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best textbooks for upper level physics

Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:09 am
by tweetie_brid
I am in the process of reviewing undergrad physics. What are some of the better text books for the upper level courses. This is not for the PGRE

Here is my study plan.

1) classical mechanics - marion
http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Dynamic ... ics+marion
2) electrodynamics - griffiths
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Elec ... gy_b_img_y
3) quantum mechanics - griffiths
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Quan ... +mechanics
4) thermal physics - schroeder
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ther ... al+physics

Re: best textbooks for upper level physics

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 4:06 pm
by cclee
I don't know Marion, but Goldstein, Poole and Safko is the best textbook I have ever used, let alone probably the best classical physics textbook. Concise and comprehensive.

Kardar is a concise, good place to review Statistical Mechanics. It's a bit advanced, and I would never recommend trying to learn Stat Mech from it. But the two volumes, volume two is not even near undergraduate, are ones that will probably be sitting on my desk forever more.

And both Griffiths are quite good. I actually purchased Jackson for the class, but just ended up borrowing Griffiths the whole time. Good book.

Re: best textbooks for upper level physics

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:40 am
by shokan
tweetie_brid wrote:I am in the process of reviewing undergrad physics. What are some of the better text books for the upper level courses. This is not for the PGRE

Here is my study plan.

1) classical mechanics - marion
http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Dynamic ... ics+marion
2) electrodynamics - griffiths
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Elec ... gy_b_img_y
3) quantum mechanics - griffiths
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Quan ... +mechanics
4) thermal physics - schroeder
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ther ... al+physics
My personal favorite is 'Light Fantastic' by Kenyon - comprehensive for Optics/Lasers and some Quantum too.

Re: best textbooks for upper level physics

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 3:55 pm
by dau
For classical mechanics, at the level of Marion, I would consider the book by John R. Taylor:
http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Mechani ... +mechanics