QM Alternatives to Shankar for Undergraduate Level

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on finding alternatives to Shankar's "Principles of Quantum Mechanics" for undergraduate quantum mechanics courses. Participants recommend several texts, notably "Quantum Mechanics: A Paradigms Approach" by McIntyre and "Modern Quantum Mechanics" by Sakurai, both of which cover similar material to Shankar while providing clearer explanations. Additional suggestions include "Primer of Quantum Mechanics" by Marvin Chester for supplemental intuition and online resources by Prof. Fitzpatrick. Overall, Sakurai is highlighted as the most comprehensive alternative.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic quantum mechanics concepts
  • Familiarity with Griffiths' "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics"
  • Knowledge of symmetry and relativistic quantum mechanics
  • Ability to interpret mathematical equations in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore "Modern Quantum Mechanics" by Sakurai for a comprehensive understanding
  • Read "Quantum Mechanics: A Paradigms Approach" by McIntyre for alternative perspectives
  • Investigate "Primer of Quantum Mechanics" by Marvin Chester for intuitive insights
  • Access online resources by Prof. Fitzpatrick for free educational materials
USEFUL FOR

Undergraduate physics students, educators seeking supplemental materials, and anyone looking to deepen their understanding of quantum mechanics beyond Shankar's text.

AstroK
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I am currently taking a second course on QM (at undergraduate level). The official texts of my course are Griffiths (we are covering the second half of it) and Shankar (for everything that is not in Griffiths). But after reading Shankar for a while, I found myself not really liking the book too much. I particularly don't like the way he often omits many of the details in his derivations (well, I know sooner or later I'm going to face books even harder to read than that, i.e Jackson) and also the way the book styles / formats the equations .

So I just wonder if there are other books (or whatever online resource) that cover at least as much as Shankar (from the basics all the way up to symmetry, relativistic QM and possibly path integrals) while staying at about the same level as Shankar?Thanks.
 
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AstroK said:
I am currently taking a second course on QM (at undergraduate level). The official texts of my course are Griffiths (we are covering the second half of it) and Shankar (for everything that is not in Griffiths). But after reading Shankar for a while, I found myself not really liking the book too much. I particularly don't like the way he often omits many of the details in his derivations (well, I know sooner or later I'm going to face books even harder to read than that, i.e Jackson) and also the way the book styles / formats the equations .

So I just wonder if there are other books (or whatever online resource) that cover at least as much as Shankar (from the basics all the way up to symmetry, relativistic QM and possibly path integrals) while staying at about the same level as Shankar?Thanks.
Quantum Mechanics: A Paradigms Approach by McIntyre.
 
I like Sakurai. My two go-to recommendations are Shankar and Sakurai, but since you already have access to Shankar and it's not doing it for you...

I like Griffiths more than most, but it isn't the most precise text.

For your purposes, I'd recommend Sakurai. Another text I like for intuition is Primer of Quantum Mechanics by Marvin Chester. It's not a truly complete introduction, but I like it as a purely supplemental.
 
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I agree that Shankar leaves a lot to be desired. I second @The Bill's suggestion of Sakurai.
 
Thanks everyone.

I had checked all the resource being suggested so far, and it seems only Sakurai cover everything that Shankar got. I will definitely try out Sakurai (we use it for graduate QM, so our library has several copies of it), and meanwhile any other suggestions are also welcomed.
 
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