Suggestion for textbook(s) needed

  • Thread starter Phy4life
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Suggestion
In summary, the conversation discusses the struggles of a college student pursuing an honors degree in Physics who is having trouble finding textbooks that cover all the topics in their syllabus. The student mentions specific topics such as index notation, transformations, and surfaces in 3D that are not adequately covered in the textbooks they have collected. They also express frustration with their professor's refusal to recommend a textbook and feeling lost without a reliable resource. The conversation ends with a recommendation for textbooks that cover these topics, particularly in the context of Ricci calculus, which is also introduced in some electromagnetism texts.
  • #1
Phy4life
2
0
I'm a fresher at college, pursuing an honors degree in Physics. I've got Mathematical Methods for my first semester. I've collected a couple of books like Arfken and Weber and M. L. Boas. But none of them quite entirely cover the course material.
Listed below are the topics included in our syllabus which I could not find in any book I've looked up so far:
  • Index notation: dummy indices, free and sum indices, symmetric and skew symmetric expressions, summation convention, addition and multiplication of symbols, contraction, special symbols.
  • Transformations: Inversion, mirror reflection, True and pseudo vectors and scalars, orthogonal transformations, general spatial notations(passive).
  • Surfaces in 3D: Surfaces of revolution, cylindrical surfaces, conical surfaces, standard surfaces of second order(ellipsoids, hyperboloids, paraboloids), the Z-Slice method.
Though Orthogonal transformations has been partly covered in Arfken, it isn't as detailed as I need it to be. For some unknown reasons our professor refuses to recommend any textbook. I feel quite lost when it comes to these topics. Not to mention the utterly helpless feeling that comes when you do not have a loyal book to depend on. So, any help in this matter would make me immensely grateful. :smile:
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
The content of your first bullet point is what one would call Ricci calculus, particularly in the context of ##\mathbb{R}^{3}## if this is for say an introductory electromagnetism (EM) class: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricci_calculus.

I personally got acquainted with Ricci calculus through general relativity textbooks (Ricci calculus is a fundamental tool in general relativity), e.g. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521887054/?tag=pfamazon01-20, but the formalism is also introduced in some EM texts.

You might try the following:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486658406/?tag=pfamazon01-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486654931/?tag=pfamazon01-20
http://www.ita.uni-heidelberg.de/~dullemond/lectures/tensor/tensor.pdf
 

Related to Suggestion for textbook(s) needed

1. What criteria should I use to select a textbook?

The most important criteria for selecting a textbook are relevance, accuracy, and level of difficulty. The textbook should cover the content that you need to learn and be up-to-date with current information. It should also be accurate and free of errors. The level of difficulty should be appropriate for your level of understanding.

2. Are there any recommended textbooks for my specific field of study?

Yes, there are often recommended textbooks for specific fields of study. You can consult with your professors or colleagues in your field to get recommendations. You can also search online for lists of recommended textbooks for your field.

3. How can I find affordable textbooks?

There are a few options for finding affordable textbooks. You can try renting textbooks, buying used textbooks, or purchasing electronic versions of textbooks. You can also check if your school has a textbook exchange program or if there are any online marketplaces where students sell their used textbooks.

4. Can I use multiple textbooks for a single course?

It is possible to use multiple textbooks for a single course, but it is important to make sure that the textbooks cover different aspects of the course material and do not overlap too much. It is also important to consider the cost and availability of the textbooks for all students in the course.

5. Are there any open access textbooks available?

Yes, there are many open access textbooks available online. These textbooks are free to access and often cover a wide range of topics. You can search for open access textbooks in your field of study and see if they meet your criteria for selecting a textbook.

Similar threads

  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
6
Views
4K
Replies
25
Views
8K
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
21
Views
8K
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
2
Views
982
Replies
8
Views
10K
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
7
Views
3K
Replies
2
Views
4K
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
8
Views
4K
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
4
Views
2K
Back
Top