What Are the Best E-Books for Engineering and Physics This Summer?

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The discussion revolves around an individual's ambitious plan to study advanced physics topics, including string theory and quantum mechanics, without a solid mathematical foundation. The participant lists several complex physics books they wish to read but receives feedback emphasizing the necessity of mastering foundational mathematics first. Key recommendations include focusing on calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations before tackling advanced physics texts. The importance of a structured learning path is highlighted, with suggestions to start with accessible calculus resources and gradually progress to more complex subjects. The conversation also touches on the challenges of accessing educational materials and the need for persistence in learning, despite the difficulties posed by the individual's educational environment. Overall, the consensus is that a solid grasp of basic mathematics is crucial for understanding advanced physics concepts.
  • #61
If you're really dedicated to learning the mathematics necessary for advanced physics, I know of a certain pure math book that is fairly remarkable in its depth and breadth of coverage.

It's called Advanced Calculus and is by Sternberg and Loomis. You can find a link to it for free in PDF form http://www.math.harvard.edu/~shlomo/" .

It assumes you know all the traditional material contained in a standard calculus sequence. It also assumes a truly unusual amount of mathematical maturity for students at the freshman level.

You must be very dedicated and willing to work hard to get through it, but it will take you through abstract linear algebra, rigorous single-variable and multivariable calculus, the foundations of the theory of integrals, and finally on to the calculus of manifolds using tensor analysis and multilinear algebra. It essentially contains an entire undergraduate education in analysis (and probably a bit of a graduate-level education in analysis as well at all but the most accelerated schools). It also has a section somewhat in the middle on differential equations.

Have fun! :smile:

As a side note, in my opinion this book is a prime example of how poor mathematics education is in the U.S. I find it sad that many people graduating with undergraduate degrees in mathematics in the U.S. would probably find much material in that book they don't know, even though it was intended to be used as a two- or three-semester analysis sequence for entering freshmen.
 
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  • #62
Really thank you but I still have one problem.
WHAT IS THE ORDER OF LEARNING THIS MATH STUFFS YOU SUGGESTED?
Excuse me.Its because I asked this question several times and nobody answered.
And I will really appreciate it if some one gives me PDFs about elementry geometry,analytic geometry and multi linear algebra.And I think for understanding relativity I need another kind of geometry,too.But I don't know the name.If some one introduces it to me I will thank him\her.
thanks in advanced
 
  • #64
http://arxiv.org/abs/math.HO/0405323"
 
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