Download or read book The Language of Physics written by Elizabeth Garber and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1999 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work is the first explicit examination of the key role that mathematics has played in the development of theoretical physics and will undoubtedly challenge the more conventional accounts of its historical development. Although mathematics has long been regarded as the "language" of physics, the connections between these independent disciplines have been far more complex and intimate than previous narratives have shown. This study encompasses engagements across discipline boundaries and many nations rom the ear of Euler and Bernoulli o that of Hilbert and Einstein. At all times physicists and mathematicians retained their distinct sets of disciplinary standards and goals. Interactions within historical ears are handled using the standards of the time to define mathematics and physics. In this context, the works of Lagrange, Laplace, Fourier, Jacobi, William Thomson, Maxwell, Helmholtz, and many others are discussed, and by 1870, it is evident that the essentials of modern theoretical physics are in place. The epilogue, spanning the decades from 1870 to the First World War, deals with the decline of these interactions and the building of new connections. It is particularly significant that these new patterns of interactions became paradigmatic for the rest of the twentieth century. The unique perspectives concerning the history of theoretical physics will undoubtedly cause some raised eyebrows, as the author convincingly demonstrates that practices, methods, and language shaped the development of the field, and are a key to understanding the mergence of the modern academic discipline. Mathematicians and physicists, as well as historians of both disciplines, will find this provocative work of great interest.
Download or read book Numerical Quantum Dynamics written by W. Schweizer and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-12-27 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is an indisputable fact that computational physics form part of the essential landscape of physical science and physical education. When writing such a book, one is faced with numerous decisions, e. g. : Which topics should be included? What should be assumed about the readers’ prior knowledge? How should balance be achieved between numerical theory and physical application? This book is not elementary. The reader should have a background in qu- tum physics and computing. On the other way the topics discussed are not addressed to the specialist. This work bridges hopefully the gap between - vanced students, graduates and researchers looking for computational ideas beyond their fence and the specialist working on a special topic. Many imp- tant topics and applications are not considered in this book. The selection is of course a personal one and by no way exhaustive and the material presented obviously reflects my own interest. What is Computational Physics? During the past two decades computational physics became the third fun- mental physical discipline. Like the ‘traditional partners’ experimental physics and theoretical physics, computational physics is not restricted to a special area, e. g. , atomic physics or solid state physics. Computational physics is a meth- ical ansatz useful in all subareas and not necessarily restricted to physics. Of course this methods are related to computational aspects, which means nume- cal and algebraic methods, but also the interpretation and visualization of huge amounts of data.
Download or read book Philosophy of Physics written by David Wallace and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Philosophy of physics is concerned with the deepest theories of modern physics - quantum theory, our theories of space, time and symmetry, and thermal physics - and their strange, even bizarre conceptual implications. This book explores the core topics in philosophy of physics, and discusses their relevance for both scientists and philosophers.
Download or read book A History of the Ideas of Theoretical Physics written by S. D'Agostino and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a perspective on the history of theoretical physics over the past two hundreds years. It comprises essays on the history of pre-Maxwellian electrodynamics, of Maxwell's and Hertz's field theories, and of the present century's relativity and quantum physics. A common thread across the essays is the search for and the exploration of themes that influenced significant con ceptual changes in the great movement of ideas and experiments which heralded the emergence of theoretical physics (hereafter: TP). The fun. damental change involved the recognition of the scien tific validity of theoretical physics. In the second half of the nine teenth century, it was not easy for many physicists to understand the nature and scope of theoretical physics and of its adept, the theoreti cal physicist. A physicist like Ludwig Boltzmann, one of the eminent contributors to the new discipline, confessed in 1895 that, "even the formulation of this concept [of a theoretical physicist] is not entirely without difficulty". 1 Although science had always been divided into theory and experiment, it was only in physics that theoretical work developed into a major research and teaching specialty in its own right. 2 It is true that theoretical physics was mainly a creation of tum of-the century German physics, where it received full institutional recognition, but it is also undeniable that outstanding physicists in other European countries, namely, Ampere, Fourier, and Maxwell, also had an important part in its creation.
Download or read book Surprises in Theoretical Physics written by Rudolf Peierls and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Problems in theoretical physics often lead to paradoxical answers; yet closer reasoning and a more complete analysis invariably lead to the resolution of the paradox and to a deeper understanding of the physics involved. Drawing primarily from his own experience and that of his collaborators, Sir Rudolf Peierls selects examples of such "surprises" from a wide range of physical theory, from quantum mechanical scattering theory to the theory of relativity, from irreversibility in statistical mechanics to the behavior of electrons in solids. By studying such surprises and learning what kind of possibilities to look for, he suggests, scientists may be able to avoid errors in future problems. In some cases the surprise is that the outcome of a calculation is contrary to what physical intuition seems to demand. In other instances an approximation that looks convincing turns out to be unjustified, or one that looks unreasonable turns out to be adequate. Professor Peierls does not suggest, however, that theoretical physics is a hazardous game in which one can never foresee the surprises a detailed calculation might reveal. Rather, he contends, all the surprises discussed have rational explanations, most of which are very simple, at least in principle. This book is based on the author's lectures at the University of Washington in the spring of 1977 and at the Institut de Physique Nucleaire, University de Paris-Sud, Orsay, during the winter of 1977-1978.
Download or read book Compendium of Theoretical Physics written by Armin Wachter and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-12-08 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Compendium of Theoretical Physics contains the canonical curriculum of theoretical physics. From classical mechanics over electrodynamics, quantum mechanics and statistical physics/thermodynamics, all topics are treated axiomatic-deductively and confimed by exercises, solutions and short summaries.
Download or read book The Future of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology written by G. W. Gibbons and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-10-23 with total page 924 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on lectures given in honour of Stephen Hawking's sixtieth birthday, this book comprises contributions from some of the world's leading theoretical physicists. It begins with a section containing chapters by successful scientific popularisers, bringing to life both Hawking's work and other exciting developments in physics. The book then goes on to provide a critical evaluation of advanced subjects in modern cosmology and theoretical physics. Topics covered include the origin of the universe, warped spacetime, cosmological singularities, quantum gravity, black holes, string theory, quantum cosmology and inflation. As well as providing a fascinating overview of the wide variety of subject areas to which Stephen Hawking has contributed, this book represents an important assessment of prospects for the future of fundamental physics and cosmology.
Download or read book Progress and Visions in Quantum Theory in View of Gravity written by Felix Finster and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-04-09 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on a critical discussion of the status and prospects of current approaches in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, in particular concerning gravity. It contains a carefully selected cross-section of lectures and discussions at the seventh conference “Progress and Visions in Quantum Theory in View of Gravity” which took place in fall 2018 at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig. In contrast to usual proceeding volumes, instead of reporting on the most recent technical results, contributors were asked to discuss visions and new ideas in foundational physics, in particular concerning foundations of quantum field theory. A special focus has been put on the question of which physical principles of quantum (field) theory can be considered fundamental in view of gravity. The book is mainly addressed to mathematicians and physicists who are interested in fundamental questions of mathematical physics. It allows the reader to obtain a broad and up-to-date overview of a fascinating active research area.
Download or read book A Complete Course on Theoretical Physics written by Albrecht Lindner and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-12-30 with total page 638 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kompakt und verständlich führt dieses Lehrbuch in die Grundlagen der theoretischen Physik ein. Dabei werden die üblichen Themen der Grundvorlesungen Mechanik, Elektrodynamik, Relativitätstheorie, Quantenmechanik , Thermodynamik und Statistik in einem Band zusammengefasst, um den Zusammenhang zwischen den einzelnen Teilgebieten besonders zu betonen. Ein Kapitel mit mathematischen Grundlagen der Physik erleichtert den Einstieg. Zahlreiche Übungsaufgaben dienen der Vertiefung des Stoffes.
Download or read book Mathematical Methods in Physics written by Philippe Blanchard and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 469 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Physics has long been regarded as a wellspring of mathematical problems. Mathematical Methods in Physics is a self-contained presentation, driven by historic motivations, excellent examples, detailed proofs, and a focus on those parts of mathematics that are needed in more ambitious courses on quantum mechanics and classical and quantum field theory. Aimed primarily at a broad community of graduate students in mathematics, mathematical physics, physics and engineering, as well as researchers in these disciplines.
Download or read book A Course in Theoretical Physics written by P. John Shepherd and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-01-10 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a comprehensive account of five extended modules covering the key branches of twentieth-century theoretical physics, taught by the author over a period of three decades to students on bachelor and master university degree courses in both physics and theoretical physics. The modules cover nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, thermal and statistical physics, many-body theory, classical field theory (including special relativity and electromagnetism), and, finally, relativistic quantum mechanics and gauge theories of quark and lepton interactions, all presented in a single, self-contained volume. In a number of universities, much of the material covered (for example, on Einstein’s general theory of relativity, on the BCS theory of superconductivity, and on the Standard Model, including the theory underlying the prediction of the Higgs boson) is taught in postgraduate courses to beginning PhD students. A distinctive feature of the book is that full, step-by-step mathematical proofs of all essential results are given, enabling a student who has completed a high-school mathematics course and the first year of a university physics degree course to understand and appreciate the derivations of very many of the most important results of twentieth-century theoretical physics.
Download or read book The Theoretical Minimum written by Leonard Susskind and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2014-04-22 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A master teacher presents the ultimate introduction to classical mechanics for people who are serious about learning physics "Beautifully clear explanations of famously 'difficult' things," -- Wall Street Journal If you ever regretted not taking physics in college -- or simply want to know how to think like a physicist -- this is the book for you. In this bestselling introduction to classical mechanics, physicist Leonard Susskind and hacker-scientist George Hrabovsky offer a first course in physics and associated math for the ardent amateur. Challenging, lucid, and concise, The Theoretical Minimum provides a tool kit for amateur scientists to learn physics at their own pace.
Download or read book The Landscape of Theoretical Physics A Global View written by M. Pavsic and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2001-11-30 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today many important directions of research are being pursued more or less independently of each other. These are, for instance, strings and mem branes, induced gravity, embedding of spacetime into a higher dimensional space, the brane world scenario, the quantum theory in curved spaces, Fock Schwinger proper time formalism, parametrized relativistic quantum the ory, quantum gravity, wormholes and the problem of “time machines”, spin and supersymmetry, geometric calculus based on Clifford algebra, various interpretations of quantum mechanics including the Everett interpretation, and the recent important approach known as “decoherence”. A big problem, as I see it, is that various people thoroughly investigate their narrow field without being aware of certain very close relations to other fields of research. What we need now is not only to see the trees but also the forest. In the present book I intend to do just that: to carry out a first approximation to a synthesis of the related fundamental theories of physics. I sincerely hope that such a book will be useful to physicists. From a certain viewpoint the book could be considered as a course in the oretical physics in which the foundations of all those relevant fundamental theories and concepts are attempted to be thoroughly reviewed. Unsolved problems and paradoxes are pointed out. I show that most of those ap proaches have a common basis in the theory of unconstrained membranes. The very interesting and important concept of membrane space, the tensor calculus in and functional transformations in are discussed.
Download or read book Geometric Phases in Classical and Quantum Mechanics written by Dariusz Chruscinski and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Several well-established geometric and topological methods are used in this work in an application to a beautiful physical phenomenon known as the geometric phase. This book examines the geometric phase, bringing together different physical phenomena under a unified mathematical scheme. The material is presented so that graduate students and researchers in applied mathematics and physics with an understanding of classical and quantum mechanics can handle the text.
Download or read book Basic Theoretical Physics written by Uwe Krey and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-08-14 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This concise treatment embraces, in four parts, all the main aspects of theoretical physics. Recent topics such as holography and quantum cryptography are included. The book summarizes what a graduate student, physicist working in industry, or a physics teacher should master during his or her degree course. It will also be useful for deepening one’s insight and it adds new dimensions to understanding of these elemental concepts.
Download or read book Topics in Quantum Mechanics written by Floyd Williams and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This self-contained text presents quantum mechanics from the point of view of some computational examples with a mixture of mathematical clarity often not found in texts offering only a purely physical point of view. Emphasis is placed on the systematic application of the Nikiforov-- Uvarov theory of generalized hypergeometric differential equations to solve the Schr"dinger equation and to obtain the quantization of energies from a single unified point of view.
Download or read book Theoretical Physics written by Georg Joos and published by . This book was released on 1944 with total page 853 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
