Which book to read after quantum mechanics

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 4K views
captain
Messages
163
Reaction score
0
i just finished reading j.j. sakurai's qm book and was have two books. one that is about path integration that starts out on a level for advanced undergrads or graduate students and one that is qft in a nutshell by zee. i can't decide which to start first. I am leaning toward the path integration book, but i am still not sure.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I don't know either of them, but it depends on what you want to learn and what your current level is.
You should start by comparing the tables of contents and decide which one gives the information you want to get first, and see if maybe for one you need prerequisite knowledge that the other one covers. If they are (almost) equivalent, you could start by reading a bit, like the first two chapters, in each of them and see which you like best.
Also, sometimes books are very well for looking stuff up, but not so well if you want to learn something from them; sometimes it's the other way around. And then there is the writing style you like best.
I don't think other people can really give you a definitive advise on which one to read first, just browse through them and pick one. Or you could compare the subjects and read about the same subject in both, so you have comparison.

But maybe you can give the title of the other one as well?

By the way, I have a book by Ryder on QFT. Haven't really looked into it much yet, and most of it is outside the range of the course I'm taking at the moment, but by the looks of it it's a solid and well-written book.
 
Last edited: