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

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for e-books in engineering and physics, particularly focusing on the suitability of various texts for a beginner's summer study plan. Participants explore the necessary mathematical background required to understand advanced topics in physics such as string theory and quantum mechanics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant lists a series of e-books they plan to read, including titles on quantum mechanics and string theory, and seeks advice on their reading order.
  • Another participant suggests that the first e-book is sufficient for a summer and emphasizes the need for a strong mathematical foundation before tackling more advanced texts.
  • Several participants discuss the specific mathematical topics necessary for understanding physics, including linear algebra, differential equations, and calculus.
  • One participant expresses concern about needing additional mathematical subjects like number theory and discrete mathematics.
  • Another participant recommends specific mathematics texts, suggesting that a comprehensive understanding of mathematics is crucial for studying physics.
  • Some participants argue that the suggested "handbook" may not be suitable for beginners and recommend more foundational texts instead.
  • There is a discussion about the importance of mastering basic physics concepts before advancing to more complex theories like string theory.
  • One participant shares their limited mathematical background and requests PDFs of recommended books due to financial constraints.
  • Another participant emphasizes that while it is not impossible to learn advanced topics, it typically takes years of study to build the necessary foundation.
  • Concerns are raised about the appropriateness of the chosen books for someone still in high school.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the necessity of a solid mathematical background for studying advanced physics topics, but there is disagreement on the specific books to read and the feasibility of learning advanced concepts without foundational knowledge. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach for the original poster.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the original poster's self-identified lack of sufficient mathematical knowledge and the varying opinions on the appropriateness of specific texts for beginners. The discussion also highlights the challenges of accessing recommended materials due to financial constraints.

  • #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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