Shankar, Ballentine or Zettili for a first book on QM?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the suitability of three quantum mechanics textbooks: Shankar, Ballentine, and Zettili, for undergraduate students. Participants share their experiences and preferences regarding these texts, considering factors such as mathematical rigor, clarity, and problem-solving resources.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express that all three books are mathematically rigorous and appropriate for undergraduates, with varying strengths and weaknesses.
  • One participant notes that Zettili has many solved problems and detailed derivations but lacks explanations of some important topics.
  • Another participant mentions that they found Shankar's writing to be overly wordy and less engaging.
  • One participant advocates for Ballentine as a strong candidate for a second book on quantum mechanics, suggesting it may not be the best starting point.
  • There is a strong preference expressed for Zettili over Shankar by at least one participant.
  • Another participant does not provide specific recommendations but acknowledges the value of Ballentine for later study.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on which book is the best starting point for quantum mechanics, as opinions vary significantly regarding the strengths and weaknesses of each text.

Contextual Notes

Some participants have personal preferences based on their own experiences with the texts, which may not reflect the overall effectiveness of the books for all students. There is also mention of supplemental resources being used alongside the primary texts.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering their first textbook in quantum mechanics, educators looking for recommendations, and individuals interested in comparative analyses of quantum mechanics literature.

Miscing
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All three seem to be loved, mathematically rigorous, and appropriate as undergraduate-level texts. I have a good knowledge of classical physics, ODEs and PDEs, linear algebra and multivar calculus, but no knowledge of analytical mechanics or QM. Some opinions on these or other recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
 
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Zettili contains many solved problems and derivations are in general detailed, but it is short on explaining some/many important topics.
A book that I had the pleasure in reading was:https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199560277/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Its contains around 600 pages of chapters and a 200 pages appendix (an awesome appendix).
I did supplement some parts of this book with Zettili's. My own reviews of both can be found here:
https://sites.google.com/site/muhanad/home/books

I am not a fan of Shankar's, gets me bored easily (kind of too wordy ?)
I haven't used Bellentine's before.
 
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shankar of course
 
Zettilli is incredible. I would put it over Shankar.
 
I don't venture myself anymore on suggestions as to which book to start with; I can say, however, that you should have Ballentine's book as a prime candidate for a second book on quantum mechanics.
 
Awesome, thanks for the replies!
 

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