Green Functions: A physicist's Intro to Math Methods

AI Thread Summary
A physics student is seeking resources to learn about Green functions, specifically looking for materials that do not require extensive knowledge of integral equations and functional analysis. The student previously used the Boas book for math methods but found it lacking in this area. Suggestions include exploring online resources, library options, and specific books like Roach's text, which is noted for being suitable for undergraduates, though it may not engage all readers. Haberman's text is also recommended as a good introductory resource. The discussion emphasizes the challenge of finding accessible materials that bridge the gap between basic and advanced concepts in this topic.
will.c
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Not sure if this is the best place, but it's also my first post, so meta-answers about where I'm supposed to put this business are welcome too.

I'm a physics student, and I'm interested in learning about Green functions, but I sold back the Boas book that I used for my math methods class (we didn't cover the topic), and that's about the level that I'm looking for; is there a free resource that explains the method in a way that I don't need a huge knowledge of integral equations and functional analysis to comprehend, or at the other end, a book that brings all those topics together so that a physicist can understand it?

Thanks,
Will
 
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You could try [/URL] to begin with, including the external links and book references at the bottom.

Furthermore, a search on Google returns http://books.google.nl/books?id=edTngEuzXaoC&dq=greens+functions&pg=PP1&ots=bYdfU5doDf&sig=v_tyaPwJ-VArMLGE8mB8CwCnvyI&hl=nl&prev=http://www.google.nl/search?q=greens+functions&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail#PPA2,M1 which looks promising to me, but I don't know if it is what you want.

You could also go to your library and see what they have on the subject, then you can hold the book and look inside it.
 
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Well, I've done all that, but everything I've come to is either at a graduate level, or advanced undergrad, but for math majors. The Roach book is probably the best on the subject for undergrads, from what I've seen, but it put me to sleep. =(
 
The book is fascinating. If your education includes a typical math degree curriculum, with Lebesgue integration, functional analysis, etc, it teaches QFT with only a passing acquaintance of ordinary QM you would get at HS. However, I would read Lenny Susskind's book on QM first. Purchased a copy straight away, but it will not arrive until the end of December; however, Scribd has a PDF I am now studying. The first part introduces distribution theory (and other related concepts), which...
I've gone through the Standard turbulence textbooks such as Pope's Turbulent Flows and Wilcox' Turbulent modelling for CFD which mostly Covers RANS and the closure models. I want to jump more into DNS but most of the work i've been able to come across is too "practical" and not much explanation of the theory behind it. I wonder if there is a book that takes a theoretical approach to Turbulence starting from the full Navier Stokes Equations and developing from there, instead of jumping from...

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