So I'm going to take Jackson in the fall.

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The discussion revolves around preparing for Griffiths' textbook, with participants sharing their concerns and tips. Acknowledging the challenges, one contributor emphasizes the importance of mastering all content, suggesting a thorough understanding of the material is essential. They highlight specific sections, such as the formal solution of electrostatic boundary-value problems and the variational approach to Laplace and Poisson equations, indicating these may serve as foundational reviews before delving into more advanced topics. The conversation also touches on the necessity of a solid mathematical background, particularly in vector calculus and differential equations, to successfully navigate the complexities of Griffiths. Overall, the consensus is that a comprehensive grasp of earlier concepts, possibly from Boas, is crucial for tackling the material effectively.
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I've heard many horror stories. Any tips? Any specific parts of Griffiths I should be extra keen on?

Is the answer...*sigh*... "all of it backwards and forwards"?
 
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What is your mathematical background like?
 
My [vector] calculus is good. I could be better at solving differential equations. Getting my feet wet in group theory for the last couple of weeks.

I've taken a class that used Boas, that was a few years ago.
 
wotanub said:
My [vector] calculus is good. I could be better at solving differential equations. Getting my feet wet in group theory for the last couple of weeks.

I've taken a class that used Boas, that was a few years ago.

I see in the first chapter "Formal solution of electrostatic boundary-value problem with Green function" on page 38 and "Variational approach to the solution of Laplace and Poisson equations" on page 43, which suggests to me that this is rather like a review of what you need to know, with new content kicking off in chapter 2.

Which sounds to me (given the little that I know about such advanced things) like everything in Boas, particularly chapters 12 and 13, to be understood and mastered before you start.

Sounds fun :>.
 
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