Is This Book Suitable for Beginners Struggling with Quantum Mechanics?

[robertjford80]

I'm a little bewildered by my recent dive into QM. I don't really understand what's going on. I'm thinking maybe I should study some wave mechanics first before I try QM proper. I'm not really good at math. I make an enormous number of mistakes and I need to be constantly reminded of what to do, that's why I need to have an extensive bit of worked problems just to even get any where. I'm thinking maybe this book will help:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0070340412/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Will it?

 

[Jorriss]

Are you sure you posted the right book? If so, no, I do not think it will help.



This lecture series may help however.

 

[robertjford80]

yea, I started with that lecture series and after the third lecture I found it it was QM 2. I'm using lecture series sponsored by Nptel in India but like I said, I'm still a bit bewildered. The book I posted was about Mechanical Oscillations.

 

[Jorriss]

yea, I started with that lecture series and after the third lecture I found it it was QM 2. I'm using lecture series sponsored by Nptel in India but like I said, I'm still a bit bewildered. The book I posted was about Mechanical Oscillations.

That book will very likely not help with quantum mechanics. When people say study wave mechanics they generally are not referring to the study of molecular vibrations.

What book are you using for QM?

 

[robertjford80]

I'm using a lot of books, I've got Levin's, Anthony Phillips (those are the ones I've looked at so far). I've also got Griffith's, Ballantine's. I've got another one called Understanding QM by Omnes, and I've got three books of solved problems, one by Tamvakis, the other by some Chinese author and the other I forget their name. I'm thinking about getting this book

https://www.amazon.com/dp/019539349X/?tag=pfamazon01-20

But since there are no answers or no solution manual I don't think it will help me much.

I think I'll just go to the wave mechanics section of the library and find whatever book looks most user friendly

 

[Jorriss]

I really doubt that book will clarify much in quantum mechanics.

What do you think is confusing you in QM?

 

[robertjford80]

well, not knowing about the Fourier transform or the dirac delta equation i think lead to a lot of the bewilderment. I'm reading up on those now. hopefully when i get those two concepts mastered i'll be able to go back to the lectures and follow better what is going on.

maybe i breezed through differential equations too quickly. I'm doing self-study so i have that luxury.

 

[robertjford80]

are you sure walter fox smith's book oscillations and waves won't help me? after all its subtitle is prelude to QM

 

[homeomorphic]

Sounds like you need to wean yourself off of worked solutions before you can make real progress.

It's not good to be reminded what to do. Instead, remind yourself what to do. If you want to remember something, you have to practice remembering yourself without looking.

 

[marcusl]

Sounds like you need to bolster your math skills. Study Fourier transforms, diff eqs and linear algebra.