A Handbook Of Mathematical Methods And Problem Solving Tools For Introductory Physics

This is a companion textbook for an introductory course in physics. It aims to link the theories and models that students learn in class with practical problem-solving techniques. In other words, it should address the common complaint that 'I understand the concepts but I can't do the homework or tests'. The fundamentals of introductory physics courses are addressed in simple and concise terms, with emphasis on how the fundamental concepts and equations should be used to solve physics problems.

This is a companion textbook for an introductory course in physics. The purpose is to thoroughly link the theories students learn in class with actual problem-solving techniques. In other words, it addresses the common complaint that 'I feel like I understand the concepts, but I can't do the homework'. This book covers the fundamentals that comprise the majority of a physics course in as simple and concise terms as possible, with a particular emphasis on how the fundamental concepts and equations allow students to solve problems. In addition to updates across the board, this edition includes new material relating to waves, optics, fields, magnetism, and circuits. Each section focuses on a deeper understanding of the equations you will be using along with problem-solving skills. Remember that equations themselves are merely tools and you will be in much better shape if you know what tool you are looking for before you start looking. The book will equip you with the problem-solving techniques and conceptual explanations that can be applied to almost anything in your introductory physics course. Key Features Extensively updated and extended Student-friendly Targeted and concise descriptions of each theme Worked examples Introduces problem-solving techniques and conceptual explanations that can be applied to almost anything in an introductory physics course

This updated and extended edition of the book combines the topics provided in the two parts of the previous editions as well as new topics. It is a comprehensive compilation covering most areas in mathematical and theoretical physics. The book provides a collection of problems together with their detailed solutions which will prove to be valuable to students as well as to researchers in the fields of mathematics, physics, engineering and other sciences. Each chapter provides a short introduction with the relevant definitions and notations. All relevant definitions are given. The topics range in difficulty from elementary to advanced. Almost all problems are solved in detail and most of the problems are self-contained. Stimulating supplementary problems are also provided in each chapter. Students can learn important principles and strategies required for problem solving. Teachers will also find this text useful as a supplement, since important concepts and techniques are developed in the problems. Introductory problems for both undergraduate and advanced undergraduate students are provided. More advanced problems together with their detailed solutions are collected, to meet the needs of graduate students and researchers. Problems included cover new fields in theoretical and mathematical physics such as tensor product, Lax representation, Bäcklund transformation, soliton equations, Hilbert space theory, uncertainty relation, entanglement, spin systems, Lie groups, Bose system, Fermi systems differential forms, Lie algebra valued differential forms, metric tensor fields, Hirota technique, Painlevé test, Bethe ansatz, Yang-Baxter relation, wavelets, gauge theory, differential geometry, string theory, chaos, fractals, complexity, ergodic theory, etc. A number of software implementations are also provided.

Intended to follow the usual introductory physics courses, this book contains many original, lucid and relevant examples from the physical sciences, problems at the ends of chapters, and boxes to emphasize important concepts to help guide students through the material.

The aim of the book is to present to a wide range of readers (students, postgraduates, scientists, engineers, etc.) basic information on one of the directions of mathematics, methods for solving mathematical physics problems. The authors have tried to select for the book methods that have become classical and generally accepted. However, some of the current versions of these methods may be missing from the book because they require special knowledge. The book is of the handbook-teaching type. On the one hand, the book describes the main definitions, the concepts of the examined methods and approaches used in them, and also the results and claims obtained in every specific case. On the other hand, proofs of the majority of these results are not presented and they are given only in the simplest (methodological) cases. Another special feature of the book is the inclusion of many examples of application of the methods for solving specific mathematical physics problems of applied nature used in various areas of science and social activity, such as power engineering, environmental protection, hydrodynamics, elasticity theory, etc. This should provide additional information on possible applications of these methods. To provide complete information, the book includes a chapter dealing with the main problems of mathematical physics, together with the results obtained in functional analysis and boundary-value theory for equations with partial derivatives.

This text is designed for an intermediate-level, two-semester undergraduate course in mathematical physics. It provides an accessible account of most of the current, important mathematical tools required in physics. The book bridges the gap between an introductory physics course and more advanced courses in classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermal and statistical physics. It contains a large number of worked examples to illustrate the mathematical techniques developed and to show their relevance to physics. The highly organized coverage allows instructors to teach the basics in one semester. The book could also be used in courses in engineering, astronomy, and mathematics.

This book provides a self-contained and rigorous presentation of the main mathematical tools needed to approach many courses at the last year of undergraduate in Physics and MSc programs, from Electromagnetism to Quantum Mechanics. It complements A Guide to Mathematical Methods for Physicists with advanced topics and physical applications. The different arguments are organised in three main sections: Complex Analysis, Differential Equations and Hilbert Spaces, covering most of the standard mathematical method tools in modern physics.One of the purposes of the book is to show how seemingly different mathematical tools like, for instance, Fourier transforms, eigenvalue problems, special functions and so on, are all deeply interconnected. It contains a large number of examples, problems and detailed solutions, emphasising the main purpose of relating concrete physical examples with more formal mathematical aspects. remove