Need to find an EM book between Griffiths and Jackson.

[yungman]

I am a self studyer and I studied "Field and Wave Electromagnetics" by David K Cheng and "Introduction to Electrodynamics" by david Griffiths. Cheng is more for EE where it put a lot of effort in phasor, transmission lines, Smith Chart. Griffiths is more on the physics side that cover in more detail in the general topics, retarded potentials. The two books has about 60% in common.

What is the next logical book to study other than JD Jackson which is very difficult and I also I was told that I need to study Complex Analysis to tackle the Jackson.

I finish PDE only, what other math subject I need to complete to move beyond Griffiths and Cheng?

Thanks

 

[George Jones]

A few years ago, the author of

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1402026994/?tag=pfamazon01-20

told that the level his book was meant to be between Griffiths and Jackson.

 

[Meir Achuz]

Look at Franklin's "Classical Electromagnetism" on Amazon.

 

[mal4mac]

On the university library shelves you'll find a lot of books by authors with names from G to J - they are between Griffiths & Jackson. No smiley. I'm not joking. You'll need a lot of help (try A-F and k-z authors as well...)

There is no next "logical next book". If you're aim is to understand Jackson, start reading Jackson, and when you get stuck start asking questions here... If you get no answers here, Google until you find an answer... or browse through the E&M sections of your local University library or bookstore until you find an answer to your *particular* problem... then buy/borrow *that* book - it's your next logical book!

Unfortunately, for your next problem you might need another book... so it could get expensive... Still stuck? Hire a physics PhD student to get some tutoring. They get paid peanuts, so they shouldn't cost too much...

 

[Daverz]

The difficult part of Jackson for most students is not so much the text but the problem sets.

The question of a text at a level between Griffiths and Jackson has come up before in this forum. I'll give my usual recommendation of Schwarz, Principles of Electrodynamics. It's a very readable book.

By the way, you don't need to study all of complex analysis to tackle Jackson. The chapter in Mary Boas's book should be plenty.

 

[WiFO215]

I second the recommendation for Vanderlinde.

 

[yungman]

Thanks for all the replies. I want to buy one book. I got two suggestions, Vanderlinde and Franklin. Which one is better for self studyers like me...that don't have a professor to go to. My only resource is this forum and another forum. Questions that can be answer in minutes might take me days to solve. So clear derivation is very important for me.

I am open to other books also. So far, of all the EM books I have, Griffiths and Cheng are the best in clear derivation department.

Thanks

Alan

 

[zahero_2007]

You will be fine studying jackson at this level . Landau is very good and develop the whole electromagnetic theory from the principle of relativity and lagrangian formalism . I don't think that jackson is very difficult either. It's the problem set that are difficult not the explanations

 

[dextercioby]

Vanderlinde's book reminds me of R.Fitzpatrick's notes (which were free to dld on the internet about 7-8 years ago). Same layout, same typing. Anyways, a good book. I particularly like his Lorenz over Lorentz part. :)

 

[alissca123]

Look at Franklin's "Classical Electromagnetism" on Amazon.

Yes, Classical Electromagnetism by Franklin is the one..

 

[Meir Achuz]

Franklin's "Classical Electromagnetism" includes all the math you might need in the text, and is a good way to learn both math and EM. It starts at the beginning, but gets up to Jackson level with explanations.