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Providing a deeper understanding of the microscopic world through quantum theory, this supplementary text covers a wider range of topics than conventional textbooks. Emphasis is given to modern achievements such as entanglement, quantum teleportation, and Bose-Einstein condensation. Macroscopic quantum effects of practical relevance, for example superconductivity and the quantum Hall effect, are also described. The author discusses the exciting prospects for quantum computing in the future. ... Read more

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Hands-on practice in solving quantum physics problems

Quantum Physics is the study of the behavior of matter and energy at the molecular, atomic, nuclear, and even smaller microscopic levels. Like the other titles in our For Dummies Workbook series, Quantum Physics Workbook For Dummies allows you to hone your skills at solving the difficult and often confusing equations you encounter in this subject.

• Explains equations in easy-to-understand terms
• Harmonic Oscillator Operations, Angular Momentum, Spin, Scattering Theory

Using a proven practice-and-review approach, Quantum Physics Workbook For Dummies is all you need to get up to speed in problem solving! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fairly Decent
This book is fairly decent, at least what I have thus far been able to work through.Depending on what book you're using to start your undergraduate studies in quantum physics, this book may be of help at first or it may not.It jumps right into bra-ket notation, matrices, operators.Some books like Griffiths' Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, don't really touch much of that until around chapter 3 (well operators are hit in chapter 2).The problems are also a bit cookie cutter, in that they are pretty much the typical basic problems you'd find in any other book, then again, one wouldn't expect much more from a for Dummies book.The solutions are a bit terse at times, but overall they aren't too bad.The chapter breakdown is as follows,
1. The Basics of Quantum Physics: Introducing State Vectors
2. No Handcuffs Involved: Bound States in Energy Wells
3. Over and Over with Harmonic Oscillators
4. Handling Angular Momentum in Quantum Physics
5. Spin Makes the Particle Go Round
6. Solving Problems in Three Dimensions: Cartesian Coordinates
7. Going Circular in Three Dimensions: Spherical Coordinates
8. Getting to Know Hydrogen Atoms
9. Corralling Many Particles Together
10. Pushing with Perturbation Theory
11. One Hits the Other Scattering Theory
12. Ten Tips to Make Solving Quantum Physics Problems Easier
13. Ten Famous SOlved Quantum Physics Problems
14. Ten Ways to Avoid Common Errors When Solving Problems
Overall, the book is meant to compliment the book Quantum Physics for Dummies, also by the same author.So if you liked that book, you'll also probably like this book.Like most of the for Dummies series, there are much better books on the market, but at the same time, they usually aren't half bad either. ... Read more

Product Description
A main theme of the book outlines the role of the quantum potential in quantum mechanics and general relativity and one of its origins via fluctuations formulated in terms of Fisher information. Another theme is the description of various approaches to Bohmian mechanics and their role in quantum mechanics and general relativity. Along the way various approaches to, for instance, the Dirac equation, the Einstein equations, the Klein-Gordon equation, the Maxwell equations and the Schrödinger equations are described. Statistics and geometry are intertwined in various ways and, among other matters, the aether, cosmology, entropy, fractals, quantum Kaehler geometry, the vacuum and the zero point field are discussed. There is also some speculative material and some original work along with material extracted from over 1000 references and the work is current up to April 2005. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bohm's extraordinary potential and modern statistical physics
by B. Roy Frieden

This book is an excellent summary - often in depth -- of modern themes in statistical mathematical physics.Its overall theme is the intimate connection between concepts of quantum fluctuations, expressed via Fisher information, diffusion processes, etc., on one hand, to the so-called "quantum potential" of Bohm on the other.A tremendous range of modern physical theory is presented, of which but a tiny subset can be mentioned in this review.The concept of the quantum potential was championed by D. Bohm as a link between classical and quantum theory, and is a trajectory-based version of elementary quantum mechanics (the trajectories existing at least as a handy "illusion," according to the author.).The Bohm potential has lately been used for similar purposes by Reginatto and Hall, and also to derive an "exact" version of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.Concepts of information (Shannon- and Fisher- varieties) and entropy are widely used throughout.The Bohm potential is also used in the duality theory of Faraggi and Matoneand in many other concepts of modern quantum theory.The view of physics afforded by the Extreme physical information (EPI) approach of Frieden is objectively and factually summarized.Quantum fluctuation theory is widely used, in application to diffusion theory and stochastic electrodynamics.So also is quantum field theory, in particular work by Nikolic.

This is predominantly a book of mathematical theory, which therefore contains many equations.These are both set out and located within the text.However, the notation is straightforward for any graduate-level theoretical physicist or mathematician, and the writing style is informal and (as a result) informative.There is a wealth of expository material on the aims and accomplishments of the theories. I heartily recommend the book to any physicist or mathematician who wants an in-depth view of today's statistical physics, particularly its tie-ins to the Bohm potential.
... Read more

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The book is an introduction to quantum field theory and renormalization group. It shows that these frameworks are essential for the understanding of phenomena belonging to many different areas of physics, which range from phase transitions in macroscopic systems to the theory of fundamental interactions. This advanced new edition is based on graduate courses and summer schools given by the author over a number of years. Although there are several good textbooks on QFT, this is the first to emphasize the common aspects of particle physics and the theory of critical phenomena in a unified framework. The book has been fully updated, with about 50% new material added. Three new chapters have been included: an introduction to non-relativistic quantum statistical physics; a chapter on critical phenomena in non-magnetic systems, polymers, liquid-vapour, and helium superfluid transitions; and a chapter on finite temperature relativistic quantum field theory. The book can be roughly divided into four parts: chapters 1-12 deal with general field theory, functional integrals, and functional methods. In chapters 13-21, renormalization properties of theories with symmetries are studied and specific applications to particle physics are emphasized. Chapters 23-37 are devoted to critical phenomena. Chapters 39-43 describe the role of instantons in quantum mechanics and field theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice written overview of QFT from a stat mech perspective
This book is a lengthy discussion of quantum field theory from the viewpoint of statistical mechanics. The author does a good job in connecting the theory of quantum fields with critical phenomena instatistical mechanics. Path integration is used throughout (more detaileddiscussion could be useful on how one relates the real time formulation fortime independent Hamiltonians to the Euclidean formulation). It is theEuclidean functional integral that is exploited throughout the book to makethe connections between QFT and statistical mechanics.The author shouldhave discussed the issues with analytical continuation between the realtime and imaginary time formulations. The discussion on instantons was veryilluminating. -LC (Global Mathematics, Inc) ... Read more

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This volume brings together leading quantum physicists to expound on the meaning and future directions of quantum mechanics. It offers new insights from different vantage points to tackle essential questions in quantum mechanics and its interpretation. All the authors have written for a broad readership, and the resulting volume will appeal to everyone wishing to keep abreast of new developments in quantum mechanics, as well as its history and philosophy.

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Probably the most successful scientific theory ever created, quantum theory has profoundly changed our view of the world and extended the limits of our knowledge, impacting both the theoretical interpretation of a tremendous range of phenomena and the practical development of a host of technological breakthroughs. Yet for all its success, quantum theory remains utterly baffling.

Quantum Reality: Theory and Philosophy cuts through much of the confusion to provide readers with an exploration of quantum theory that is as authoritatively comprehensive as it is intriguingly comprehensible. Requiring no more than school level physics and mathematics background, this volume requires only an interest in understanding how quantum theory came to be and the myriad ways it both explains how our universe functions and extends the reach of human knowledge.

Written by well-known physics author and teacher Dr. Jonathan Allday, this highly engaging work:

• Presents a thorough grounding in the theoretical machinery of quantum physics
• Offers a whistle-stop tour through the early part of the 20^th century when the founding fathers of quantum theory forever altered the frontiers of human thought
• Provides an example-filled interpretation of the theory, its applications, and its pinnacle in quantum field theory (QFT), so crucial in shaping ideas about the nature of reality
• Separates fact from speculation regarding quantum physics’ ability to provide a starting point for philosophical queries into ultimate understanding and the limits of science

The world beneath the one that we experience with our senses is profoundly mysterious, and while we may never completely unravel that mystery, quantum theory allows us to come closer than ever to understanding where the science leaves off and the mystery begins. Quantum Reality: Theory and Philosophy makes that understanding accessible to anyone possessing a quest for knowledge and a sense of awe.

Customer Reviews (1)

Accessible quantum mechanics
This is an excellent exposition of a notoriously difficult subject. Aimed at a general audience, but not dumbed down, it explains the experimental basis of quantum theory, provides enough of the math to get a sense of how the theory works, and presents a nice tour of the various interpretations of QM, as well as an explanation of why an interpretation is needed. My only quibble is that Allday ignores Huw Price's "Retrocausation" interpretation. I will be teaching a course in Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics at UCSB this Winter Quarter, and plan to use this book as a text. ... Read more

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As Kenneth W. Ford shows us in The Quantum World, the laws governing the very small and the very swift defy common sense and stretch our minds to the limit. Drawing on a deep familiarity with the discoveries of the twentieth century, Ford gives an appealing account of quantum physics that will help the serious reader make sense of a science that, for all its successes, remains mysterious. In order to make the book even more suitable for classroom use, the author, assisted by Diane Goldstein, has included a new section of Quantum Questions at the back of the book. A separate answer manual to these 300+ questions is available; visit The Quantum World website for ordering information.

There is also a cloth edition of this book, which does not include the "Quantum Questions" included in this paperback edition.

Customer Reviews (31)

Poorly edited
This book isn't poorly organized or written, it just hasn't had the rough edges smoothed out. It has some continuity problems in building the framework for the reader to place ideas into context, undefined terms, etc. Its not bad (and it is very basic), but there are probably better ones out there.

Exactly what I wanted
I am a science-ee kind of guy. I graduated collage 6 years ago with electrical and comp sci emphasis. I always had an interest in quantum sciences but never studied any. This book fit the bill very well for me. It's quite technical, but in a "I'm not in collage anymore" kind of way. There are a few equations, but it is not necessary to do any of them. They are there more for making points, or proofs. This book does a great job of introducing you to all the different particles, kinds of radioactive decay, etc... in a logical order, in an easy to read, friendly language. Don't get me wrong, this isn't Quantum World For Dummies :) My point is that your granny or pappy could read it and get the jist of it's content, with some thought (if it didn't bore them too much).

Also, in reading it, I also came across explanations for things I've known all my life, but never thought about why. EX: Why heavy elements decay. Particles are so empty... they are all made of "nothing", mostly empty space.

Highly recommend! I haven't been this invested in a book since the last awesome book I read...... um... yep.

More than a popular book
The book is great. Fundamental ideas of the quantum mechanics are explained in plain, clear and concise language. I think the book can be useful to undergraduate students who take a course on modern physics or a basic quantum mechanics course. I read "The Quantum World" in parallel with University Physics and Modern Physics and found this reading very enjoyable. But as a popular reading this book may be rather complicated. To people who don't have a relevant background in physics, before starting this book I would recommend "Warped passages" by Lisa Randall or "The Fabric of the Cosmos" by Brian Greene.

Review of 'The Quantum World'
Although the title suggests otherwise, this book is not intended for everyone. For that, it is too specific. That's why I expected a book which is a little more thorough. The collapse of the wave function is not treated at all for instance and the concept of wave function is only mentioned a few times, while it is one of the most mysterious items in quantum mechanics.

The part about the elementary particles is ok, the same holds for the treatment about symmetry and conservation laws.

All in all it's an entertaining book. But it remains too superficial to really give new insights.

Excellent introduction to the subject
I loved this book from start to finish. The material is fascinating and presented clearly, in easy-to-digest form. In terms of the reader's assumed knowledge, this book doesn't aim for the *lowest* common denominator. Some familiarity with first-year algebra is helpful, but not essential; the concepts generally stand on their own without any mathematics at all. Ford also explains the experiments that led to many aspects of the standard model, particularly from earlier developments. This helps the reader appreciate the evidence physicists were weighing in their attempts to piece together the puzzle. If anything, I would have appreciated more details on these experiments. But, for a quick introduction to the topic, this book does a fine job balancing the information and does an exceptional job getting the reader to visualize concepts. ... Read more

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This invaluable textbook presents the basic elements needed to understand and research into semiconductor physics. It deals with elementary excitations in bulk and low-dimensional semiconductors, including quantum wells, quantum wires and quantum dots. The basic principles underlying optical nonlinearities are developed, including excitonic and many-body plasma effects. Fundamentals of optical bistability, semiconductor lasers, femtosecond excitation, the optical Stark effect, the semiconductor photon echo, magneto-optic effects, as well as bulk and quantum-confined Franz-Keldysh effects, are covered. The material is presented in sufficient detail for graduate students and researchers with a general background in quantum mechanics.This fifth edition includes an additional chapter on 'Quantum Optical Effects' where the theory of quantum optical effects in semiconductors is detailed. Besides deriving the 'semiconductor luminescence equations' and the expression for the stationary luminescence spectrum, the results are presented to show the importance of Coulombic effects on the semiconductor luminescence and to elucidate the role of excitonic populations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good one time reading.
The book is truly a required reading for anyone, who wants to work in the field of semiconductor opticas. The choice of topics and the presentation are excellent. However, the book does not go really deep in any of the topics, therefore I doubt that anyone will read this book more than once or use it as a reference.
Some topic and, especially, equations may seem too overused in later books and review papers, but apparently this book was the first to present them and here they are truly enlightening.
... Read more

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This text aims to provide an introduction to the subject of quantum field theory without the complication of introducing its application areas such as elementary particle physics or statistical physics at the same time.
It explains those features of quantum and statistical field systems that result from their field-theoretic nature and are therefore common to different physical contexts. The reader is supplied with practical tools for carrying out calculations as well as a discussion of the meaning of the results.
An approach emphasizing the simplest models is used, progressing to discussion of real systems before mentioning more general and rigorous conclusions. The book is structured around carefully selected problems, which are solved in detail. The central concept is that of effective action (or free energy in statistical physics), and the main technical tool is the path integral, although other formalisms are also mentioned. A knowledge of particle physics phenomenology is not required. T ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent informal QFT intro
You want to know what is Casimir effect, renormalization and Callan-Symanzic Eqn, effective action and path integral. You take a standard QFT course (say, Weinberg or Peskin) and find yourself overwhelmed with peculiarities of Dirac spinors and Lorentz group representations. You feel you are not going anywhere: you are not learning QFT, really! Maybe you are even not a particle physicist after all. Then this book is for YOU! Authors do a great job explaining the essence of QFT (as an interacting theory with an infinite number degrees of freedom) using the scalar field Lagrangian with the quartic interaction as a prime example. It is amazing how far one actually can go with such a model! Each chapter contains an illustrative calculation of a physical quantity (say, the Casimir energy, Ch. 5), with all the details, and without unnecessary complications. One also learns agreat deal of the path integral techniques (e.g. instantons), which is extremely important in a variety of fields (QCD, condensed matter, statistical physics, etc). Overall, a highly recommended reading.

A great introductory course
I've looked at many books on quantum field theory and this is without doubt the best introductory work I have found. The Weinberg book jumps in at the deep end, the Kaku book jumps in at about 6 feet deep but this one allows you to at least climb into the pool. It's a rare intelligence to be aware of how to lead one's reader along the learning curve and these authors display it. Typo errors occur at the rate of about one every two pages (did anyone read the proofs?) but they are easily discovered if one follows the math carefully. ... Read more

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This clearly explained layman's introduction to quantum physics is an accessible excursion into metaphysics and the meaning of reality.  Herbert exposes the quantum world and the scientific and philosophical controversy about its interpretation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

The basic reality of Quantum Physics
This is a great book by Nick Herbert. This is a book that deals with the interpretation of Quantum Physics. But its importance is that it deals not with a 'spiritual' or 'mystical' understanding of quantum physics but with how scientists and physicists themselves interpret quantum physics. It is a book of pure science and there is no quantum mysticism involved here.

Nick Lembert discusses basically eight different interpretations of quantum physics. These include the Copenhagen interpretation, Feynman's interpretation, the 'multiple worlds' interpretation, etc. All these interpretations are the work of the greatest physicists in quantum physics. These are the ways in which the scientists understand how physics work. They are not important in getting the results of quantum dynamics, the maths of quantum physics works independently of which interpretation we may choose to believe.

And this is where Herbert shows the craziness of quantum physics: although all these interpretations are radically different from each other, they can all explain quantum physics equally well. Neither we, the non-physicists, nor the greatest physicists in the world, really know what actually is going on in this strange little world, whether the particles are behaving according to the Copehnhagen interpretation, the multiple world explanation, etc. Herbert handles this very well, we get a sense of why Feynman said, 'just shut up and calculate'. Scientists dont understand the basic reality of quantum physics either!

Another very useful thing I took away from the book was the explanation of the wave equations of Quantum Physics. Herbert does a fine job of showing what exactly waves are and how physics describes the particles as waves and what this means. This again shows up the mysteriousness of Quantum Physics in another way.

All in all, I would call this a very important book to understand the general principles of quantum physics, one that is vital because it sets out the different interpretations in a very clear and comprehensible manner.

--P.J.Mazumdar, author of The Circle of Fire: The Metaphysics of Yoga

What is Reality?
Nick Herbert has done a great service by trying to look behind the veil which hides what underlies quantum mechanics. One thing we do know is that reality is non-local. Just what this has to do with the price of eggs in China is not clear. Quantum mechanics gives probilities for the position of electrons and protons in the Hydrogen molecule. However until an actual measurement is made you can't tell where the parts are. Electrons are real particles (which can act like waves) and so are Protons and Neutrons. The idea that things are made real by being observed by a conscious entity does not make much sense to me, Neptune was found by its gravitational effect before anyone ever saw it. The Universe is about 12 or 13 billion years old and the earth about 4.5 billion. I am sure that things happened long before there were humans (about 7 million years ago), it seems like the height of hubris to think that we are in any way important to the development of the universe.
I recommend the book to everyone who is interested in what reality is.

Recommended, but with a reservation.
I recommend this book, but with the reservation that the book should only be considered as an adjunct to other books on the subject of the meaning of quantum theory.I will have more to say about this later, along with recommendations of the books that I think should be read in order to get the most out of this current book.

This book discusses the implications of quantum theory and why they have led prominent physicists to believe that there may not be any deep reality, or that reality only exists when an intelligent observer is looking, or that all things are interrelated in a manner that allows "action at a distance" to travel beyond the speed of light (actually instantaneously), or that there are many parallel worlds continuously being created.All of these ideas appear to be straight out of science fiction, but they are in actuality concepts developed by some of the most renowned physicists of the 20th century.Read this book to see why this "science fiction" may indeed be science fact.The book has an overview of quantum theory, but this overview is, in my opinion, presented much more clearly in other books (to be discussed).The ideas of quantum reality are, however, presented in a more organized and focused manner than in other books devoted to this subject.I especially enjoyed the discussion of the uncertainty principal based on the wave equation as opposed to that of matrix mechanics, which I was already familiar with.

I almost did not read this book because of the way that it is presented.I looked it over several times before buying it.I had the following concerns, discussed below, which were largely unwarranted.I mention them here because the readers of this review may have similar concerns.
1) The subtitle of the book is "An excursion into metaphysics and the meaning of reality".This book is not a book about the metaphysics of reality, in the sense that it is not a philosophy text; rather it is a physics book, based on the work of the most outstanding physicists of the 20th century.
2) Nowhere on the cover, or inside of the book, does it say who Nick Herbert (the author) is and what his qualification to write this book might be.This generally means that the publisher is afraid that if you knew more about the author you would not buy the book, or that the stated author is a pseudonym.A quick search of the Internet shown that while Nick Herbert is not a theoretical physicist of worldwide renown, he has a PhD in physics, has taught the subject, and has had a significant industrial career.
3) The book was published in 1985 and may thus be out-of-date.This is, in my opinion, not a severe problem because the questions regarding the meaning of quantum reality have been around since the 1930's and have not yet been resolved.Also, the book includes the experimental evidence supporting Bell's theorem, which is not included is some books on quantum reality that were published at about the same time.Bell's theorem, and its implications, are the subjects of the last part of the book, so the inclusion of this experimental data is very important as it lends experimental support for the strange predictions of quantum theory, reducing the level of speculation inherent in these predictions.While I liked this treatment of Bell's theorem, I think that Brian Greene's treatment in "The Fabric of the Cosmos" is even better.Greene also provides a much better treatment of Einstein's "EPR" criticism of Quantum Theory and what it implies.
4) Early in the book there is a list of 6 versions of quantum reality that reads like bad science fiction.This gave me the false impression that the book was more "new age" than "new physics".The versions of quantum reality are based on physics, which are described in a general and largely non-mathematical manner.

As mentioned, I have a significant reservation, one that caused me to give this book 4 stars, instead of 5.I found the discussion of the "measurement problem", which at the heart of the book and has led to the myriad of ideas regarding quantum reality, to be somewhat muddled and, from my perspective, somewhat incomprehensible.Herbert uses the idea of polarization to define the "measurement problem", whereas I find the description of this problem based on two-slit interference experiments to be much more understandable.In fact, had I not already been familiar with this approach I would probably have had to put the book down and would have gone on to read something else.I would recommend that anyone reading this book should first read Gribbin's "In Search of Schrodingers Cat", Feynman's "Six Easy Pieces" (the chapter on quantum behavior) and Greene's "The Fabric of the Cosmos".All three give highly understandable treatments of the "measurement problem", and Gribbin and Greene provided better treatments of EPR and Bell's theorem.Gribbin also gives a very concise historical presentation of the development of quantum theory.I would also recommend Gribbin's "Schrodingers Kittens and the Search for Reality" as it brings his other book up-to-date (at least to 1995), particularly in that it includes the experimental support for Bell's theorem, as does Greene's book.(Gribbin's earlier book does not include this, even though it was written at about the same time as Herbert's book.)I also recommend Feynman's QED as it presents quantum theory in a way that avoids many of the conundrums resulting from the other views of quantum theory.Herbert discuses QED, but in a very cursory manner and does not discuss the fact that it avoids some of the pitfalls inherent in the other approaches (but introduces come of its own, which Herbert does not even mention).Without the above-mentioned background, I am afraid that the reader may become quite lost.

I recommend this book to college students studying quantum mechanics.The book complements the more problem solving aspects of quantum theory, dwelling on the deeper implications of what is being presented.Some advance high school student may also get a lot from this book.I would not, however, recommend it to people who expect a "new age" philosophical discourse.They will be disappointed and unless they also are reasonable well versed in physics they will likely find the book somewhat impossible to follow in all but the most superficial manner.

Wonderful, simple introduction to the Quantum world
I never progressed beyond basic high school physics, but I've been interested in learning about Quantum physics for years.My dad, who's been studying QP for years, recommended this book to me as the most simple starting place, noting that he thought other books dealt with Bell's theorum a bit better.

I loved this book.It was simple and as straight-forward as possilbe considering the strangeness of the quantum world.The only think I had a bit of trouble wrapping my brain around was the EPR description.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in quantum and the nature of the world in which we live - or THINK we live.I can't wait to read more books on the subject.

Reality is not what it used to be
As Nick Herbert points out early on in the book, the best kept secret of modern physicists is that they have "lost their grip on reality." Although written in the 1980s this book remains, in my opinion, the best overview of quantum physics on the market. One has to wonder why the Newtonian model of existence is still pushed so remorselessly in our schools. Evidently we are only comfortable with the blatant external appearances of life and are terrified of looking beyond that. What you cannot see...you must ignore. Nick Herbert does an excellent job of exposing that paradigm as a ridiculous self-deception. ... Read more

Product Description
PhysletA (R) Quantum Physics contains a collection of over 200 ready-to-run interactive exercises. These "media-focused" critical thinking and problem-solving exercises are based on carefully designed computer simulations generated in awardwinning Java applets. PhysletA (R) Quantum Physics is based on current educational, experimental, and theoretical research, and gives students an interactive visual representation of the often difficult-to-visualize physical phenomena in quantum physics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Brilliant softwate
The applets on this is just great for understanding many physics concepts. It covers most topics (mechanics, waves, electrostatics, magnetism etc), it has interactive menus so you can change the parameters in the experiments and it logs the output and plots them for you.

Highly recommended for any high school student and even university students. An excellent teaching and learning tool. I highly recommend it to my students since it moves abstract concepts closer to the concrete stage.

If you are a parent, this is a MUST have for your child to aid their learning of physics concepts.

The downside is some of the applets do not work but they are a small minority. Note you need to enable the java function on your browser, just go to Sun Microsystems website, it should work.

Great tool for visualizing quantum physics concepts
This book is an attempt to teach modern physics to students by enabling them to visualize various physical phenomena via Java applets designed to demonstrate various physics concepts - thus the name "physlets". The book and its accompanying CD contain around 250 such physlets that span a broad spectrum of physics courses, although the emphasis is on quantum theory. The book has some discussion of the concepts involved, particularly in the context of the parameters of the particular Physlet being examined, but this really wasn't meant to be a textbook. It's just a supplementary text for a variety of physics courses in which visualization of a concept is a real roadblock in learning. The book has 200 exercises, and they are not what you would expect in a physics book. The problems largely consist of running a physlet and answering some questions about your observations, or you are asked to change the input parameters to a physlet and explain what you observe versus what you observed when the default parameter was active. At no point does the author assume you are a Java programmer yourself and ask you to code up your own physlet, although if you know how, that would probably be a very educational activity. The following is the table of contents:

Chapter 1: Introduction to Physlets

Part 1: Special Relativity
Chapter 2: Space and Time in Special Relativity
Chapter 3: Relativistic Mechanics

Part 2: The Need for a Quantum Theory
Chapter 4: From Blackbody to Bohr
Chapter 5: Wave-Particle Duality

Part 3: Quantum Theory
Chapter 6: Classical and Quantum-mechanical Probability
Chapter 7: The Schrödinger Equation
Chapter 8: The Free Particle
Chapter 9: Scattering in One Dimension
Chapter 10: The Infinite Square Well
Chapter 11: Finite Square Wells and Other Piecewise-constant Wells
Chapter 12: Harmonic Oscillators and Other Spatially-varying Wells
Chapter 13: Multi-dimensional Wells

Part 4: Applications
Chapter 14: Atomic, Molecular, and Nuclear Physics
Chapter 15: Statistical Mechanics ... Read more

Product Description

This lecture-style monograph is addressed to several categories of readers. First, it will be useful for graduate students studying theory. Second, the topics covered should be interesting for postgraduate students of various specializations. Third, the researchers who want to understand the background of modern theoretical issues in more detail can find a number of useful results here. The phenomena covered involve kinetics of electron, phonon, and photon systems in solids. The dynamical properties and interactions of electrons, phonons, and photons are briefly described in Chapter 1. Further, in Chapters 2-8, the authors present the main theoretical methods: linear response theory, various kinetic equations for the quasiparticles under consideration, and diagram technique. The presentation of the key approaches is always accompanied by solutions of concrete problems to illustrate ways to apply the theory. The remaining chapters are devoted to various manifestations of quantum transport in solids. The choice of particular topics is determined by their scientific importance and methodological value. The 267 supplementary problems presented in the ends of chapters are offered to guide the reader in self-study. Focusing attention on the methodological aspects and discussing a great diversity of kinetic phenomena, in keeping with the guiding principle "a method is more important than a result", the authors minimize both detailed discussion of physical mechanisms of the phenomena and the comparison of theoretical results to experimental data.

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Although it is our most successful physical theory, quantum mechanics raises conceptual issues that have perplexed physicists and philosophers of science for decades. This book develops a new approach based on the proposal that quantum theory is not a complete, final theory, but, in fact, an emergent phenomenon arising from a more profound level of dynamics. ... Read more

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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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Why is quantum theory so difficult to understand?In this book, written for both undergraduate and graduate students of chemistry and physics, the author looks at the continuing debate about the meaning of quantum theory.The historical development of the theory is traced from the turn of the century through to the 1930s, and the famous debate between Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein.The book examines in detail the arguments that quantum theory is incomplete, as made by Einstein, Boris Podolsky, and Nathan Rosen; the development of Bell's theorem; and crucial experimental tests performed in the early 1980s.Alternative interpretations -- pilot waves, quantum gravity, consciousness, and many worlds -- are described in the closing chapter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A good review of the mysteries of Quantum Physics
Jim Baggot's ' The Meaning of Quantum Theory' is an excellent book and this reviewer is happy to recommend it to anyone trying the understand what quantum physics is all about. Of course,in the process he makes it clear that a full understanding is not yet available.


Although it is not a large book, it is reasonably comprehensive in it's coverage of the topic, where it gives the reader a good outline of the mysteries of quantum world. It is not a popular science book. The author does not shirk from including essential mathematics. It is as the expanded title says: 'A Guide for Students of Chemistry and Physics', and of course those with a scientific backround who are interested in the topic.

The mathematics is, though, mainly confined to one chapter. Overall, the book explains the mysteries of the quantum world in a clear and precise manner (insofar as they can be explained). This reviewer is, however, not impressed with the 'Many Worlds' interpretation but I suppose it has to be covered and it is dealt with towards the end of the book.


Whether, as indicated by the title of the book: ' The Meaning of Quantum Theory', Quantum Physics has meaning is a debatable point, which is more in the region of philosophy rather than science. It could encourage those who try to connect Quantum Physics to Eastern mysticism to come up with their 'ideas' as to what it is all about. Rather, the book's third chapter: ' Quantum Theory: What Does it Mean' has a different connoctation and is what has occupied a lot of minds over the years. Again, the book's closing chapter entitled 'The hand of God' might also have been better left to a book on philosophy rather than a book on Quantum Physics which is supposed to be aimed at students of Physics and Chemistry.

These, though, are minor criticisms which do not really detract from the book's overall merit.

Schrodingers Cat in Graduate School
This book covers pretty much the same ground as Gribbins "In Search of Schrodingers Cat", but does so in a more mathematical manner.The math is not overly complex, it does not go beyond algebra, but does use very complicated notation systems (including Dirac's bracket notation).The reader should be familiar with the concept of an operator and not be frightened by the sight of partial differential equations, although none are actually solved.The book is aimed at students of Chemistry and Physics, but it is not a textbook per se, but rather an adjunct to a quantum theory text.This book is about the meaning of quantum theory, rather than about solving specific quantum problems.It focuses on the implications of the various interpretations of quantum theory.It not only goes into the standard Copenhagen interpretation (developed by Niels Bohr and colleagues) and the objections to it raised by Einstein and others, but also goes into several other interpretations, such as Einstein's hidden variable idea, DeBroglie's pilot waves and Bohm's quantum potentials.Baggott not only develops these other ideas, but also shows where many have been abandoned by their developers or proved to be inconsistent with quantum theory and experimental data.

By using some math the book Baggott is able to derive the Schridinger wave equation is a very simple manner.This derivation comes from Schrodingers own notebooks and is much simpler than the more sophisticated one that Schrodinger used in his paper describing the wave equation.Baggott also shows where the uncertainty principle comes from and why it is inherent in the mathematics of wave and matrix mechanics because it is a feature of all non-commuting operators.In my opinion the derivation of the wave equation and this analysis of the uncertainty principle are alone worth the price of the book.
Baggott also goes into the EPR thought experiment, derives Bell's inequality and describes in some detail the various tests for the EPR experiment and Bell's inequality.Much of this material is also included in "In Search of Schrodingers Cat", but because no math is included, Gribbin's discussion is not as detailed or complete as Baggott's.(This is not a criticism of Gribbin's book, as it is aimed at a more general audience.)

Baggott's book a great choice for someone studying quantum mechanics, but is probably beyond those with an insufficient background in mathematics.I recommend Gribbins "In Search of Schrodingers Cat" (see my review of this book for more details on it) for those who want a non-mathematical treatment of this subject.

Bridging Descriptions and the Mathematics
Succinctly: if you want more than descriptive science popularizations and are ready to tackle the math then this is, quite simply, the best book there is.Jim Baggott introduces the notation and the concepts in an engaging and untiring style and after a careful reading (or three) one is ready to read the original papers.Cannot recommend highly enough.

Author unqualified by own admission, obviously confused
The author begins telling us why he wrote it and asking why we should read it. Good question, and the answer is that we shouldn't, and he shouldn't have either.

Oh sure, Jim Baggott has got his equations down pat, but alas, from the opening page he gets hopelessly lost in matters he clearly doesn't understand. Get a clue, Jim;Schrodinger's Cat was a REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM, a "jumping out of the box" so to speak, showing that the word "consciousness" does not belong in a discussion of quantum theory, unless perhaps in a chapter on the the early history of this subject when everyon was confused.Even Von Neumann went out on some pretty wild limbs when this whole flap started, though he certainly came off of them before his famous axiomatization of quantum mechanics. Furthermore, in case you missed his sequels, he would later advance the concept of "strong" artificial intelligence, which minimally agrees with modern cognitive science that consciousness is a high order function in which the quantum scale of things appears to be utterly irrelevant (and visa versa.)

How about this for a metaphor? This book is much like an otherwise excellent "biology in a nutshell" chapbook, but one which also has a few sprinklings and maybe a chapter or two on scientific creationism and intelligent design, delusions which clearly have no place in modern science.

Such is it with "quantum quackery," the notion that uncertainty gives us carte blanche to impose our metaphysical fantasies on the univerese.Intermixed with genuine erudition, to be sure, this book provides a basic groundwork for all the pseudoscience and mysticism that are the current rage in new age circles.Sadly, the author has done such a fine job with those components of quantum theory thathe actually does understand, that this seems to legitimize the rubbish with which he has filled his knowledge gaps.

In short, this book flirts with the notion of being intellectually dangerous.I'm apalled that Oxford would publish such drivel.Whatever happened to peer review?

Great intro to the quantum, from Author of Quantum Mechanics Demystified
This was the first book I ever read about quantum theory-and I found it utterly fascinating. The book is written with a great style-its like he communicates a sense of urgency in the scientific exploration that led to the development of quantum mechanics. He begins with a very well written historical intro that covers Planck's blackbody radiation, the photoelectric effect etc. In the second chapter Baggot takes a surprising turn and lays out some of the mathematical tools of quantum mechanics but in a very basic way. From here he goes into the Bohr-Einstein debates of the 20s and 30s. This part was absolutely fascinating, if you haven't read about this before you'll be blown away by the amazing intellectual challenge fought between these two geniuses. The rest of the book is devoted to the fascinating topic of Bell's theorem, entanglement and hidden variables. The book absolutely blew me away because at the time I didn't know anything about quantum mechanics. If a small bit of math doesn't put you off, I highly recommend the book. If you're a physics, math or engineering student I definitely recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Graduate students in both theoretical and experimental physics will find this third edition of Intermediate Quantum Mechanics, refined and updated in 1986, indispensable. The first part of the book deals with the theory of atomic structure, while the second and third parts deal with the relativistic wave equations and introduction to field theory. Throughout its nearly thirty-five years in print, Intermediate Quantum Mechanics has consistently offered more complete coverage of applications of quantum mechanics than any other single-volume work on the subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Bethe's work made accessible to the English-speaking world
As a graduate student I found myself pouring over Bethe's papers on inelastic scattering as written in the original German.That was pretty tough going!Happily, one of my fellow students introduced me to Bethe and Jackiw, which covered this same material in English.So for people who want to understand how electrons lose energy to individual atoms (i.e. characteristic energy losses) this book is extremely useful.For electron microscopists such as myself Bethe's work is essential for learning how to compute the cross sections used in both energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).

very good
This is a very useful book, but only for someone with a solid grasp of QM at the undergrad level.The only problem is the terrible type in which the equations are set.Why Addison-Wesley released a new edition without fixing this is beyond me.
(profit, perhaps?No, never on a scholarly textbook.)

A good overview
That quantum mechanics must be understood by anyone working in any area of technology is now well accepted. Indeed, semiconductor device physics, proteomics, and computational chemistry are just three of the more modern areas where a through knowledge of quantum mechanics is needed in order to make any kind of significant progress. This book, written by two of the major players in the development of quantum mechanics in the 20th century, is an excellent overview of how to do practical computations in quantum mechanics. The book is addressed primarily to the aspiring atomic physicist and spectroscopist, but it could serve well anyone interested in the applications of quantum mechanics, such as those in the aforementioned fields. Due to space limitations, I will only review the first 8 chapters of the book.

Chapter 1 is a brief overview of elementary quantum mechanics, and the authors set down the notation and units to be followed in the book. They state the main goal of the book, which is to solve the Schrodinger equation for an atom with nuclear charge Ze. This problem for one-electron is straightforwardly solved, but for more than one electron approximation techniques must be used, a few of which they mention. Since spin will have to be dealt with throughout the book, the authors include a description of spin 1/2 particles.

In chapter 2 the authors discuss the use of symmetry principles in quantum many-particle systems, pointing out the origin of exchange degeneracy and the Pauli exclusion principle. The authors also give an interesting discussion of the experimental determination of symmetry, particularly their argument for the absence of hidden variables.

In chapter 3 the authors give an overview of the quantum mechanics of two-electron atoms, pointing out that the calculations give six-figure agreement between theory and experiment. Perturbation and variational methods are used to solve the Schrodinger equation for this system, and show the origin of the triplet and singlet levels for the helium atom.

In chapter 4, the authors introduce another approximation technique, the self-consistent field or "Hartree-Fock" method, in order to calculate the excited states for the two-electron atom more efficiently. This approach involves using a variational trial function, called the determinantal wave function, as an ansatz, which because of orthogonalityand parity considerations, results in a set of equations, called the Hartree-Fock equations, for the single electron orbitals. The "exchange term" in these equations is discussed in detail, involving a notion of a "nonlocal" potential. The physical significance of the eigenvalue in these equations is also discussed, and related to the famous Koopman theorem. It is proven also that atoms with closed shells leads to a spherically symmetric theory. The periodic table is shown to be a consequence of the Pauli principle and the Hartree-Fock calculation.

An improvement to Hartree-Fock, the Thomas-Fermi method, which does not include exchange, is discussed in chapter 5. Classified as a "statistical method", this method finds the effective potential energy experienced by a small test charge, along with the electron density around the nucleus. The authors show how exchange effects can be included using a procedure due to P.A.M. Dirac, which uses a concept of effective exchange potential, and one due to W. Lenz, which is a constrained optimization procedure, requiring that the total energy be stationary.

In order to remove the degeneracy in the atomic shells due to the Hartree-Fock approximation, the authors view it as a perturbation expansion in chapter 6, with the unperturbed Hamiltonian being the Hartree-Fock central field Hamiltonian, and the perturbation being the electrostatic interaction of the electrons minus a suitable average of it. The search forproper linear combinations of zero-order degenerate eigenfunctions to make the total Hamiltonian diagonal entails the use of the total orbital and spim angular momentum of all the electrons in the atom. Hence the authors outline in detail how to perform the addition of angular momenta in this chapter. The reader can see clearly the origin of the famous Clebsch-Gordon coefficients. This program is carried out in more detail in chapter 7, wherein the authors considers and atom which has an electron configuration distributed over several complete and one incomplete shell. The incomplete shell gives several different degenerate solutions, and this degeneracy can be removed by the assignment of angular momentum and spin quantum numbers to the orbitals in the shell. This chapter is characterized by a considerable amount of arithmetic in computing matrix elements, which can readily be handled by modern symbolic computation packages.

The contribution of the spin-orbit interaction to the level structure of atoms, ignored in the previous two chapters, is studied in chapter 8. The authors also consider the interaction of the electron configuration with an external field, such as a magnetic field. The spin-orbit interaction is not considered in a relativistic framework, but instead is given a "pseudo-derivation", in the words of the authors. The (correct) Dirac theory for spin-orbit interaction is given later in chapter 22. And here again, the matrix elements, and reduced matrix elements, considered in this chapter can best be handled by symbolic computation packages. This is particularly true for matrix elements of vector operators between states of different angular momentum, which the authors shy away from. The reader though can see the origin of the famous Wigner-Eckart theorem in the context of these computations. The Zeeman effect, resulting from the interaction of an electron with a homogeneous magnetic field, is discussed, along with the Paschen-Back effect, which results from the external magnetic field being strong enough to allow the Zeeman term in the Hamiltonian to dominate the spin-orbit interaction. Also discussed is the Stark effect, which results when an atom is placed in an external electric field. The authors show how to compute the energy shifts in this case, using, but not proving, some formulas due to Condon and Shortly.

Learn to apply your quantum mechanics
The "Intermediate" of the title means that you are supposed tohave learned your basic QM in a book such as Griffiths' "Introductionto Quantum Mechanics" . Bethe's text then leads you to those parts ofQM most successful in applications, especially in atomic structure. Thetreatment of perturbation theory is very clean, simple and effective. Thesemi-classical theory of radiation is excellently described and then, inperhaps the best part of the book, is used to review Einstein's derivationof Planck's equilibrium distribution of radiation, explaining the need forspontaneous emmission and motivating the treatment of quantumelectrodynamics, outlined at the end of the text. This is a great book.What else could one expect from Hans Bethe, the man who discovered how theSun produces its energy? ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

One of the best textbooks on QFT
There are numerous textbooks in Quantum Field Theory. Most of them are very accurate and complete in describing the mathematical apparatus of QFT. Unfortunately, very few are the ones which explain the physics aspects of QFT in details. For a beginner (as well as for an "expert") the physics aspects of QFT are usually elusive and hard to understand. Schweber's textbook is unique in a sense that both mathematics and physics features of QFT are lucidly described and explained.

I would strongly recommend to solve the problems from the book; most of them address the "physics feature" of QFT, and the reader will benefit immensely by analyzing these problems .

There are some other very good textbooks; I would single out Walter Thirring - "Principles of Quantum Electrodynamics", Ernest Henley and Walter Thirring - "Elementary Quantum Field Theory", Gunnar Kallen - "Quantum Electrodynamics", James Bjorken and Sidney Drell - "Relativistic Quantum Fields" etc, but, as I see it, only Schweber's and Weinberg's monographies are the complete and complementary (physics & mathematics) description of Quantum Field Theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

quantum physics meets feminist theology
I loved the connections that Miriam Therese Winter draws between the new sciences and spirituality. Her writing style is beautifully lyrical. My only complaint was it felt a bit false or wishy washy when she started discussing things that she might not have had as much depth of knowledge about such as Eastern philosophies around shakras.

Book excellent took a while to arrive
The book is excellent, just what I wanted.I had to wait several weeks before it arrived by post.

great reading
THis book is great reading, actually clarified quantum energy, so that I could understand and relate all this to spirituality. I'm still enjoying and benefitting from this book. The style is simple and certainly comes from a woman with a depth of experience and respect for all that has been and will be. THanks

Spirituality libraries strong in philosophy will find it a revealing survey
Any library strong in spirituality will relish PARADOXOLOGY: SPIRITUALITY IN A QUANTUM UNIVERSE. It comes from a Medical Mission Sister and professor who considers how the 'quantum spirit' is manifested, and how it fits into a Christian belief system about God. Spirituality libraries strong in philosophy will find it a revealing survey.

Ground-breaking!
Miriam Therese Winter provides a highly original synthesis on the interface of quantum physics and the emerging spirituality of our time. The paradoxical nature of this enterprise is captivated in the title of the book: PARADOXOLOGY. Cutting edge science and the new horizons of spirituality each opens up new ways of engaging our world that do not fit neatly - or rationallly - into previous paradigms. Instead of seeking to rationalise the paradox, let's instead celebrate it (doxoloy denotes procalamtion in praise)!

The book has a distinctive multi-disciplinary flavour to it,interspersed with personal narrative and poetic reflections. Among other things, it is a wonderful introduction to quantum theory - for the non-scientific reader. One of those rare books, that might well become a classic. ... Read more

Product Description
In The Quantum Theory of Fields Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg combines his exceptional physical insight with his gift for clear exposition to provide a self-contained, comprehensive, and up-to-date introduction to quantum field theory. Volume II gives an up-to-date and self-contained account of the methods of quantum field theory, and how they have led to an understanding of the weak, strong, and electromagnetic interactions of the elementary particles. The presentation of modern mathematical methods is throughout interwoven with accounts of the problems of elementary particle physics and condensed matter physics to which they have been applied. Problems are included at the end of each chapter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

must have!
As with Weinberg's first volume, this text can be difficult to follow due to dense notation and, at times, a somewhat overly general approach.However, it is well worth the effort.Weinberg provides extraordinary insight, and he offers a unique perspective in his presentation. ... Read more