What Are Your Thoughts on Greiner's Book Series?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around opinions on Greiner's book series, particularly focusing on its suitability for bridging undergraduate and graduate physics courses. Participants share their experiences with specific titles, express interest in purchasing additional books from the series, and inquire about the quality and accuracy of the texts, including concerns about translation errors.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants find Greiner's "Quantum Mechanics: An Introduction" to be effective in bridging undergraduate and graduate levels.
  • Concerns are raised about the use of the ##\mathrm{i} c t## formalism in special relativity in one of the early volumes, which some consider a drawback.
  • One participant notes that Greiner's introductory QM book has more advanced mathematics compared to other standard texts, like Griffiths'.
  • There is interest in the quality of Greiner's Thermodynamics book compared to other popular texts such as Schroeder's or Pathria's, with no consensus on its effectiveness.
  • Some participants express a preference for specific volumes in the series, such as "Quantum Mechanics - Symmetries" and "Field Quantization," while also referencing their favorite thermodynamics texts, like Landau & Lifshitz.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that Greiner's books are good, but there are differing opinions regarding specific formalism and the quality of the Thermodynamics book compared to others. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the overall ranking and effectiveness of the various texts.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention concerns about translation errors in certain books, but specific titles with issues are not identified. The discussion reflects a range of personal preferences and experiences without reaching a definitive conclusion on the overall quality of the series.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in physics textbooks, particularly those transitioning from undergraduate to graduate studies, or those seeking recommendations for specific topics in physics such as quantum mechanics and thermodynamics.

Joker93
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Hello, I have used Greiner's "Quantum Mechanics: An introduction" and found it to be awesome, bridging the ga between undergraduate and graduate courses.
So, I am thinking of buying some of Greiner's book to use for my other courses and I wanted to ask you what your opinions about the books in that series are.
Also, does anybody know which books have many typos due to the translation?
 
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Yes, overall the books are good. The only nogo is that in one of the first volumes the ##\mathrm{i} c t## formalism in special relativity is used.
 
vanhees71 said:
Yes, overall the books are good. The only nogo is that in one of the first volumes the ##\mathrm{i} c t## formalism in special relativity is used.
I have used his Quantum Mechanics book(the introductory one) and found it very useful because i was using it in my introductory QM course and it has slightly more advanced mathematics than other standard introductory books(like Griffiths'). Are his other books like this also?
Also, I am thinking of buying his Thermodynamics book but I don't know how good it is compared to other popular thermodynamics textbooks(like Schroeder's or Pathria's). Did you use it?
 
My favorite volumes of the series are the ones "Quantum Mechanics - Symmetries" and "Field Quantization". The thermodynamics volume I use sometimes for reference. I don't know Schroeder of Pathria. My alltime favorite for introductory thermodynamics/stat. phys. (for me thermodynamics should be introduced as (quantum) stat. phys. anyway) is Vol. 5 by Landau&Lifshitz. It's incredibly modern although written a long time ago.
 
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vanhees71 said:
My favorite volumes of the series are the ones "Quantum Mechanics - Symmetries" and "Field Quantization". The thermodynamics volume I use sometimes for reference. I don't know Schroeder of Pathria. My alltime favorite for introductory thermodynamics/stat. phys. (for me thermodynamics should be introduced as (quantum) stat. phys. anyway) is Vol. 5 by Landau&Lifshitz. It's incredibly modern although written a long time ago.
Thanks!
 

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