QM mechanics book for review and reference

AI Thread Summary
A user seeks recommendations for quantum mechanics (QM) textbooks for review and reference after completing three QM courses. They consider several options, including Landau and Lifgarbagez for its depth but note its outdated notation and printing issues, Cohen-Tannoudji for its encyclopedic nature but lack of advanced topics, and Sakurai for its depth and problem sets but high cost. Nouredine Zettili is mentioned for its readability and solved problems, although it reportedly contains errors. Another user suggests adding Ballentine to the list, comparing its level to Sakurai, prompting further inquiry about its advantages.
naftali
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Hi,

I'm looking for a QM mechanics book, which I could use for review and reference. I've took 3 QM courses, the first two was based on Cohen-tannoudji and Sakurai, and the third was about atoms and molecules etc. , although I haven't studied scattering theory and relativistic QM/QFT. (I took a course on Group theory for physics too).

I will be happy to get recommendations.

The options I thought about are :

1) Landau and Lifgarbagez / "QM non-relativistic theory" : Probably the most insightful and deep book, also covering a lot, although difficult and concise. The drawbacks I see are old-fashioned and annoying notation, and being somewhat too original (for example, I don't see the deriving of harmonic oscillator energies using ladder operators). In addition, according to reviews in Amazon, the last printing fonts etc. are awful ( Does it really so?)

2) Cohen-tannoudji et al./ "Quantum mechanics" : Encyclopedic, quite nice, but not too advanced (for example, doesn't cover Wigner-Eckart theorem). In addition, barely mentions deeper ideas such as symmetry. Very expensive too.

3) Sakurai / "Modern QM" : Seems deeper than Cohen-tannoudji to me, but more abstract and concise. And expensive too. Good amount of problems.

4) Nouredine Zettili / "Quantum Mechanics: Concepts and Applications" : Very readable, and has many solved problems. Covers the material of my two first courses. I understand from reviews that it has many mistakes.

5) Florian Scheck "Quantum Physics" (https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Physics-Florian-Scheck/dp/3540256458/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top ) I don't know much on this book, but it looks interesting, and covers some QED too, but with with non-usual attitude which I'm not sure about. Does someone know it?

Thanks,
Naftali
 
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Not sure which ones suit you best, but I think Ballentine should be on that list. It's roughly at the level of Sakurai.
 
Thanks for your response.

Fredrik said:
Not sure which ones suit you best, but I think Ballentine should be on that list. It's roughly at the level of Sakurai.

Can you describe its advantages over Sakurai?

Thanks,
Naftali
 
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