Errata for Greiner's Series on Theoretical Physics

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the presence of typos in Walter Greiner's series on theoretical physics, with participants expressing concerns about the impact of these errors on the quality of the texts. The scope includes inquiries about errata, the quality of translations from German to English, and the potential for compiling corrections. Participants also discuss the editions and printings of the books.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express frustration over the lack of available errata for Greiner's series, suggesting that the presence of typos undermines the series' reputation.
  • There is speculation about whether the typos originated in the original German texts or were introduced during translation to English.
  • One participant mentions a review indicating that the translations sometimes result in awkward phrasing, while others note that the newer editions have fewer typos.
  • Several participants have attempted to contact Springer for information on errata or the latest printings but report no success so far.
  • One participant shares a list of the latest editions and printings of Greiner's books, indicating their interest in acquiring updated versions.
  • There is a suggestion to create a new thread to compile typos and corrections as they are discovered.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the existence of typos and the need for errata, but there is no consensus on the origins of these errors or the effectiveness of the translations. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best way to compile corrections and the responsibility of the publisher.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the absence of a comprehensive list of errors and the unclear status of communications with the publisher. The discussion reflects varying experiences with different editions of the texts.

FourEyedRaven
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Hi.

The #1 complaint about the Greiner series are the typos. It's a shame how it undermines the potential of this series which is, otherwise, highly acclaimed. Do you know where errata for any of these volumes can be found? Or perhaps those who have read some of the books could share their own corrections so we can gather all of them in one place.

I would appreciate your replies.
 
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My god... Glad someone asked. I've also been searching for the errata but with no luck. I really hope someone could compile or the publisher should have been more responsible with this since they are destroying a gem here!
 
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berkeman said:
Is it because of the translations from German to English, or were the typos in the original German books too?

http://onphysicsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/01/walter-greiner.html
My Google Search didn't find any errata for this series. Have you tried contacting Springer?

I believe it is due to poor revision of the translations. One review on amazon mentions that, occasionally, the sentences are a bit strange on that volume because they were translated. But the real problem seems to be the typos in the formulas. The volumes that have new editions do not have as many typos. But it is a big complaint about the other volumes.

I did not contact Springer. But if they had erratas for this series they would probably publish them, like they do with other books. Their website does not have errata for these volumes.
 
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Oh, I am really interested in W. Greiner's textbook series. I have sent an email to Springer asking for the latest printings. If anyone is still interested I will post here their answer. In my opinion, his books are a gem.
I have not found any list of errors on the internet, either.
 
Llukis said:
Oh, I am really interested in W. Greiner's textbook series. I have sent an email to Springer asking for the latest printings. If anyone is still interested I will post here their answer. In my opinion, his books are a gem.
I have not found any list of errors on the internet, either.

I'm still reading the 1st volume. So far the number of typos have been much lower than I thought. I bought the ebooks on Springer when they were on sale, so I got the latest versions of all of them. Even the 1st volume, which is still only a 1st edition, is pretty much free of typos. It is more common to find a weird phrasing than a typo. The translation is not perfect, but very good. Overall I'm very happy so far.

EDIT: I did contact Springer, exchanged a bunch of emails, but it went nowhere. I will probably post here the typos I find as the years go by. I'm doing this on my free time.
 
I have no answer from Springer yet...
 
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So far I have no news from Springer.
Perhaps , we could share the typos and corrections in a new thread.
By the way, does anybody know which are the latest edition or printings of each one of the Greiner's books?
 
Classical Mechanics : Point Particles and Relativity - 1st edition (2004)
Classical Mechanics: Systems of Particles and Hamiltonian Dynamics - 2nd Edition (2010)
Classical Electrodynamics - 1st Edition (1998)
Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics - 1st Edition (1995)
Quantum Mechanics: An Introduction - 4th Edition (2001)
Quantum Mechanics: Special Chapters - 1st Edition, 2nd Printing (2001)
Quantum Mechanics: Symmetries - 2nd Edition, 3rd Printing (2001)
Relativistic Quantum Mechanics: Wave Equations - 3rd Edition (2000, softcover reprint of the 1996 hardcover)
Field Quantization - 1st Edition (1996)
Quantum Electrodynamics - 4th Edition (2009)
Quantum Chromodynamics - 3rd Edition (2007)
Nuclear Models - 1st Edition (1996)
Gauge Theory of Weak Interactions - 4th Edition (2009)

As far as I know these are the latest versions of the books. I have bought almost all of them from Springer's online store in ebook format when they were on sale. If you wait long enough you can buy them for a much lower price than the normal one.

If someone finds any later prints or editions, please let me know.
 
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