Discussion Overview
The discussion centers around identifying the thickest physics textbook, specifically comparing it to "Gravitation" by Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler (MTW). Participants explore various textbooks that may exceed MTW in thickness, considering both page count and physical dimensions.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant inquires about textbooks thicker than MTW, excluding introductory texts and encyclopedias.
- Another participant suggests "Math Methods for Physics & Engineering" by Riley et al. as a contender.
- A different participant mentions Mahan's text in Many Body Physics, claiming it is around 1000 pages and the thickest they have attempted to read recently.
- One participant humorously notes they glued together five editions of James Stewart's Calculus, questioning if that counts as a single book.
- Another participant asserts that Lakowicz's "Principles of Fluorescence Spectroscopy" is at least as thick as MTW, while Slattery's "Interfacial Transport Phenomena" has about 1200 pages.
- A participant claims that Carroll's "A Modern Introduction to Astrophysics" is approximately 1300 pages and expresses a positive opinion about the book.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants present multiple competing views regarding which textbooks may be thicker than MTW, and no consensus is reached on a definitive answer.
Contextual Notes
Participants reference various textbooks without providing specific measurements or criteria for thickness, leading to potential ambiguity in comparisons.
Who May Find This Useful
Readers interested in physics textbooks, particularly those focused on advanced topics and their physical characteristics.