- #1
Jianphys17
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Hi, I've 2 em texts: Purcell, ( Electricity&magnetism ) and the Griffiths (intro to electrod.)
On which of the two, is best to study ?
On which of the two, is best to study ?
dextercioby said:the one by Purcell is old
My high school textbook was more in depth than Resnick's book. I don't get for whom this book is for ? middle schoolers or kindergarteners ?dextercioby said:Resnick
Buffu said:My high school textbook was more in depth than Resnick's book. I don't get for whom this book is for ? middle schoolers or kindergarteners ?
dextercioby said:Yes, I know that American schools like to make a distinction between undergraduate and graduate, nonetheless, I still prefer a more modern text.
Well, classical electrodynamics has been completely formulated in the years around 1908, when Minkowski gave the relativistically covariant formulation. I'd say that's the most modern way you can and should present the subject (augmented with some general principles of gauge theories). I also find it pretty unsatisfying that also nowadays still new textbooks appear that are written in the style of the 19th century (with the only exception that of course the vector notation is used today). Jackson is an example for this, but it's still among the best and most comprehensive books on the subject. Of course the 2nd edition is a bit clearer because it uses the Gaussian system of units throughout, which is the right choice (although I'd prefer Heaviside-Lorentz units, i.e., rationalized Gauss units) for theoretical electromagnetism the 3rd (in Germany although the 4th) edition uses the SI in the non-relativistic part of the book and Gaussian units in the relativistic one, which is very telling.dextercioby said:It is suitable as a companion to a general physics textbook (Serwey, Tipler, Eisberg&Resnick). Yes, I know that American schools like to make a distinction between undergraduate and graduate, nonetheless, I still prefer a more modern text. Actually, to be really fair, the first exposure to components-based tensor calculus is made during the electrodynamics course (at least in my country, in which the modern official university textbook is based upon JD Jackson's EM text in his 2nd - 1975 edition).
If you rewrite a textbook, polish some phrases, make them clear, then at least bring it to physics newer than 1915. As you know, the full blown tensor formulation of electromagnetism was available to David Hilbert as late as November 1915 and his (in)famous article on variational principles for the gravitational field.
Electrodynamics is the study of electric and magnetic fields and their interaction with charged particles. It is an essential part of understanding how electricity and magnetism work and is a foundational concept in many branches of physics and engineering.
The Purcell and Griffiths textbooks both cover the same core concepts in electrodynamics, but they differ in their approach and level of detail. Purcell's book is more concise and focuses on the fundamental principles, while Griffiths' book delves deeper into the mathematical formalism and includes more advanced topics.
Both Purcell and Griffiths textbooks are commonly used as introductory texts for electrodynamics. However, Purcell's book may be more suitable for beginners as it presents the material in a more intuitive and conceptual manner, with fewer mathematical equations.
A basic understanding of calculus, vector algebra, and classical mechanics is necessary for studying electrodynamics. Some familiarity with differential equations and complex numbers may also be helpful in understanding the mathematical concepts.
Electrodynamics has many practical applications in various fields, including electrical engineering, telecommunications, optics, and particle physics. Understanding the principles of electrodynamics can help in designing and developing technologies such as electronic devices, power systems, and communication networks.