Ebook: Electromagnetism

The present book is the second of several volumes which are
intended to replace the Introduction to Theoretical Physics written
by the same authors in 1933. By separating the material on mechanics,
on electromagnetism, and on the quantum theory, we believe that it is
possible to give a somewhat better rounded treatment of each of these
fields, which will be more useful to the teacher and the student. We
have taken advantage of the opportunity to give a considerably more
complete treatment of the foundations of electrostatics and magnetostatics,
and to introduce some of the new developments in electromagnetic
theory since 1933. At the same time, we have tried to
preserve, and even to extend, the genera} unity of treatment which
we believed so important when the earlier book was published. We
have a conviction that the teaching of theoretical physics in a number
of separate courses, as in mechanics, electromagnetic theory, potential
theory, thermodynamics, and modem physics, tends to keep a student
from seeing the unity of physics, and from appreciating the importancc
of applying principles developed for one branch of science to the problems
of another.