I just took Lewin's courses: What next?

[GloriousPanda]

A few days ago, I completed Walter Lewin's courses 8.01 (Newtonian Mechanics)and 8.02 (Electricity and Magnetism) . I loved the courses and I'm quite motivated to go further. I was thinking of two routes:

a) Quantum Mechanics: I'll probably use Griffiths/Resnick/Shankar/Gasiorowicz.
b) Special relativity: Probably Resnick.

Which of the two routes should I choose, and what textbook should I use?

 

[vanhees71]

I'd take quantum theory next. Textbooks: Sakurai/Ballentine.

 

[megatyler30]

What math have you done so far? If you've done Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, and differential then QM is definitely accessible, although 8.03 Vibrations and Waves ( and Special Relativity (use both Resnick and AP French) would be a good next step especially since 8.03 is sort of a transition to give some background on some classical concepts that are used/extended in QM. Although, Resnick's QM is at the level of a modern physics course, rather than a full QM coure, so it might be useful to work through that before trying Griffiths or Shankar.

 

[GloriousPanda]

What math have you done so far? If you've done Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, and differential then QM is definitely accessible, although 8.03 Vibrations and Waves ( and Special Relativity (use both Resnick and AP French) would be a good next step especially since 8.03 is sort of a transition to give some background on some classical concepts that are used/extended in QM. Although, Resnick's QM is at the level of a modern physics course, rather than a full QM coure, so it might be useful to work through that before trying Griffiths or Shankar.

I did not require multivariable calculus for 8.02. I think I'll devote some time to gaining mathematical background while watching 8.03 lectures. After that, maybe I'll be prepared for more "hardcore" QM. Thanks!

 

[Dr Transport]

Sakurai is not a beginners book, you need something on the level of Griffiths or Resnik to have a chance of getting thru it...