What are Some Good Resources for Learning Advanced Physics?

[darkSun]

Just a few questions, I apologize if they have been asked before, but the search isn't working on my computer with its horrible internet.

For Griffith's Introduction to Elementary Particles, what level of math would you need to understand it? And what more would you need to learn after it to learn the Standard Model? I think QFT is something you'd need to learn, but what are the prerequisites for that? Aside from QM of course.

Also, would you recommend any PDE books to self-study from? There are a few on Amazon, but I haven't made a decision yet.

About linear algebra, have any of you read Poole's book? It seems like the best one on amazon. And amazon is going to be where I get all my resources, seeing as I'm an 11th grader.

Lastly, I'm looking at MIT's opencourseware to see what prerequisites I'd need for some relatively advanced courses (I'm just talking about zwiebach's string theory, even though I'm nowhere near that yet), and do I really need statistical mechanics for zwiebach? If so, what would be a good resource to learn it from? Or is QM enough?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Daverz]

The PDE book by Farlow is nice for self-study.

For a book on particle physics, it's not so much the math background you need as the physics background that's important.

 

[darkSun]

Thanks for the suggestion. I think I have a pretty good background in qualitative physics, since I've read so many books. Can you use Introduction to Elementary Particles as a stepping stone to something bigger?

 

[Daverz]

By the way, a new edition of Griffiths is scheduled for release in March.

 

[darkSun]

Wow, that is tantalizing. A solutions manual would be very helpful. Hmmmm, I really want to learn this stuff, but maybe I can work on something else until March. Thanks for all the help Daverz.

 

[Daverz]

Wow, that is tantalizing. A solutions manual would be very helpful. Hmmmm, I really want to learn this stuff, but maybe I can work on something else until March. Thanks for all the help Daverz.

Have you got the Feynman Lectures yet?