Product Description
Now in paperback, this book provides an overview of the physics of condensed matter systems. Assuming a familiarity with the basics of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, the book establishes a general framework for describing condensed phases of matter based on symmetries and conservation laws. After surveying the structure and properties of materials with different symmetries, it explores the role of spatial dimensionality and microscopic interactions in determining the nature of phase transitions. Particular attention is given to critical phenomena and renormalization group methods. The properties of liquids, liquid crystals, quasicrystals, crystalline solids, magnetically ordered systems and amorphous solids are investigated in terms of their symmetry, generalized rigidity, hydrodynamics and topological defect structure. In addition to serving as a course text, this book is an essential reference for students and researchers in physics, applied physics, chemistry, materials science and engineering, who are interested in modern condensed matter physics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Wonderful and deep approach to soft condensed matter physics
This textbook's main originality is its unusual mixture of latest experimental facts and observations in soft condensed matter with deep theoretical concepts and tools.
Exactly solved models of statistical physics pervades the text which also contains a good discussion on real-space renormalization methods and field-theoretical approaches to condensed matter problems.
The chapter on topological defects and excitations is particularly welcomed.
May not be particularly suited for self-study as some results are not always carefully derived and the exercises can prove quite hard to solve.
A prior exposure to phase transition phenomena is recommended.

incorrectly labelled a "soft matter" book
This is simply a modern presentation of condensed matter physics, and thus includes some soft matter examples, but it is not in any sense a "soft matter book".

To those still mired in traditional solid state physics, where electronic properties are topics 1 through 987 and understanding how a semiconductor works is still a primary goal, it may appear that this is a strange book. Indeed it is: it is a condensed matter text rather than a solid state text.

Take a look at your Ashcroft and Mermin flyleaf some time---it is over 30 years old. What have you learned since then? What have your students learned? Do they really get turned on by LAPW and FLAPW? Are you sure? This book is a good place to start bringing yourself, and your students, up to date.

I know why Onslow is more interested in this book than Daisy
Captivating bedtime reading, perfect for those insomniac nights. You will only need to read page one to see how come Onslow favours Principles of Condensed Matter Physics over Daisy!

Exhaustive treatment of soft matter physics!
Given my training as an engineer in undergraduate avatar and as a polymer scientist in my graduate school (enrolled into a PhD program now), I find this book a challenging endevour. It presupposes in-depth knowledge of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, and the chapters are written in a style which makes it most beneficial/suitable for Physics graduate students. Nonetheless, since every serious student in material science and polymer physics must indeed become comfortable with the theoretical concepts underlying soft matter physics, this book is a delightful (and hardcore!) introduction to the concepts of correlation functions, symmetry laws, conservation principles, phase transitions and critical phenomenon, topological defects, etc. The book by RAL Jones can provide a quick introduction to phenomenon and principles encountered in the book. But to master the trade, to become comfortable with notation used in papers, to understand the math, to make yourself a soft matter physicist, this book provides matter, paradigms and principles in comprehensive manner.

Specifically. this book is an essential reading for people studying physics of crystals, liquid crystals, quasi-crystals, amorphous materials, polymers and magnetically ordered systems. Specific chapters/sections on energy and potentials, structure and scattering,mean field theories, renormalization group theory, generalized elasticity, dynamics with emphasis on correlation & response functions, hydrodynamics with discussion on broken symmetries and fluctuation-dissipation formalism, and on wall, kinks and solitons are written with advanced readers in mind. Each chapter and topic can be appreaciated by additional reading from a textbook each in Statistical Mechanics (Pathria), Electrodynamics (Slater and Frank), Quantum Mechanics, liquid crystals (Chandrashekar or de gennes, polymers (Doi, de gennes) and scattering (neutron-Higgins, light-Pecora). Like potential readers, I am myself a student, just starting on this daunting but worthwhile study of condensed matter.

(07 March 2004)

Best basic condensed matter textbook
It is not only a "soft Condensed Matter" book. This book has every basic (or kinda advanced) ideas of condensed matter physics. And there is almost no prerequisite for this book --- a reader needn't even know any solid state physics before he reads this book. The text is well written and easy to read.
--- These are all the features of a perfect textbook. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to some of the most significant concepts in the physics of condensed matter. Emphasizes the general principles of many-body physics and perturbation theory, providing supporting mathematical structure. Paper. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Advanced users only
The title of the book may be misleading.
Attention, this book is for advanced readers in Condensed matter physics. Actually, the book is mostly consisted of some good papers selected by by Anderson. A beginner can read this after he get to know the "basic notions" from basic books.

A very useful Guide to Condense Matter
In fact, although it was been published almost twenty years ago, But most ideas in it were veryclassical and very sightful to Condense Matter So you caould see that many papers in the publication in fact cites this book . It's a very guide to the matter world ! ... Read more

Product Description
The superb book describes the modern theory of the magnetic properties of solids. Starting from fundamental principles, this copiously illustrated volume outlines the theory of magnetic behaviour, describes experimental techniques, and discusses current research topics. The book is intended for final year undergraduate students and graduate students in the physical sciences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A good overview of the subject
This is a very nice book for someone new to the field, or for someone who wants to get a broad overview of some of the newer topics in magnetism.I do wish it had more of an emphasis on statistical mechanics though, since that's absolutely critical for really understanding magnetic behavior.

Great Book
This book is great. I recommend to anyone who needs a book to which summarizes various concepts of physics of condensed matter.

Good overview of magnetism
This book is an easy to read overview of the subject. It's a good book to review the fundamentals (para/dia/ferro/anti magnetism,
exchange interaction, etc.). I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because the price is a bit high, and sometimes the treatments lacks depth. ... Read more

Product Description
Modern experimental developments in condensed matter and ultracold atom physics present formidable challenges to theorists. This book provides a pedagogical introduction to quantum field theory in many-particle physics, emphasizing the applicability of the formalism to concrete problems. This second edition contains two new chapters developing path integral approaches to classical and quantum nonequilibrium phenomena. Other chapters cover a range of topics, from the introduction of many-body techniques and functional integration, to renormalization group methods, the theory of response functions, and topology. Conceptual aspects and formal methodology are emphasized, but the discussion focuses on practical experimental applications drawn largely from condensed matter physics and neighboring fields. Extended and challenging problems with fully worked solutions provide a bridge between formal manipulations and research-oriented thinking. Aimed at elevating graduate students to a level where they can engage in independent research, this book complements graduate level courses on many-particle theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Best Coverage of this material that I've come across
This book presents condensed matter field theory from a very modern standpoint, using the language of (euclidean space) path integrals.In addition to a good discussion on mean field theory, the includes more modern topics, and includes extensive discussions of the renormalization group, topological field theories. Furthermore, the coverage is very intuitive, but simultaneously does not shy away from the more subtle technical details.The authors are also careful to point out and explain potential points of confusion.Finally, there are a number of excercises (each accompanied by a brief solution, which makes the book great for self-study!).

In summary, this book is the most readible introduction to condensed matter field theory that I've come across.It's a necessary, and welcome addition to the current literature.

Miraculous Textbook
This book is really incredible. It is one of only a handful of really readable physics texts, and it carefully moves from very friendly explanations of basic concepts, such as a two page review of Gaussian integrals (things like this make it a great reference), to very advanced material. The last chapter on topology, for example, doesn't hold back from using the full machinery of differential geometry, but also provides a great tutorial on the subject.

Also, a closer read reveals that this book's point of view is thoroughly modern, in the sense that it puts symmetry concepts and non-perturbative techniques front and center. The authors do readers a huge service by promoting the idea that one of the keys to understanding complex quantum systems is to correctly identify their fundamental excitations.

Landmark of Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics book!!!
This is an extremely well-written book, which covers almost all the modern topics in condensed matter physics while keeps the physics and mathematics clear and simple.

It is an invaluable reference or textbook for graduate students who are interested in theoretical condensed matter physics, esp. in strongly correlated systems.

It is almost the best book I have seen for a graduate student to study the functional method, renormalization-group theory, etc., applied to condensed matter systems.

Simple Language
This book is a good introduction to Field Theory applied in condensed matter physics. In dealing with two difficult subjects the authors do it in a very simple language. This is very important either to beginners or experts. There are very good solved examples to illustrate each section. Besides, there are small boxes citing the people behind the development of the issue. ... Read more

Product Description
Probably one of the most fashionable areas in the physical sciences today, 'Soft Condensed Matter' provides an excellent introduction to the topic, and includes colloids, polymers, liquid crystals, and amphiphiles. It is suitable for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students of physics, chemistry, materials science and chemical engineering. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

quite good
This book is very good. And I ordered the used one, but it looks like a new book. And it was shipped on time. I am happy I got the book, cheap and fast.

Excellent text for appreciating beauty of soft matter!
The chapters are written in straightforward language, conveying essential ideas and fundamentals in very readable manner. The book illustrates how one can convey complex ideas in simple words and yet capture all intricacies of the subject. The book is self contained introduction to colloids, polymers, liquid crystals, self-assembly, crystallization, glass transition, phase behavior and gelation. I have not encountered a better book that presents such a rich overview of these vastly different yet interrelated domain of condensed matter physics in less than 200 pages.

Since the book was written fairly recently, it presents a very modern understanding of described topics. The book by Chaikin and Lubensky (~700 pages) is the one written for anyone interested in meaty details, and equations in their full grandeur. Strobl's recent book on condensed matter is another excellenttext and presents lots of physics in very well written graduate level text. But to taste and tempt into soft matter, Jones book definitely is the one to pick! ... Read more

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This concise, class-tested book was refined over the authors’ 30 years as instructors at MIT and the University Federal of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil. The approach centers on the conviction that teaching group theory along with applications helps students to learn, understand and use it for their own needs. Thus, the theoretical background is confined to introductory chapters. Subsequent chapters develop new theory alongside applications so that students can retain new concepts, build on concepts already learned, and see interrelations between topics. Essential problem sets between chapters aid retention of new material and consolidate material learned in previous chapters.

Product Description
This Second Edition presents an updated review of the whole field of condensed matter physics. It consolidates new and classic topics from disparate sources, teaching not only about the effective masses of electrons in semiconductor crystals and band theory, but also about quasicrystals, dynamics of phase separation, why rubber is more floppy than steel, granular materials, quantum dots, Berry phases, the quantum Hall effect, and Luttinger liquids. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Not Good for Beginner
I don't like this book, particularly the way it demonstrates mathematical proofs behind physical concepts. I used it as an undergrad, but my graduate classmates did not like it either. Some of the figures are illustrative, however the contents of each chapter are unorganized and confusing. I definitley don't recommend it to beginner of this subject.

Comprehensive but poor
I admire anyone who attempts to teach all of condensed matter physics in one book. That being said, being comprehensive and being comprehendible are two very different things. While being the former it sacrifices the latter. Marder does not do a good job of explaining the physical concepts needed to build a better understanding of advanced material. In addition, his end-of-chapter problems can be relatively uninformative and tedious i.e. you are left asking why did I just do this problem? Inevitably I find myself going back to Ashcroft & Mermin's wonderful but dated book. Hopefully one day they will publish a new edition...

Broad coverage, but lacking detail
I used Marder's book (the corrected printing) during a solid state physics course this past Spring 2003 semeseter. While I have to commend Marder at his attempt to provide a great deal of breadth on the enormous field of condensed matter, I think he fell short on the details and pedagogy that are necessary for someone new to the subject. Too often, I found myself (and the others I worked with) having to refer to Ashcroft & Mermin's text to complete HW problems assigned out of Marder's book. Also, his notation in certain chapters was unnecessarily confusing, especially the chapter(s) on phonons. I have since read most of the book by Taylor & Heinonen, and I found it to be of much more use than Marder's book. T&H's book is very well written and the concepts flow smoothly from one to the next. In fact, many of the things I struggled to understand last semester were so clearly explained in their text, that I wondered how I could have been so confused! Marder's book has been praised by others as a modern improvement to the A&M standard, but up-to-date topics are of little use if the first-timer has difficulty understanding the nuances of core ideas (e.g., transport, band-structure, and electron-phonon interactions). My opinion is that a good library should include A&M's text for those fundamentals that never go away (crystal structure, semiconductors, etc.) and a book such as T&H's or Chaikin & Lubensky's for the more modern topics ("soft" condensed matter, mesoscopic physics, etc.).

corrected printing has appeared
Note that a corrected printing (not 'new edition') came out in February 2001. Make sure you get this version, which is identified on the cover.

at last, an update for Ashcroft & Mermin's book
The classic solid state / condensed matter text by Ashcroft and Mermin (A&M) is now 25 years old. It's a very accessible and elegantly written book, but condensed matter is a fast-moving subject, and it's embarassingthat A&M is still used today. The alternatives have all been toospecialized, too formal, and/or too leadenly written in comparison.

Thisbook by Marden may finally replace A&M. Like Ashcroft and Mermin,Marden is a member of the Cornell mafia. Some parts of the book practicallyecho A&M, and the writing style is at least as friendly to thebeginning grad student ("Now it will be protested that atoms withoutdipole moments do not have dipole moments. This is true. However...") But the large number of new developments of the last 25 years are discussedor at least mentioned. In addition to the same-old band structure,magnetism, etc., liquids are covered (a surprising omission in A&M), asare surfaces, soft matter, optical properties of materials, etc. The bookis fairly logically structured and works well as a text, except that thereis way too much material here to cover in a year.

The first printing isfull of errors, listed on a web page created by the author. You may want towait until the second printing before plunking down $95 (too high forimpoverished grad students). Top and bottom margins are practicallynonexistent. Photographs and shaded 3D drawings are poorly reproduced andmurky; they appear to have been printed on a smeary $79.95 inkjet printerand then reproduced. ... Read more

Product Description
This book discusses in depth many of the key problems in non-equilibrium physics. The origin of macroscopic irreversible behavior receives particular attention and is illustrated in the framework of solvable models. An updated discussion on the linear response focuses on the correct electrodynamic aspects, which are essential for example, in the proof of the Nyquist theorem. The material covers the scaling relationship between different levels of description (kinetic to hydrodynamic) as well as spontaneous symmetry breaking in real time in terms of nonlinear dynamics (attractors), illustrated using the example of Bose-Einstein condensation. The presentation also includes the latest developments - quantum kinetics - related to modern ultrafast spectroscopy, where transition from reversible to irreversible behavior occurs. ... Read more

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This text includes coverage of important topics that are not commonly featured in other textbooks on condensed matter physics; these include surfaces, the quantum Hall effect and superfluidity. The author avoids complex formalism, such as Green's functions, which can obscure the underlying physics, and instead emphasizes fundamental physical reasoning. This text is intended for classroom use, so it features plenty of references and extensive problems for solution based on the author's many years of teaching in the Physics Department at the University of Michigan. This textbook is ideal for physics graduates as well as students in chemistry and engineering; it can equally serve as a reference for research students in condensed matter physics. Engineering students in particular, will find the treatment of the fundamentals of semiconductor devices and the optics of solids of particular interest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Solid 2-star. Supplement only
With some special topics it covers, this book may be a supplement for other condensed matter texts. However, it lacks rigorous treatments in most derivations. Some equations are mathematically inadequate due to omission of underlying assumptions. Besides, many advanced topics are not covered. Hence it is not recommended as a teaching material for both introductory and advanced level condensed matter physics.

Not what I expected
This book was not what I expected.It seemed a very basic volume without most or any of the more advanced treatment I was looking for. ... Read more

Product Description
Soft condensed matter physics, which emerged as a distinct branch of physics in the 1990s, studies complex fluids: liquids in which structures with length scale between the molecular and the macroscopic exist. Polymers, liquid crystals, surfactant solutions, and colloids fall into this category. Physicists deal with properties of soft matter systems that are generic and largely independent of chemical details. They are especially fascinated by the way soft matter systems can harness Brownian motion to self-assemble into higher-order structures.

Exploring the generic properties of soft matter offers insights into many fundamental questions that cut across a number of disciplines. Although many of these apply to materials and industrial applications, the focus of this volume is on their applications in molecular and cell biology based on the realization that biology is soft matter come alive.

The chapters in Soft Condensed Matter Physics in Molecular and Cell Biology originated as lectures in the NATO Advanced Science Institute (ASI) and Scottish Universities Summer Schools in Physics with the same name; they represent the thinking of seventeen experts operating at the cutting edge of their respective fields. The book provides a thorough grounding in the fundamental physics of soft matter and then explores its application with regard to the three important classes of biomacromolecules: proteins, DNA, and lipids, as well as to aspects of the biology of cells. The final section of the book considers experimental techniques, covering single molecule force spectroscopy of proteins, the use of optical tweezers, along with X-ray, neutron, and light scattering from solutions.

While this work presents fundamentals that make it a suitable text for graduate students in physics, it also offers valuable insights for established soft condensed matter physicists seeking to contribute to biology, and for biologists wanting to understand what the latest thinking in soft matter physics may be able to contribute to their discipline. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is an introduction to the techniques of many-body quantum theory with a large number of applications to condensed matter physics. The basic idea of the book is to provide a self-containedformulation of the theoretical framework without losing mathematical rigor, while at the same time providing physical motivation and examples. The examples are taken from applications in electron systems and transport theory. On the formal side, the book covers an introduction to second quantization, many-body Green's function, finite temperature Feynman diagrams and bosonization. The applications include traditional transport theory in bulk as well as mesoscopic systems, where both the Landau-Buttiker formalism and recent developments in correlated transport phenomena in mesoscopic systems and nano-structures are covered. Other topics include interacting electron gases, plasmons, electron-phonon interactions, superconductivity and a final chapter on one-dimensional systems where a detailed treatment of Luttinger liquid theory and bosonization techniques is given. Having grown out of a set of lecture notes, and containing many pedagogical exercises, this book is designed as a textbook for an advanced undergraduate or graduate course, and is also well suited for self-study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good but dense
This book offers a fairly decent, thorough treatment of solid state theory, while still being somewhat approachable.However, this book is not for the inexperienced.You should expect to spend lots of time looking up things in more introductory books.

EXCELLENT BOOK!
This book is exactly what a new student (with some training in basic grad courses in solid state, statistical mechanics, etc.) needs to grasp condensed matter physics without a "research-based bias." Todays programs are so focused on application that a thorough treatment of pedigogical materials get superfically taught. Philip Anderson warns about this in his timeless classic "Basic Notions." This book uses QFT in canonical picture (bootstraps), no mention of path integrals. I started out in HEP, so I got trained fairly well in path integrals, some may find this a barrier with the book. Luttinger theory is the most modern topic touched on, applications to materials science. I recommend Wen's book if you want to look at Quantum Hall Effects and Topological Orders (post 1980's). ... Read more

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This course in modern quantum field theory for condensed matter physics includes a derivation of the path integral representation, Feynman diagrams and elements of the theory of metals.Alexei Tsvelik also covers Landau Fermi liquid theory and gradually turns to more advanced methods used in the theory of strongly correlated systems. The book contains a thorough exposition of such non-perturbative techniques, as 1/N-expansion, bosonization (Abelian and non-Abelian), conformal field theory and theory of integrable systems. First edition Hb (1995): 0-521-45467-0First edition Pb (1996): 0-521-58989-4 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Modern overview that emphasizes the physics
Quantum field theory has been applied to many different areas of physics, and has done a fairly good job of explaining the phenomena in these areas. When applying quantum field theory to a physical problem one usually takes a pragmatic attitude, and ignores the many existing difficulties in its formalism. Quantum field theory has yet to be put on a rigorous mathematical foundation, but this has not deterred its use in a myriad of applications, with condensed matter physics, the subject of this book, being one of them. The author has done a superb job here, since he emphasizes the physics behind quantum field theory, and not just the formalism. Anyone interested in quantum field theory, and especially those outside the "oral tradition", will definitely benefit from its perusal.

That quantum field theory is similar to statistical mechanics is used extensively in this book. Loosely speaking, one can view the quantum field theory of a system in a certain dimension as a statistical mechanical system in one dimension more. This simplifies calculations considerably, and in condensed matter physics things get even easier since a lattice is present, thus allowing one to deal more transparently with the problems with infinities that will always appear in quantum field theory.

The author gives an overview of quantum field theory in the first part of the book, it being assumed that the reader already has a strong background in it. The calculation of correlation functions is the main goal of the book, and to facilitate this, the author introduces the path integral formalism. Wick's theorem, the tour-de-force of calculations in quantum field theory is then derived. Explicit calculations are done for a bosonic field in an external field using the now ubiquitous mathematical identity that "the determinant of an operator is the exponential of the trace of the logarithm of the operator. One should remember when reading these pages that the considerations are purely formal since no mathematical justification has been given for the path integral measure. Perturbation theory and Feynman diagrams are discussed (of course) and the infinities that arise in perturbation series are dealt with using regularization procedures. Since the author is dealing with problems in condensed matter, where a lattice is present, he labels quantum field theories as "universal" if there is no dependence of the correlation functions in the lattice. Since regularization procedures are obviously dependent on the lattice spacing (the "ultraviolet" and "infrared" divergences), physical quantities that depend on this are called "non-universal" by the author. The standard characterization of a theory as being "renormalizable" is reserved for those where the perturbation expansion can be reformulated so that non-universal quantities appear as a finite number of parameters. This leads to a formulation of the "universality hypothesis" and the renormalization group. The author states the Gellman-Low equation, and shows that the behavior of the Gellman-Low function graphically. The properties of this function in predicting asymptotic freedom and phase transitions are discussed in detail. The O(N) model is used to illustrate some of the phenomena exhibited by quantum field theories, such as symmetry breaking and the origin of Goldstone bosons.

All of these considerations involve only bosonic quantum field theories, but the inclusion of fermions is done in the second part of the book. The discussion here is also more physical, as the author discusses electrodynamics in metals, the treatment however being non-relativistic. This is remedied though later as the author treats quantum electrodynamics. The Schwinger model, and the origin of anomalies as a screening of the electromagnetic field is discussed, and this discussion is more physically motivated and better appreciated intuitively than the one based on path integral measures. The famous Boson-Fermion equivalence in (2+1) dimensions is discussed in terms of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. This is an interesting discussion and one that is somewhat unorhodox, as it is usually not presented in this way. It clearly shows the physical meaning of adding the Chern-Simons term to the Lagrangian, presented in most books as being merely a mathematical device.

Spin systems are the subject of part 3 of the book, with the author noting at the beginning that such systems are complicated to study due to the commutation relations of the spin operators. The emphasis is on disordered magnetic systems, and the presentation is crystal clear from a physical standpoint. The role of continuous symmetry in the nonlinear sigma model, and the breaking of discrete symmetry by short range quantum fluctuations is discussed in detail. The reader is also briefly introduced to the physics of doped antiferromagnets.

The last part of the book is the most exotic, and one that is better understood from a mathematical standpoint. The physics of (1+1)-dimensional quantum systems has turned out to be more of a mathematical playground however, as it turns out to have many experimental manifestations, as the author points out many times. In addition, his treatment of the quantum field theory of the free massless bosonic scalar field shows that even a seemingly trivial action can have non-trivial properties in terms of its correlation functions. Perturbing this action by a cosine term gives the sine-Gordon model, which is exactly solvable, and its connection with conformal field theory is shown by the author. The famous Kosterlitz-Thouless transition is also treated in fair detail. The Ising and spin 1/2 Heisenberg models are discussed in terms of conformal field theories and bosonization. The reader thus gets a physical motivation for the consideration of conformal field theories that have resulted in an enormous amount of research in the past decade. And, also, the reader can see clearly the origin of Kac-Moody algebras and non-Abelian bosonization in these and latter discussions on current operators. The Kondo problem, dealing with a magnetic impurity in a metal, and one of the most difficult problems in condensed matter physics, is treated here in detail in one dimension at half-filling.

The Best Introduction to CFT for CMT
This book gives a fairly comprehensive and very comprehendible introduction to conformal field theory as seen from a condensed-matter theorist's point of view.The review of the book from Book News givenabove actually describes it very well.The only things that could be addedare a warning that there are typos in the text and a praise to the authorfor the superb (as always) illustrations, which he drew himself.

Theauthor gives a fuller treatment of the subject in his new book"Bosonisation and Strongly Correlated Systems", which, quiteunfortunately, has not yet come out in paperback and is prohibitivelyexpensive in hardcover.

physical review
diffusion in the semiconducto ... Read more

Product Description
Unlike existing texts, this book blends for the first time three topics in physics - symmetry, condensed matter physics and computational methods - into one pedagogical textbook. It includes new concepts in mathematical crystallography, experimental methods capitalizing on symmetry aspects, non-conventional applications such as Fourier crystallography, color groups, quasicrystals and incommensurate systems, as well as concepts and techniques behind the Landau theory of phase transitions. Ideal for graduate students in condensed matter physics, materials science, and chemistry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent book on group theory and its applications to condensed matter physics
This is an excellent book on group theory and symmetry and their applications to crystallography and condensed matter physics. It also includes Onsager's reciprocity relations and quasicrystals. There is also a chapter on Landau's theory of phase transitions. Sample Mathematica programs are interspersed throughout the book. The detailed derivations and clear explanations are geared towards helping students learn the subject. ... Read more

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This reader-friendly introduction to the theory that underlies the many fascinating properties of solids assumes only an elementary knowledge of quantum mechanics. Taylor and Heinonen describe the methods for performing calculations and making predictions of some of the many complex phenomena that occur in solids and quantum liquids. Their book, aimed at advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students, leads the reader from the fundamental behavior of electrons and atoms in solids to the most recently explored manifestations of the quantum nature of condensed matter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An OK book
Since the first edition of Ashcroft/Mermin 's Solid State Physics, the Condensed Matter Physics has been expanded a lot in all directions. Things like high Tc Superconductivity and Quantum Hall Effect were not even discovered in the 1970s. And even in this age, not many textbooks touched the areas that actually most researchers in Condensed Matter Physics are currently working on.
This book is a good try for putting all the new topics as well as the classical ones together in one textbook. But after reading it, I am afraid the book spreaded too much while most topics are not described very clearly in this small book.
My feeling is, looking at the content only, you'll find this a great book --- almost everything interesting has been included! But if you really try to learn some topics --- especially the "advanced ones" --- you'll find many chaptors just give rough ideas or descriptions and finally it turns out not that helpful.
But of course this is not a bad book in general. If you are not in the research of COndensed Matter Physics, browsing this book can give you an nice overview of the current Condensed Matter Physics.

It is an excellent book.
Unfortunately it and its predecessor A Quantum Approach to Solid State are not very well-known yet. In conrast to many 'standard' Condensed Matter texts (like Ascroft & Mermin, Kittel, Marder, etc.) the authors do not attempt to cover all of the huge field. Instead they concentrate on the Quantum side of things which is reflected in the title (for example, no Soft Condensed Matter topics and purely classical results are included). This allows them to discuss several different approaches to the same question. To start they give you an appetizer which includes phonons, some magnetism and a short overview of what's to come. The arguments are intuitive at first and thus easy to understand Then they successfully bring more and more depth to the questions. This helps you to keep in mind the goal they are trying to achieve without getting lost in the forest of details. Quite often you can also use their derivation as a way to remember the result without memorizing it. You get a feel for what's to come and what is in need of patching (here is an example: they discuss Landau levels in a magnetic field by saying that a cirle looks like an oscillator from a side so the orbits should be quantized in the same way and then apply the same formula; this is an easy way to remember it but it is certainly not rigorous!). The book ends with a good discussion of the Quantum Hall effect and effect Kondo and thus cannot be called elementary. No shortcuts are taken so the presentation is smooth and easy to follow till the very end. The book was an enlightment when I first saw it!
On the minus side Taylor and Heinonen seem to be fond of indeces so some familiar expressions may look unexpectedly complicated and not immediately recognizable. An arguable drawback of the simplicity is that I adopt and 'privatize' their ideas so quickly that the second reading (the hunt for the missed points) is not that much fun (keeps me in a state of trying to figure out what was that that I was finding so difficult). Due to its limited content you will need to supplement this text with others which are more complete.
I hope that this short review helps spread the word about another good introduction to the complicated field of CMP. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A great aid to the hands-on low temperature experimentalist
With contributions by faculty, graduate students, and postdocs at Cornell, this book is a collection of very practical recipes written in a language easily accessible to a senior undergraduate or a beginning graduate student. If you are planning a novel experiment, building a new setup, or troubleshooting or adapting an existing piece of equipment, this book is an invaluable tool. It covers most of the little details which nobody mentions in respectable PRL articles but without the understanding of which nothing will work and your boss will not be happy. The book also has most of the important material property tables which you'd be scrambling to collect from all over. This book should be a reference to any low-temperature experimentalist, ahead of all other texts. ... Read more

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''Intended mainly for physicists and mathematicians...its highquality will definitely attract a wider audience.''---Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Physics Thisworkacquaints the physicist with the mathematical principles ofalgebraictopology, group theory, and differential geometry, asapplicable toresearch in field theory and the theory of condensedmatter. Emphasisis placed on the topological structure of monopoleand instantonsolution to the Yang-Mills equations, the descriptionof phases insuperfluid <^>3He, and the topology of singularsolutions in<^>3He and liquid crystals. ... Read more

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Concise Ideas and Applications ofTopology
This essential book about Cartan`s Lie formalism and its applications is written concisely and with all the necessary theorems to understand the topic. Michael Monastyrsky is explaing some very interesting physical applications of Topology, f.e. Yang-Mills, Gauge field theories and the also very important theory of fluid Helium. It counts to read the book from the beginning to the end. I like chapter three, because it affected to me his explanations of Yang-Mills and the Higgs mechanism. This book is recommendable for every physicist, who needs an introduction to Topology besides receiving some essential modern physics; that`s because Topology is a famous theme in physics, which becomes comprehensible while reading this book. ... Read more

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Statistical Physics bridges the properties of a macroscopic system and the microscopic behavior of its constituting particles, otherwise impossible due to the giant magnitude of Avogadro's number. Numerous systems of today's key technologies - such as semiconductors or lasers - are macroscopic quantum objects; only statistical physics allows for understanding their fundamentals. Therefore, this graduate text also focuses on particular applications such as the properties of electrons in solids with applications, and radiation thermodynamics and the greenhouse effect.

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fair
A concise theory based book on statistical mechanics intended for starting graduate students. This book does a good job in giving a nice summary of the different ensembles. It also has solutions for its problems at the end of the book. I would even recommend it to undergraduates, at least the first few chapters. Very concise ! ... Read more

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All living organisms consist of soft matter. For this reason alone, it is important to be able to understand and predict the structural and dynamical properties of soft materials such as polymers, surfactants, colloids, granular matter and liquids crystals. To achieve a better understanding of soft matter, three different approaches have to be integrated: experiment, theory and simulation. This book focuses on the third approach - but always in the context of the other two. ... Read more