Mathematical Physics

by Donald H. Menzel

Book Overview

This is a thorough treatment in one volume of the mathematical techniques vital in classical mechanics, electromagnetic theory, quantum theory, and relativity. Designed for junior, senior, and graduate courses in mathematical physics, it presents full explanations of function theory, vectors, matrices, dyadics, tensors, partial differential equations, and other advanced mathematical techniques in their logical order during the presentation of the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486600564
• ISBN13: 9780486600567
• Release Date: June 1961
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.03 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Math and comparisons, good start for much more

Math and comparisons, good start for much more, March 4, 2008 By Kimberly C. Christensen - See all my reviews Seems like Hawking's horizon picks up where Einstien's with linear time, and de Sitter's without matter, leave off. This book is good for more depth review of dimentional anaylsis, helpful for my chem class. Vibration and elctromagnetics chapters = favorite, the math connects my conceptual understanding of physics. I like the comparison of alternate theories, both highlighting and challenging why I believe in certain approaches over others. Good read, leaving me waiting for my next book re: geometry and fourth dimention for more string talk, and looking for a book to incorporate more chemistry.

A very excellent book.

I own many popular books on mathematics and physics, and lately have been struggling with Byron's, Mathematics of Classical and Quantum Physics. Byron is great of course - just way over my head. The "ah ha" moments had been few and far between. What a tremendous joy it was to open Menzel's book and have a major epiphany in the first few pages - mathematics is not explanatory, it is descriptive! His introduction to dimensional analysis opened my eyes and I am really starting to "get" mathematical physics. I am tempted to order more copies less it go out of print. I want to reward myself every Christmas with a fresh new copy to replace the well read one under my pillow. If marooned on the proverbial desert island I would take this book over the Feynman Commemorative Edition.

Fantastic content, although the style is just a little dry for such an in-depth work

Perhaps I am unusual in expecting books dealing with mathematics, whether at the simple or the complex level, to be as elegantly and lyrically written as the equations contained within the book, but there it is. There is my personal bias. I do - contrary to the accepted serious-text style - want that beauty and poetry in the writing style. Yet in spite of my faint bias, this book is worthy of a five-star review. In terms of presenting the information, exceptional clarity is maintained, but a couple of times I did feel my attention wandering. I forced my attention back to the book, and found that it rewards the patient reader. In terms of content? Terrific. Gauss' law is described and illustrated with equations and explanation as clearly as one could wish. Professor Menzel's discussion of the properties of spherical harmonics is unambiguous and thorough. In the classical electromagnetic theory section, the explication of electomagnetic force field calculations is step by step, clear, but not laboured. This is NOT a book for beginners, but for the serious student of the mathemetics required in classical mechanics, quantum theory, relativity and electromagnetic theory. For those who are looking for advanced mathematics for use in a variety of the fields wtihin the study of physics, this is a very good resource.

Grad Students! Forget Goldstein, Use Menzel

I switched over from a BS in math to get a Ph.D. in physics. My grad courses used all of the standard texts: Goldstein for Mechanics, Jackson for Electrodynamics, etc. I did fine but I never felt like I mastered the material, especially the why and how of the mathematics. Now, I just discovered Menzel's "Mathematical Physics" with a year left in my Ph.D. program. I wanted to review some of the basics I hadn't used since I started research full time and what a joy this book is!!! I fell in love with the first few pages. He succinctly introduces the basics of mechanics and analytical geometry in a few pages...and you understand clearly! I then discovered that he covers tensors and differential geometry. I can tell you from having looked at many books on General Relativity that Menzel's coverage of the math for General Relatively is excellent, insightful, and intuitive. My suggestion for grad students of physics is to pick up this little gem as a supplement to their assigned texts and to keep it handy as a refresher whenever needed.

My God!!!

The theoretical fundaments of anything one could possibly think of about mechanics, dynamics, waves, classical electrodynamics and relativity are here. This man was a master. My deepest respects. The book is heavy, and I do mean heavy, reading, but it pays off if one does the neccessary to understand, i.e., stare four hours at one and only one page. The deductions and demostrations are as general as can be yet very concisely carried out. Nothing is left to assumption. The book introduces different mathematical tools as it goes along, i.e, vector analysis for basic mechanics, harmonics for theory of potential, dyadics and matrices for transformations, etc. I am a student in electronic engineering with a deep love for physics and this book has quenched my thirst for the kind of knowledge I yearn and is not studied in my field. To study this book has been for me like reading the most beautiful of poetry. Rodrigo Batres Kirkpatrick Mty. Mexico