Recommendations for E&M Math Book

  • Context: Classical 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Physics2341313
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Calc 3 E&m Mathematics
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for books that effectively bridge the gap between mathematics and its application in electricity and magnetism (E&M). Participants express their challenges in applying mathematical concepts to E&M problems, particularly in the context of Gauss' Law and other fundamental principles. The conversation includes suggestions for specific textbooks and the participants' experiences with them.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks a book that emphasizes the application of mathematics in solving E&M problems, noting difficulties with Gauss' Law despite understanding the underlying mathematics.
  • Another participant suggests that a solid grounding in Newtonian mechanics may help in understanding E&M concepts, and recommends Purcell or Griffiths as potential textbooks.
  • A participant using Purcell mentions confusion with CGS units and finds the problems challenging when applying concepts in class, indicating a disparity between textbook learning and practical application.
  • Another participant expresses enjoyment of Griffiths's book, describing it as well-written, while acknowledging that they have heard positive feedback about Purcell.
  • One participant identifies "A Student's Guide to Maxwell's Equations" as a useful resource for transitioning from mathematical thinking to a more physics-oriented approach, while considering revisiting Griffiths after this book.
  • A participant using Purcell reiterates their struggle with CGS notation and emphasizes the importance of mastering SI units, suggesting that introductory textbooks adequately cover the necessary vector calculus for E&M.
  • Two older sources, Sommerfeld's and Becker's works, are mentioned as valuable for understanding vector calculus in the context of E&M.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on the effectiveness of different textbooks, with some favoring Griffiths and others preferring Purcell. There is no consensus on a single best resource, and the discussion reflects varying experiences and preferences regarding the application of mathematics in E&M.

Contextual Notes

Participants note challenges related to unit systems (CGS vs. SI) and the transition from mathematical to physical reasoning. There are mentions of specific textbooks that may not align with all participants' learning styles or needs, indicating a diversity of approaches to mastering E&M.

Physics2341313
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
Can anyone recommend a good book that deals with the mathematics of E&M? I've read through my calculus books and feel like I understand the material there and can solve the problems. However, when it comes to it's applications in electricity and magnetism I find that I have enormous difficulty applying it correctly. A good example is Gauss' Law. I don't find the mathematics behind it that difficult to understand, and it seems fairly obvious. When it comes to applying it however I find that I almost always apply gauss's law incorrectly or in the wrong scenario. Perhaps this is not understanding the physics correctly. I'm looking for a book that would primarily have examples of the math being applied to solving E&M problems.As an aside, I've taken differential equations, linear algebra, calc 1-3 - basically your typical undergraduate mathematics course outline. Coming from a purely mathematical background with little physics applications so perhaps this is why I'm having difficulty as I'm finding there to be a large bridge to cross between pure mathematics and it's application
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Do you have a solid grounding in Newtonian mechanics? Sometimes it helps to be exposed to physics thinking first.

Could it be your textbook? Perhaps you could try Purcell or Griffiths. I personally find intro EM textbooks aren't very good at explaining the concepts, because they often dumb it down math-wise. You certainly have the math background I do Griffiths or Purcell.
 
I'm using purcell and I find the notation (CGS units) to be a bit confusing at times in formulas, but trying to struggle through it as I should go ahead and get exposed to different systems of units and I've had an undergraduate course on Newtonian mechanics.

In purcell I don't find most of the problems to be too challenging, but when it comes to applying what I learn from purcell's book in class / tests etc I find there's a disparity as I think purcell is a bit more intensive. I've taken a quick look at griffiths perhaps I'll try his book again.

I switched to purcell after trying to use halliday/resnick.
 
I really enjoy Griffiths's book (I have it two feet away from me). It's very well-written. I don't know about Purcell--it's just something I've heard some people praise.
 
I think A student's guide to maxwell's equations is what I was looking for. Purcell has a great exposition as does griffiths, but I'm lacking at the problem solving and understanding applying the techniques. More or less going from thinking like a mathematician to a physicist, and that looks to be a decent bridge between the two in regards to E&M. But I'll look at griffiths again after I go through the book mentioned, thanks for the suggestion perhaps I gave up griffiths too soon.
 
Physics2341313 said:
I'm using purcell and I find the notation (CGS units) to be a bit confusing at times in formulas, but trying to struggle through it as I should go ahead and get exposed to different systems of units and I've had an undergraduate course on Newtonian mechanics.
If you can master SI units, you shouldn't have any problem to master CGS units which are much simpler and much closer to the fundamental structure of electromagnetic theory which is a relativistic field theory for 150 years, although this has become clear only for about 107 years (Minkowski 1908). SCNR.

Concerning the math, I think most introductory theory textbooks provide pretty good introductions to vector calculus at a level needed to master the physics material. My favorite in this respect are two pretty old sources:

(a) A. Sommerfeld, Lectures on Theoretical Physics, Vol. II (Hydrodynamics). You can read the part about vector calculus without bothering about continuum mechanics (although the latter is a very interesting topic, and I consider it unfortunate that it has vanished from the standard physics curriculum, but that's another story).

(b) R. Becker, Electromagnetic Field and Interactions. This has a quite detailed first chapter on vector algebra and calculus.
 

Similar threads

Other Recommendation for Mathematics for Physicist and Engineers book
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Classical Recommendations for 1st year E&M practice/exercises
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
Other Complex analysis or calculus?
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
Intro Math Learning Mathematical Problem Solving
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
Applied Blennow to follow up Altland?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Books to read before Arnold's Classical Mechanics
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Classical Is Purcell's E&M Book Recommended for Studying Physics with Calc 3?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
What Are the Best Books for Self-Studying Mathematics?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Recommended books for a physics undergrad
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Applied A question about mathematics textbooks for physicists
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
10K