Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory

Author: Leonard Susskind
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0241293367
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 367

Book Description
In the first two books in his wildly popular The Theoretical Minimum series, world-class physicist Leonard Susskind provided a brilliant first course in classical and quantum mechanics, offering readers not an oversimplified introduction, but the real thing - everything you need to start doing physics, and nothing more. Now, thankfully, Susskind and his former student Art Friedman are back, this time to introduce readers to special relativity and classical field theory. At last, waves, forces and particles will be demystified. Using their typical brand of relatively simple maths, enlightening sketches and the same fictional counterparts, Art and Lenny, Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory takes us on an enlightening journey through a world now governed by the laws of special relativity. Starting in their new watering hole, Hermann's Hideaway, with a lesson on relativity, Art and Lenny walk us through the complexities of Einstein's famous theory. Combining rigor with humour, Susskind and Friedman guarantee that Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory will become part of the reader's physics toolbox.

Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory

Author: Leonard Susskind
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465093353
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 295

Book Description
The third volume in the bestselling physics series cracks open Einstein's special relativity and field theory Physicist Leonard Susskind and data engineer Art Friedman are back. This time, they introduce readers to Einstein's special relativity and Maxwell's classical field theory. Using their typical brand of real math, enlightening drawings, and humor, Susskind and Friedman walk us through the complexities of waves, forces, and particles by exploring special relativity and electromagnetism. It's a must-read for both devotees of the series and any armchair physicist who wants to improve their knowledge of physics' deepest truths.

The Theoretical Minimum

Author: Leonard Susskind
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465038921
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 165

Book Description
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.

Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory

Author: LEONARD. FRIEDMAN SUSSKIND (ART.)
Publisher: Allen Lane
ISBN: 9780241293324
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 512

Book Description
The third volume in Leonard Susskind's one-of-a-kind physics series cracks open Einstein's special relativity and field theory In the first two books in his wildly popular The Theoretical Minimum series, world-class physicist Leonard Susskind provided a brilliant first course in classical and quantum mechanics, offering readers not an oversimplified introduction, but the real thing - everything you need to start doing physics, and nothing more. Now, thankfully, Susskind and his former student Art Friedman are back, this time to introduce readers to special relativity and classical field theory. At last, waves, forces and particles will be demystified. Using their typical brand of relatively simple maths, enlightening sketches and the same fictional counterparts, Art and Lenny, Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory takes us on an enlightening journey through a world now governed by the laws of special relativity. Starting in their new watering hole, Hermann's Hideaway, with a lesson on relativity, Art and Lenny walk us through the complexities of Einstein's famous theory. Combining rigor with humour, Susskind and Friedman guarantee that Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory will become part of the reader's physics toolbox.

Classical Field Theory

Author: Davison E. Soper
Publisher: Courier Dover Publications
ISBN: 0486462609
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 276

Book Description
This text concerns continuum mechanics, electrodynamics and the mechanics of electrically polarized media, and gravity. Geared toward advanced undergraduates and graduate students, it offers an accessible approach that formulates theories according to the principle of least action. The chief advantage of this formulation is its simplicity and ease, making the physical content of classical subjects available to students of physics in a concise form. Author Davison E. Soper, a Professor of Physics at the University of Oregon, intended this treatment as a primary text for courses in classical field theory as well as a supplement for courses in classical mechanics or classical electrodynamics. Topics include fields and transformation laws, the principle of stationary action, general features of classical field theory, the mechanics of fluids and elastic solids, special types of solids, nonrelativistic approximations, and the electromagnetic field. Additional subjects include electromagnetically polarized materials, gravity, momentum conservation in general relativity, and dissipative processes.

Classical Field Theory and the Stress-Energy Tensor

Author: Mark S. Swanson
Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers
ISBN: 1681741210
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 188

Book Description
This book is a concise introduction to the key concepts of classical field theory for beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduate students who wish to study the unifying structures and physical insights provided by classical field theory without dealing with the additional complication of quantization. In that regard, there are many important aspects of field theory that can be understood without quantizing the fields. These include the action formulation, Galilean and relativistic invariance, traveling and standing waves, spin angular momentum, gauge invariance, subsidiary conditions, fluctuations, spinor and vector fields, conservation laws and symmetries, and the Higgs mechanism, all of which are often treated briefly in a course on quantum field theory.

Classical Field Theory

Author: Horaƫiu Năstase
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108757901
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 483

Book Description
Classical field theory predicts how physical fields interact with matter, and is a logical precursor to quantum field theory. This introduction focuses purely on modern classical field theory, helping graduates and researchers build an understanding of classical field theory methods before embarking on future studies in quantum field theory. It describes various classical methods for fields with negligible quantum effects, for instance electromagnetism and gravitational fields. It focuses on solutions that take advantage of classical field theory methods as opposed to applications or geometric properties. Other fields covered includes fermionic fields, scalar fields and Chern–Simons fields. Methods such as symmetries, global and local methods, Noether theorem and energy momentum tensor are also discussed, as well as important solutions of the classical equations, in particular soliton solutions.

The Classical Theory of Fields

Author: Carl S. Helrich
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642232043
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 445

Book Description
The study of classical electromagnetic fields is an adventure. The theory is complete mathematically and we are able to present it as an example of classical Newtonian experimental and mathematical philosophy. There is a set of foundational experiments, on which most of the theory is constructed. And then there is the bold theoretical proposal of a field-field interaction from James Clerk Maxwell. This textbook presents the theory of classical fields as a mathematical structure based solidly on laboratory experiments. Here the student is introduced to the beauty of classical field theory as a gem of theoretical physics. To keep the discussion fluid, the history is placed in a beginning chapter and some of the mathematical proofs in the appendices. Chapters on Green’s Functions and Laplace’s Equation and a discussion of Faraday’s Experiment further deepen the understanding. The chapter on Einstein’s relativity is an integral necessity to the text. Finally, chapters on particle motion and waves in a dispersive medium complete the picture. High quality diagrams and detailed end-of-chapter questions enhance the learning experience.

Special Relativity, Electrodynamics, and General Relativity

Author: John B. Kogut
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128137215
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 456

Book Description
Special Relativity, Electrodynamics, and General Relativity: From Newton to Einstein is intended to teach students of physics, astrophysics, astronomy, and cosmology how to think about special and general relativity in a fundamental but accessible way. Designed to render any reader a "master of relativity,” all material on the subject is comprehensible and derivable from first principles. The book emphasizes problem solving, contains abundant problem sets, and is conveniently organized to meet the needs of both student and instructor. Fully revised and expanded second edition with improved figures Enlarged discussion of dynamics and the relativistic version of Newton’s second law Resolves the twin paradox from the principles of special and general relativity Includes new chapters which derive magnetism from relativity and electrostatics Derives Maxwell’s equations from Gauss’ law and the principles of special relativity Includes new chapters on differential geometry, space-time curvature, and the field equations of general relativity Introduces black holes and gravitational waves as illustrations of the principles of general relativity and relates them to the 2015 and 2017 observational discoveries of LIGO

Not Even Wrong

Author: Peter Woit
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 046500363X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
At what point does theory depart the realm of testable hypothesis and come to resemble something like aesthetic speculation, or even theology? The legendary physicist Wolfgang Pauli had a phrase for such ideas: He would describe them as "not even wrong," meaning that they were so incomplete that they could not even be used to make predictions to compare with observations to see whether they were wrong or not. In Peter Woit's view, superstring theory is just such an idea. In Not Even Wrong , he shows that what many physicists call superstring "theory" is not a theory at all. It makes no predictions, even wrong ones, and this very lack of falsifiability is what has allowed the subject to survive and flourish. Not Even Wrong explains why the mathematical conditions for progress in physics are entirely absent from superstring theory today and shows that judgments about scientific statements, which should be based on the logical consistency of argument and experimental evidence, are instead based on the eminence of those claiming to know the truth. In the face of many books from enthusiasts for string theory, this book presents the other side of the story.