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AhmedHesham
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what is the best mathematics book for physicists ?or in what way should i study math if i need it for physics? . thanks!
jasonRF said:AhmedHesham,
How much math do you already know? How much physics?
jason
Thankscarollbert said:Sean Carroll's lecture notes on general relativity contain a superb introduction to the mathematics of GR (differential geometry on Riemann manifolds). These also also published in modified form in his book, Spacetime and Geometry.
Spivak's Calculus on Manifolds is a gem. Bishop's Tensor Analysis on Manifolds is a great introduction to the subject, and published by Dover, is very cheap (less than $10 on amazon).
Georgi's Lie Algebras in Particle Physics is enjoyable and fast-paced, but probably skips around too much to be used as an adequate first exposure.
Shutz's Geomertical Methods of mathematical physics and a first course in general relativity.
Despite it's incredibly pompous title, Penrose's The road to reality: A completer guide to the laws of the Universe provides an enjoyable high-level view of a vast expanse of mathematical physics.
As mentioned by Cedric, I am a huge fan of Sussman and Wisdom's Structure and Interpretation of Classical Mechanics and the associated Functional Differential Geometry memo. The citations in those publications will also point to towards a lot of good material and there's more goodies if you dig around in the source code.
In that case, you probably should learn linear algebra, multivariable calculus and basic differential equations before reading even the most basic of the books listed by others here (Nearing: http://www.physics.miami.edu/~nearing/mathmethods/; and Boas).AhmedHesham said:I know some algebra , some geometry and some calculus only . in physics I know elementary things about classical mechanics and electromagnitism
A good mathematics book for physicists should cover topics such as calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, complex analysis, and vector calculus. These are the most commonly used mathematical concepts in physics.
Yes, a strong foundation in basic mathematics, including algebra, trigonometry, and geometry, is necessary to understand the advanced concepts covered in a mathematics book for physicists.
There are many excellent textbooks available for mathematics for physicists, including "Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences" by Mary L. Boas, "Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering" by K. F. Riley, M. P. Hobson, and S. J. Bence, and "Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences" by Philip Boas.
Yes, there are many online resources available for learning mathematics for physicists, including websites, video lectures, and online courses. Some popular options include Khan Academy, Coursera, and MIT OpenCourseWare.
Yes, some mathematics books for physicists may also cover theoretical physics concepts, but it is not necessary. It is recommended to choose a book that focuses primarily on mathematical concepts and supplement it with a separate book on theoretical physics if needed.