Ebook: Basic Theoretical Physics: A Concise Overview

This concise treatment embraces, in four parts, all the main aspects of theoretical physics (I . Mechanics and Basic Relativity, II. Electrodynamics and Aspects of Optics, III. Non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics, IV. Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics). It summarizes the material that every graduate student, physicist working in industry, or physics teacher should master during his or her degree course. It thus serves both as an excellent revision and preparation tool, and as a convenient reference source, covering the whole of theoretical physics. It may also be successfully employed to deepen its readers' insight and add new dimensions to their understanding of these fundamental concepts. Recent topics such as holography and quantum cryptography are included, thus making this a unique contribution to the learning material for theoretical physics.

---

This concise treatment embraces, in four parts, all the main aspects of theoretical physics (I . Mechanics and Basic Relativity, II. Electrodynamics and Aspects of Optics, III. Non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics, IV. Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics). It summarizes the material that every graduate student, physicist working in industry, or physics teacher should master during his or her degree course. It thus serves both as an excellent revision and preparation tool, and as a convenient reference source, covering the whole of theoretical physics. It may also be successfully employed to deepen its readers' insight and add new dimensions to their understanding of these fundamental concepts. Recent topics such as holography and quantum cryptography are included, thus making this a unique contribution to the learning material for theoretical physics.

---

This concise treatment embraces, in four parts, all the main aspects of theoretical physics (I . Mechanics and Basic Relativity, II. Electrodynamics and Aspects of Optics, III. Non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics, IV. Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics). It summarizes the material that every graduate student, physicist working in industry, or physics teacher should master during his or her degree course. It thus serves both as an excellent revision and preparation tool, and as a convenient reference source, covering the whole of theoretical physics. It may also be successfully employed to deepen its readers' insight and add new dimensions to their understanding of these fundamental concepts. Recent topics such as holography and quantum cryptography are included, thus making this a unique contribution to the learning material for theoretical physics.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XV
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Space and Time....Pages 3-4
Force and Mass....Pages 5-9
Basic Mechanics of Motion in One Dimension....Pages 11-15
Mechanics of the Damped and Driven Harmonic Oscillator....Pages 17-21
The Three Classical Conservation Laws; Two-particle Problems....Pages 23-29
Motion in a Central Force Field; Kepler’s Problem....Pages 31-40
The Rutherford Scattering Cross-section....Pages 41-43
Lagrange Formalism I: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian....Pages 45-53
Relativity I: The Principle of Maximal Proper Time (Eigenzeit)....Pages 55-62
Coupled Small Oscillations....Pages 63-69
Rigid Bodies....Pages 71-84
Remarks on Non-integrable Systems: Chaos....Pages 85-87
Lagrange Formalism II: Constraints....Pages 89-93
Accelerated Reference Frames....Pages 95-100
Front Matter....Pages 101-105
Introduction and Mathematical Preliminaries to Part II....Pages 107-107
Electrostatics and Magnetostatics....Pages 109-117
Magnetic Field of Steady Electric Currents....Pages 119-144
Maxwell’s Equations I: Faraday’s Law of Induction; the Continuity Equation; Maxwell’s Displacement Current....Pages 145-152
Maxwell’s Equations II: Electromagnetic Waves....Pages 153-162
Front Matter....Pages 163-177
Applications of Electrodynamics in the Field of Optics....Pages 107-107
Conclusion to Part II....Pages 179-201
Front Matter....Pages 203-203
On the History of Quantum Mechanics....Pages 205-205
Quantum Mechanics: Foundations....Pages 207-210
One-dimensional Problems in Quantum Mechanics....Pages 211-221
The Harmonic Oscillator I....Pages 223-230
The Hydrogen Atom according to Schr?dinger’s Wave Mechanics....Pages 231-233
Abstract Quantum Mechanics (Algebraic Methods)....Pages 235-240
Spin Momentum and the Pauli Principle (Spin-statistics Theorem)....Pages 241-248
Spin-orbit Interaction; Addition of Angular Momenta....Pages 249-254
Ritz Minimization....Pages 255-257
Perturbation Theory for Static Problems....Pages 259-260
Time-dependent Perturbations....Pages 261-265
Magnetism: An Essentially Quantum Mechanical Phenomenon....Pages 267-270
Cooper Pairs; Superconductors and Superfluids....Pages 271-276
On the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (Reality?, Locality?, Retardation?)....Pages 277-278
Quantum Mechanics: Retrospect and Prospect....Pages 279-291
Appendix: “Mutual Preparation Algorithm” for Quantum Cryptography....Pages 293-296
Front Matter....Pages 297-298
Introduction and Overview to Part IV....Pages 299-299
Phenomenological Thermodynamics: Temperature and Heat....Pages 301-302
Front Matter....Pages 303-311
The First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics....Pages 299-299
Phase Changes, van der Waals Theory and Related Topics....Pages 313-325
The Kinetic Theory of Gases....Pages 327-334
Statistical Physics....Pages 335-341
The Transition to Classical Statistical Physics....Pages 343-347
Advanced Discussion of the Second Law....Pages 349-352
Shannon’s Information Entropy....Pages 353-358
Canonical Ensembles in Phenomenological Thermodynamics....Pages 359-361
The Clausius-Clapeyron Equation....Pages 363-368
Production of Low and Ultralow Temperatures; Third Law of Thermodynamics....Pages 369-370
General Statistical Physics (Formal Completion; the Statistical Operator; Trace Formalism)....Pages 371-375
Ideal Bose and Fermi Gases....Pages 377-378
Applications I: Fermions, Bosons, Condensation Phenomena....Pages 379-381
Applications II: Phase Equilibria in Chemical Physics....Pages 383-412
Conclusion to Part IV....Pages 413-425
Back Matter....Pages 427-430
....Pages 431-452