Zee and Georgi Group Theory books

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the comparison of two textbooks on group theory: Zee's book and Georgi's "Lie Algebras in Particle Physics." Participants are exploring the suitability of Zee's book for a course that primarily uses Georgi's text, particularly regarding the level of difficulty and the appropriateness of exercises.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about whether Zee's book matches the level of Georgi's, emphasizing the need for appropriate exercise difficulty.
  • Another participant shares a negative impression of Zee's textbooks based on their experience with his QFT book, suggesting it lacks depth for beginners.
  • A different participant agrees that Zee's QFT book is not a gentle introduction, arguing it tries to cover too much material without sufficient clarity for newcomers.
  • Some participants note that while Zee's QFT book may be entertaining for those already familiar with the subject, it may not serve well for beginners.
  • One participant mentions using Lancaster and Blundell's QFT as a more suitable alternative for gaining a foundational understanding, while also finding value in using Zee's book as a supplementary resource.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants exhibit disagreement regarding the effectiveness of Zee's textbooks, particularly in relation to their suitability for beginners. There is no consensus on whether Zee's book is appropriate for the course alongside Georgi's text.

Contextual Notes

Participants' views are influenced by their personal experiences with the textbooks, and there are unresolved questions about the specific content and level of difficulty of Zee's book compared to Georgi's.

Joker93
Messages
502
Reaction score
37
Hello.
I will be attending a course on Group theory and the book that the professor suggests is Georgi's Lie Algebras in Particle Physics.
As I liked Zee's book on General Relativity, I thought that it would be a blast to also use his Group theory textbook for the course.
Problem is that I don't know if the level of Zee's book matches that of Georgi's(I wouldn't want to solve exercises from Zee that are at a lower level of that of the examination which will be at the same level as Georgi's book).
Any help is appreciated!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I don't know Zee's book. Georgi's is pretty good. Since Zee's QFT book I'm very prejudiced against Zee's textbooks since it was only proving the fact that a "nutshell" is too small to seriously cover even the basics of QFT.
 
vanhees71 said:
I don't know Zee's book. Georgi's is pretty good. Since Zee's QFT book I'm very prejudiced against Zee's textbooks since it was only proving the fact that a "nutshell" is too small to seriously cover even the basics of QFT.
I think his GR book is much better. That said, Zee stated that his QFT book's purpose is to just provide a gentle introduction to just entice its readers.
In any way, thanks for your input.
 
But it's not a gentle introduction! It's trying to provide too much in too little space and thus doesn't explain the many subtle points exactly for beginners. It's an amusing read for someone who already knows the subject, but to understand QFT as a beginner you need a bit more accuracy.
 
vanhees71 said:
But it's not a gentle introduction! It's trying to provide too much in too little space and thus doesn't explain the many subtle points exactly for beginners. It's an amusing read for someone who already knows the subject, but to understand QFT as a beginner you need a bit more accuracy.
It's fun though. You are right, and that's why I preferred using Lancaster and Blundell's QFT for the gifted amateur when I wanted to get a basic idea of what QFT is.
But then I started using them together and it was really helpful. So, as a supplementary book, it seems good to me.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Demystifier and vanhees71

Similar threads

Algebra Find the Perfect Group Theory Book for Physicists
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
5K
Particle Group Theory book for Undergraduates
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Other What are some good books for learning Galois Theory?
  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
5K
Algebra Book on Lie algebra & Lie groups for advanced math undergrad
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Other Using Michael Artin's "Algebra" for Group Theory
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
6K
Applied Blennow to follow up Altland?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Other Textbooks for tensors and group theory
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Book recommendations (abstract algebra and number theory)
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Algebra Book on how to write proper proofs in Group Theory
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Algebra Contest math - books, problem sets, videos, etc..
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K