Mathematical Methods For Physicists

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 1200 pages
• Published by: Academic Press
• Edition: 6th Edition June 21, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0120598760
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0120598762
• Book Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.9 x 2 inches
• Weighs: 4 pounds

Product Review
"As to a comparison with other books of the same ilk, well, in all honesty, there are none. No other text on methods of mathematical physics is as comprehensive and as completeI encourage the students to keep their copies as they will need it and will find it an invaluable reference resource in later studies and research."
- Tristan Hubsch, Howard University

Book Description
More that 90,000 copies sold!

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Mathematical Methods for Physicists (Hardcover) This book, along with a host of other "modern" textbooks on mathematical methods of physics, is emblematic of what's wrong with today's mathematical physics education. It is my observation that most of today's physics grad students come to grad school with a rickety background in pure and applied mathematics. Yet modern physics calls for proficiency in an esoteric array of mathematical concepts which are both deep and broad, and which most American undergrads are poorly versed in. As a result, at the doorstep of grad school students are handed a gigantic lookup table of mathematical formulas, of which Arfken and Weber is just one of many, labeled as a "textbook" on mathematical physics, and are expected to learn the tools of the trade in one semester. The result is largely a waste of time and a fountain of frustration for the students. Arfken and Weber is especially guilty in the sense that it is a fairly widely adopted text. Unfortunately, it is largely an exercise in giving half-assed explanations on a very comprehensive collection of topics. It tries to cover many topics but does not cover any single one well. It tries to teach but in the end assumes that the student already knows the material and need not be taught. It is comprehensive but the whole turns out to be far less than the sum of its parts. If you are an undergrad and are theory-inclined, do not count on books like Arfken and Weber to gain mathematical prowess. As someone who has gone through the "pipeline," I suggest the following as the mathematical must-haves: one semester of linear algebra and group theory; two semesters of real analysis, differential equations, and complex analysis. Make sure you take them from the math department. Once you have these under your belt, you should go on to study "A Course of Modern Analysis" by Whittaker and Watson at the earliest possible opportunity. (Or, at the very least, work through Copson's "Theory of Functions of a Complex Variable.") If you are an undergrad and are experiment-oriented, no worries. You are not expected to have a good handle on math, and Arfken and Weber suffices.