Comprehensive List of STEM Bibles: Physics, Mechanics, Electrodynamics, etc.

[Demystifier]

By STEM I mean science, technology, engineering and math. By a bible, I mean a book which is comprehensive, big and heavy (both physically and intellectually), authoritative, and generally highly respected in the community as the standard book that contains more-or-less everything one needs to know about the subject.

The examples in physics are:

- general physics:
The Feynman Lectures on Physics (3 volumes)

- classical mechanics:
H. Goldstein et al, Classical Mechanics

- classical electromagnetism:
J.D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics

- general relativity:
C.W Misner, K.S. Thorne and J.A. Wheeler, Gravitation

- quantum mechanics:
Surprisingly, I don't know which of the standard QM textbooks would deserve this title.

- quantum information and computation:
M.A. Nielsen and I.L. Chuang, Quantum Computation and Quantum Information

- quantum field theory:
the old testament: S. Weinberg, The Quantum Theory of Fields Volume I
the new testament: S. Weinberg, The Quantum Theory of Fields Volume II
(There is also the Volume III on supersymmetry, but it does not have such a high reputation.)

What are your examples?

 

[Wrichik Basu]

For QM, you can surely include Griffiths' Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Ramamurti Shankar's Principles of Quantum Mechanics. Though finding a book containing everything in QM is not possible.

For general physics, Halliday's Fundamentals of Physics and H. C.Verma's Concepts of Physics do require a mention.

 

[ZapperZ]

Solid State Physics - Ashcroft and Mermin
Intro to Solid State Physics - Kittel

Many-Particle Physics - G.D. Mahan

Introduction to Superconductivity - Tinkham

Principles of Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy - E.L. Wolf

Zz.

 

[Demystifier]

For QM, you can surely include Griffiths' Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Ramamurti Shankar's Principles of Quantum Mechanics. Though finding a book containing everything in QM is not possible.

Those are certainly good books, but I am not convinced that they deserve the title of "bible". Does someone has other suggestions? Perhaps Cohen-Tannoudji, Diu and Laloe?

 

[Demystifier]

For general physics, Halliday's Fundamentals of Physics and H. C.Verma's Concepts of Physics do require a mention.

I am not familiar with Verma, but yes, Halliday and Resnick is a bible.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Born and Wolf "Principles of Optics"
Alberts etc. "Molecular Biology of the Cell"
Boron and Boulpaep "Medical Physiology"
Bird and Lightfoot "Transport Phenomena"

 

[DrClaude]

Those are certainly good books, but I am not convinced that they deserve the title of "bible". Does someone has other suggestions? Perhaps Cohen-Tannoudji, Diu and Laloe?

Why not Ballentine? Some time ago Messiah may have been a bible, but I think it is too old now.

 

[Demystifier]

Why not Ballentine? Some time ago Messiah may have been a bible, but I think it is too old now.

Yes, Messiah was considered bible in the past, but not any more. I was thinking about Ballentine too, but some people dispute it (e.g. @atyy ) and it does not seem to be cited very frequently.

 

[Demystifier]

Boron and Boulpaep "Medical Physiology"

It's really not my expertise, but isn't Guyton the bible of medical physiology too?

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

Never understood the term "general physics"; isn't it included already in EM and CM and Thermodynamics?

 

[DrClaude]

Atomic and Molecular Physics: Bransden and Joachain

Are you considering also handbooks? In which case, I would add Gradshteyn and Ryzhik for integrals and Abramowitz and Stegun for mathematical functions.

 

[George Jones]

For QM, you can surely include Griffiths' Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

Sorry, but I am going to be quite critical here.

a book which is comprehensive, big and heavy (both physically and intellectually)

Griffiths' quantum mechanics book is neither comprehensive nor intellectually heavy. It is too much like the first US #1 hit by the Beatles.

 

[Demystifier]

Born and Wolf "Principles of Optics"

The same Wolf has co-authored also another bible: Mandel and Wolf, Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics.
Incidentally, another Wolf has been mentioned above in a book on quantum tunneling.

 

[Andy Resnick]

It's really not my expertise, but isn't Guyton the bible of medical physiology too?

Guyton is another good reference text. Both are good references.

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

For QFT, Peskin and Schroeder have the size of the bible, as for "you can find more or less everything in it", it's not even true for Weinberg's textbook, well "more or less" is an ill-defined notion anyway... :-D

 

[George Jones]

a book which is comprehensive, big and heavy (both physically and intellectually), authoritative, and generally highly respected in the community as the standard book that contains more-or-less everything one need to know about the subject.

If Halliday and Resnick can be included, than a book that is a something like a grad-level Halliday and Resnick also can be included, the amazing 1400+ page "Modern Classical Physics: Optics, Fluids, Plasmas, Elasticity, Relativity, and Statistical Physics" by (Nobel laureate) Thorne and Blandford

 

[Demystifier]

If Halliday and Resnick can be included, than a book that is a something like a grad-level Halliday and Resnick also can be included, the amazing 1400+ page "Modern Classical Physics: Optics, Fluids, Plasmas, Elasticity, Relativity, and Statistical Physics" by (Nobel laureate) Thorne and Blandford

Yes. The only problem with that book is that it is still too young (and hence not yet so generally respected in the community) to be called a bible. But in a couple of yours, it will probably become a bible.

 

[vanhees71]

Here's my list. I take the freedom to also mention some German textbooks (order roughly reflects my opinion about the quality). It's for sure incomplete!

Textbook series (theory course):

A. Sommerfeld, Lectures on Theoretical Physics (6 vols)
M. Bartelmann et al, Theoretische Physik
W. Weizel, Lehrbuch der theoretischen Physik (2 vols)
R. P. Feynman, The Feynman Lectures (3 vols)
L.D. Landau, E. M. Lifshitz, Course on Theoretical Physics (10 vols)
W. Pauli, Lectures on Theoretical Physics (6 vols)
W. Greiner et al Theoretical Physics (13 vols)

QM:

P.A.M. Dirac Principles of Quantum Mechanics
W. Pauli, Principles of Wave Mechanics
L. Ballentine, Quantum Mechanics
J. J. Sakurai, Modern Quantum Mechanics
S. Weinberg, Lectures on Quantum Mechanics
A. Sommerfeld, Atombau und Spektrallinien (Wellenmechanischer Ergänzungsband)
Messiah, Quantum Mechanics (2 vols.)

Classical Physics:

K. Thorn, R.D. Blandford, Modern Classical Physics

E&M:

J. Schwinger et al, Classical Electrodynamics
J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics (2nd edition; 3rd is spoiled by using SI and Gaussian units in one book!)
M. Schwartz, Principles of Electrodynamics
D. J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics

(Quantum) Optics:

M. Born, E. Wolf, The Principles of Optics
J. C. Garrison, R. Y. Ciao, Quantum Optics
M. O. Scully, M. S. Zubairy, Quantum Optics
L. Mandel, E. Wolf, Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics

Relativistic Quantum Field Theory:

S. Weinberg, Quantum Theory of Fields (3 vols)
A. Duncan, The Conceptual Framework of Quantum Field Theory
M. D. Schwartz, Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model
D. Bailin, A. Love, Introduction to Gauge Field Theory

Thermodynamics and (Quantum) Statistics:

H. B. Callen, Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics
A. Katz, Principles of Statistical Mechanics
F. Reif, Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics

Thermal QFT

J. I. Kapusta, C. Gale, Finite-temperature Field Theory
M. Le Bellac, Thermal Field Theory
M. Laine, A. Vuorinen, Basics of Thermal Field Theory

Kinetic Theory

C. Cercignani, G. M. Kremer, The relativistic Boltzmann Equation
S. R. de Groot, W. A. van Leeuwen, Ch. G. van Weert, Relativistic Kinetic Theory
H. Risken, The Fokker-Planck Equation

 

[jasonRF]

Golub and Van Loan, Matrix Computations.
Collin, Field Theory of Guided Waves.

 

[Demystifier]

@vanhees71 that's a great list, but many of those books do not satisfy all the criteria for being called a "bible". Some are not so big, some are not so well known, ...

And BTW, I am surprised that you didn't mention the Greiner et al series (14 vols).

 

[Frimus]

IMHO
An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics
by Carroll and Ostie also qualifies under STEM Bibles category.

 

[TeethWhitener]

March's Advanced Organic Chemistry is a 2-volume monster that covers just about everything you can think to do with carbon.

 

[DrClaude]

I should add Gerhard Herzberg 4-volume Molecular Spectra and Molecular Structure.

 

[Demystifier]

I should add Gerhard Herzberg 4-volume Molecular Spectra and Molecular Structure.

Isn't it 3-volume?

 

[Demystifier]

Knuth - The Art of Computer Programming, 4 volumes.

(Knuth is also known as the creator of TeX.)

 

[Demystifier]

Reed and Simon - Methods of Modern Mathematical Physics (4 volumes on functional analysis in physics).

 

[Demystifier]

Spivak - A Comprehensive Introduction to Differential Geometry (5 volumes)

 

[Demystifier]

Bourbaki - Elements of Mathematics (9 volumes in 12 books).
Mathematicians, do you really read this?

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

Bourbaki - Elements of Mathematics (9 volumes in 12 books).
Mathematicians, do you really read this?

@Demystifier did you read all the books you recommend here? ;-)

 

[Dr Transport]

What about Slater's Theory of Atomic Physics I & II along with his series Quantum Theory of Molecules I- IV

And I can't believe that someone hasn't thrown in Morse and Feshbach either...

 

[martinbn]

EGA/SGA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Éléments_de_géométrie_algébrique

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Séminaire_de_Géométrie_Algébrique_du_Bois_Marie

 

[Dr Transport]

if you going to throw down the gauntlet with math books,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0122947576/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[ShayanJ]

Herbert Schildt, C++, the complete reference
Éric Gourgoulhon, Special Relativity in General Frames: From Particles to Astrophysics
Thanu Padmanabhan, Gravitation: Foundations and frontiers

P.S.
Padmanabhan's theoretical astrophysics(in 3 volumes) also comes to my mind, but I haven't read it myself, so I'm putting it down as a maybe.

 

[vanhees71]

Uups. That I should have indeed done ;-)). It's in now!

Also I don't think that for a textbook to become "bible status" it doesn't need to be big. To the contrary. Sometimes a shorter text that comes to the point quickly is better than many words. A prime example is the 6-volume series by Pauli. Much content on a few pages without being too sparse in explaining the calculations. A masterpiece!

 

[atyy]

Why not Ballentine? Some time ago Messiah may have been a bible, but I think it is too old now.

Here's my list. I take the freedom to also mention some German textbooks (order roughly reflects my opinion about the quality). It's for sure incomplete!

Textbook series (theory course):

A. Sommerfeld, Lectures on Theoretical Physics (6 vols)
M. Bartelmann et al, Theoretische Physik
W. Weizel, Lehrbuch der theoretischen Physik (2 vols)
R. P. Feynman, The Feynman Lectures (3 vols)
L.D. Landau, E. M. Lifshitz, Course on Theoretical Physics (10 vols)
W. Pauli, Lectures on Theoretical Physics (6 vols)
W. Greiner et al Theoretical Physics (13 vols)

QM:

P.A.M. Dirac Principles of Quantum Mechanics
W. Pauli, Principles of Wave Mechanics
L. Ballentine, Quantum Mechanics
J. J. Sakurai, Modern Quantum Mechanics
S. Weinberg, Lectures on Quantum Mechanics
A. Sommerfeld, Atombau und Spektrallinien (Wellenmechanischer Ergänzungsband)
Messiah, Quantum Mechanics (2 vols.)

Classical Physics:

K. Thorn, R.D. Blandford, Modern Classical Physics

E&M:

J. Schwinger et al, Classical Electrodynamics
J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics (2nd edition; 3rd is spoiled by using SI and Gaussian units in one book!)
M. Schwartz, Principles of Electrodynamics
D. J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics

(Quantum) Optics:

M. Born, E. Wolf, The Principles of Optics
J. C. Garrison, R. Y. Ciao, Quantum Optics
M. O. Scully, M. S. Zubairy, Quantum Optics
L. Mandel, E. Wolf, Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics

Relativistic Quantum Field Theory:

S. Weinberg, Quantum Theory of Fields (3 vols)
A. Duncan, The Conceptual Framework of Quantum Field Theory
M. D. Schwartz, Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model
D. Bailin, A. Love, Introduction to Gauge Field Theory

Thermodynamics and (Quantum) Statistics:

H. B. Callen, Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics
A. Katz, Principles of Statistical Mechanics
F. Reif, Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics

Thermal QFT

J. I. Kapusta, C. Gale, Finite-temperature Field Theory
M. Le Bellac, Thermal Field Theory
M. Laine, A. Vuorinen, Basics of Thermal Field Theory

Kinetic Theory

C. Cercignani, G. M. Kremer, The relativistic Boltzmann Equation
S. R. de Groot, W. A. van Leeuwen, Ch. G. van Weert, Relativistic Kinetic Theory
H. Risken, The Fokker-Planck Equation

It's disheartening to see Ballentine's garbage personal theory promoted.