and consistency, particularly in notation and presentation of concepts, which may affect comprehension.

For those who have used this book

  • Strongly Recommend

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Lightly Recommend

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Lightly don't Recommend

    Votes: 1 100.0%

  • Strongly don't Recommend

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    1
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This is a free book that seems to be aimed at the same audience as Jackson, but it's only about 1/3 the length. The layout is very professional looking, and there are quite a few figures. There is an accompanying book of exercises. The book is freely downloadable under a restrictive license.
 
I helped someone recently on PF who was confused--rightfully--because Thide was skipping steps and using inconsistent notation in one chapter. Yes it's free, but I would steer students to a better book based on this limited exposure.
 
Last edited:
As a side note, Thidè is one of the researchers who demonstrated the application of Orbital Angular Momentun encoding to radio waves.
Link to the freely downloadable PDF : http://arxiv.org/abs/1101.6015
(I once had the link to the html version, but I can no longer locate it)
 

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