Panofsky VS Nayfeh on "Electricity and Magnetism"

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the comparison of two textbooks on electromagnetism: Panofsky's and Nayfeh's. Participants share their experiences and opinions regarding the suitability of these books for bridging the gap between Griffith's and Jackson's texts, considering aspects such as mathematical rigor, theoretical versus applicative focus, and overall clarity.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants find Panofsky's book to be advanced and clear, while others note it is less mathematically oriented than Jackson's.
  • Several participants describe Nayfeh's book as being at a lower undergraduate level compared to Panofsky and Jackson.
  • One participant suggests that Nayfeh's book might serve as a stepping stone to graduate-level electromagnetism, proposing it has a higher mathematical level than Griffith's.
  • Another participant mentions using Nayfeh as a supplementary text during their undergraduate studies, implying it may be slightly more mathematical than Griffith's.
  • There are differing opinions on the theoretical versus applicative nature of the two books, with some stating Panofsky is more theoretical and Nayfeh more applicative.
  • A participant outlines a personal ideal progression through various texts, including Panofsky and Nayfeh, indicating a preference for a structured approach to learning electromagnetism.
  • One participant critiques the conventional nature of many electromagnetism textbooks, suggesting a need for a more modern presentation of classical electrodynamics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions regarding the relative difficulty and focus of Panofsky's and Nayfeh's books, indicating that no consensus exists on which book is definitively better. Some agree on the general characteristics of each book, while others present competing views on their suitability for different learning paths.

Contextual Notes

Participants' assessments of the books depend on their individual experiences and backgrounds, which may not universally apply. There are also references to personal preferences in learning styles and the perceived mathematical rigor of the texts.

Joker93
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Hello,
I will be taking a second course on electromagnetism and I want a book that bridges the gap between Griffith's book and Jackson's book. I have come across Panofsky's book and Nayfeh's book but I don't know which one is better.
Any opinion for these would be much appreciated
Thanks!
 
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As an undergrad, I thought Panofsky's book was so difficult I read Jackson instead. Now that I used Jackson, I now understand Panofsky. Although Panofsky is thinner and not as broad as Jackson, I think is ievery bit as advanced as Jackson. I do not know Nayfeh's book.
 
Nayfeh & Brussel is definitely an undergrad book at a level lower than Jackson and Panofsky.
 
mpresic said:
As an undergrad, I thought Panofsky's book was so difficult I read Jackson instead. Now that I used Jackson, I now understand Panofsky. Although Panofsky is thinner and not as broad as Jackson, I think is ievery bit as advanced as Jackson. I do not know Nayfeh's book.
Well, I have read a few sections of Panofsky and found it to be really good and intuitive. I don't think that is as mathematically oriented as Jackson.
 
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Truecrimson said:
Nayfeh & Brussel is definitely an undergrad book at a level lower than Jackson and Panofsky.
I have already studied most sections from Griffiths and I thought that Nayfeh would provide a stepping stone to graduate level EM. What I mean is, I thought Nayfeh's book was at a higher mathematical level than Griffith's. Am I wrong to think that?
 
Maybe slightly more mathematical. I used it as a supplementary text when I did an undergrad EM course.
 
Truecrimson said:
Maybe slightly more mathematical. I used it as a supplementary text when I did an undergrad EM course.
So will I only if it's more mathematically advanced than Griffith's
 
Panofsky Philllips is more theoretical, Nayfeh Brussel is more applicative.
Panofsky can be thought as an intermediate step toward Jackson. It's condensed, but very clear and altough at about the same level as, it is less mathematically oriented than Jackson, IMO.
To me, Nayfeh is the intermediate step between studying EM and applying EM. I love all those solved examples.

To clarify, my ideal path toward EM would be:

Kip as an appetizer.
Purcell as first dish.
Nayfeh Brussel as a salad
Panofsky Phillips as second dish.

And Jackson?
Jackson is sex after that dinner.
 
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SredniVashtar said:
Panofsky Philllips is more theoretical, Nayfeh Brussel is more applicative.
Panofsky can be thought as an intermediate step toward Jackson. It's condensed, but very clear and altough at about the same level as, it is less mathematically oriented than Jackson, IMO.
To me, Nayfeh is the intermediate step between studying EM and applying EM. I love all those solved examples.

To clarify, my ideal path toward EM would be:

Kip as an appetizer.
Purcell as first dish.
Nayfeh Brussel as a salad
Panofsky Phillips as second dish.

And Jackson?
Jackson is sex after that dinner.
Well then, after this comment I will be buying both as both are super cheap! Cheers!
 
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SredniVashtar said:
Panofsky Philllips is more theoretical, Nayfeh Brussel is more applicative.
Panofsky can be thought as an intermediate step toward Jackson. It's condensed, but very clear and altough at about the same level as, it is less mathematically oriented than Jackson, IMO.
To me, Nayfeh is the intermediate step between studying EM and applying EM. I love all those solved examples.

To clarify, my ideal path toward EM would be:

Kip as an appetizer.
Purcell as first dish.
Nayfeh Brussel as a salad
Panofsky Phillips as second dish.

And Jackson?
Jackson is sex after that dinner.
Leave out Purcell and substitute it by Schwartz. That may be more digestable food with the same nourishment ;-).

All these books (except perhaps Schwartz) are also very conventional. For me it's incomprehensible why textbooks about CED in the 21st century in large parts are copied from those of the 19th century. In my opinion one should present CED as a classical relativistic field theory from the very beginning. My favorite book in this respect is Landau/Lifshitz vol. II. Another very good one is vol. II of the theoretical-physics series by Scheck, which now is also available in English translation.
 
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