Unlock the World of Quantum Mechanics: Top Book Recommendations for Beginners

[gonzo]

I'm looking for some good book recomendations for the basics of quantum mechanics. I have a decent amount of calculus, and have even taken a course on QM, though that was like 16 years ago. This is not for a course, just for my own interest. I have a good basic understanding of physics in general, but am rusty on actually working through problems, and have forgotten some of the more complex terminology.

I read QED by Feynman with no problems, and then started reading Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell by A. Zee and realized my background was too vague to follow it as much as I'd like ... the problems were mostly with the notations, some of the terminology, and formulaes the reader was assumed to be overly familiar with. So I want to read something that will give me the base I need to read the Zee book.

Any recomendations would be appreciated.

 

[dextercioby]

1-st level/introductory:"Introduction to QM" by D.J.Griffiths.I like this book.
2-nd level/advanced:"Modern QM" by J.J.Sakurai or "Quantum Physics:A Text for Gradute Students" by R.G.Newton.

The group theory part (symmetries in QM) is better treated in Newton (more theory,especially abstract mathematics,but no examples,like the ones in Sakurai),but if you have them both,it would be simply perfect.

If you don't have the 2 books mentioned,then either Davydov:"Quantum Mechanics" or Cohen-Tannoudji:"Quantum Mechanics" would do,but the second/latter does not treat symmetries and group theory...

If you still chose C-T,you'd better dealt pretty well with Griffiths,because C-T is not a book for learning (it lacks pedagogical style),but more of a reference material...

Davydov's book is kinda old,but very good,indeed.Nice insights into Dirac's theory.A more modern approach on the Relativistic QM (than in Davydov) is found in Newton's book.

Daniel.

 

[Edgardo]

Hello gonzo,

I searched in www.amazon.com and found this book:

"Principles of Quantum Mechanics" by Ramamurti Shankar
You can read the reviews there.

Here's another one:

"Quantum Mechanics: A Modern Development" by Leslie E. Ballentine.

 

[gonzo]

Thanks dexter, the Griffiths books look good (I picked up the electrodynamics one too).

 

[gonzo]

Turns out the Griffiths book was a bad rec. Heavy on the math light on the explanation, very tedious to read through. I'm sure it's a fine book for physics students and for someone who actually wants to learn how to work through lots of QM math problems, but it's not good for giving an overview of QM otherwise.

 

[dextercioby]

I didn't say that.A good overview gives Sakurai.

Daniel.

 

[Edgardo]

Hello gonzo,

before you run to your next bookstore and order Sakurai or any other QM book,
go to your library and look for some QM books. If possible, borrow them.
You might find a book there that fits your taste. And take your time to make sure you got the right book for you before you buy it.

Regards

Edgardo

 

[sor2char]

Check Gasoriowicz: Quantum Physics, Landau&Lifschitz and possibly Merzbacher. On eof my lecturers wrote some amazing notes: http://brandes.umist.ac.uk

 

[marlon]

Bransden and Joachain

marlon

 

[dextercioby]

That's for rookies,Marlon.

DAVYDOV AND SAKURAI.

Daniel.

 

[marlon]

That's for rookies,Marlon.

Well then, very well suited for an introduction wouldn't you say ?

marlon

 

[dextercioby]

If you had written:"Bransden and Joachain -introductory text" (BTW,the name of the book includes the word "introduction" ),i wouldn't have replied

Daniel.

 

[juvenal]

That's for rookies,Marlon.

DAVYDOV AND SAKURAI.

Daniel.

Isn't the OP a rookie? He didn't even like Griffiths and that's a intro book right?

I like Bransden, and that's what I used in my undergrad QM.

Sakurai and Merzbacher (mentioned by another poster) were used in grad level QM at Harvard.

 

[dextercioby]

You may be right.Such threads turn the advice into a matter of likes & dislikes.

I liked Bransden & Joachain's book on Atom & Molecule Physics.It was the essential part of the bibliography.

As for rookie,there's the quote again:"and have even taken a course on QM, though that was like 16 years ago"...

Daniel.

 

[juvenal]

BTW - the newer edition of Bransden and Joachain is simply called "Quantum Mechanics" and the full title of Griffiths is "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics".

 

[dextercioby]

Incidentally,i have Griffiths' book (i hate talking about books,"from what i heard") and i read the 1995 printed in Romania (i think it was the 1989 edition in the US,but I'm not sure,there's been more than 2yrs since then) edition of Bransden.

And I'm not looking forward to checking on "the newer edition"...

Daniel.

 

[marlon]

And I'm not looking forward to checking on "the newer edition"...

Daniel.

Wow, i am impressed dexter, you are a brave man.



marlon

ps : Bransden and Joachain is a very good book, also according to dexter. he told me so himself, only he does not want to admit it in public