Finding Reading Notes for Textbooks

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the search for effective reading notes for textbooks, particularly in the fields of physics and mathematics. Participants highlight the value of student-generated summaries, such as those by Zhong-Zhi Xianyu and the notes linked on Michael Nielsen's blog regarding John Baez's "Gauge Fields and Knots." The conversation emphasizes the difficulty in locating comprehensive reading notes for popular textbooks like Peskin-Schröder, Jackson, and Goldstein, and invites contributions of useful resources from the community.

PREREQUISITES
  • Familiarity with academic textbooks in physics and mathematics.
  • Understanding of the importance of peer-generated study materials.
  • Basic knowledge of online research techniques for finding educational resources.
  • Awareness of specific textbooks such as "Gauge Fields and Knots," "Peskin-Schröder," "Jackson," and "Goldstein."
NEXT STEPS
  • Research additional reading notes for "Peskin-Schröder" and "Jackson" textbooks.
  • Explore online platforms like GitHub or academic forums for shared study materials.
  • Investigate the effectiveness of different note-taking strategies for complex subjects.
  • Look into creating a collaborative database for sharing reading notes among students.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for students, educators, and researchers in physics and mathematics who seek supplementary materials to enhance their understanding of complex concepts through peer-generated notes.

jakob1111
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Often when I read a chapter in a textbook and don't understand something, I find "reading notes" by other students extremely helpful.

Oftentimes in these notes other readers have simply written down summaries of the sections in their own words. These descriptions of the "same thing" in different words helps me fill in the gaps and clarify the things that confused me.

As an example, have a look at the notes by Zhong-Zhi Xianyu or the http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/yang_mills.pdf for John Baez' book "Gauge Fields and Knots".

Unfortunately it's not always easy to find good notes.

Thus, my question: Do you know any great reading notes? They don't have to be about a complete textbook. Summaries/notes on specific sections would also be great.

If yes, please post a link to them here. Notes for popular textbooks like Peskin-Schröder, Jackson, Goldstein, etc. would be awesome. So far, I wasn't able to find any.
 
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Do you have any specific subjects in mind ?
 
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Buffu said:
Do you have any specific subjects in mind ?
Nothing specific. I would just like to see if there exist other reading notes that I haven't found so far. (Preferably on popular textbooks like Goldstein, Jackson, etc.)
 

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