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My school accelerated me in science so that this year I will be learning calculus-based, graduate quantum mechanics one-on-one with my school's physics teacher.

My question concerns what text I will be using. The two suppliments have already been decided: Richard Feynman's lectures on Physics and Sakurai's Modern Quantum Mechanics. However, my primary source, as of yet, has not been decided upon. My teacher suggested Liboff's book or Introductin to Quantum Mechanics by David J. Griffiths. He recommended Liboff because it's the one he used in college and therefore he would be more familiar with it. However, he also added that he disliked it, which is why he recommended Griffiths (which he thinks is a better book than Liboff; the only downside is that he would be somewhat unfamiliar with the text).


So I was wondering if some students who are familiar with QM could perhaps give me their suggestions as to which text I should choose (or perhaps even recommend your own, personal favorites). This would be very much appreciated.

Kevin

By Fishbutt (Fishbutt) on Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - 04:37 pm: Edit

i've heard that griffiths writes amazing text books...specifically his intro to QM. that would be my suggestion...i've flipped through it(although i dont yet have experience in a QM class) and it seems to be pretty straightforward.


this is from the caltech physics 125 class (Quantum Mechanics):

http://www.hep.caltech.edu/~ajw/ph125/ph125.html
Textbook for Phys 125:
There are many good QM texts, varying in scope and depth. For example, Cohen-Tannoudji is quite comprehensive, but errs on the side of being too wordy for many people's tastes. You are welcome to look at other books!

-Quantum Mechanics, Vols I and II, Cohen-Tannoudji et al
-Quantum Mechanics, Eugen Merzbacher
-Introductory Quantum Mechanics, Richard Liboff
-Quantum physics, Stephen Gasiorowicz
-Advanced quantum mechanics, JJ Sakurai
-Quantum Mechanics, Leonard Schiff
-The Feynman Lectures, Volume III, Richard Feynman.

By Alleya17 (Alleya17) on Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - 11:50 pm: Edit

Griffiths is the book used in Ph 2 (sophomore physics for non-phys majors). Liboff is the book used in Ph 12 (sophomore physics for phys majors). Intro quantum mechanics is taught in Ph 2b and Ph 12b, NOT Ph125. I took Ph 2 and loved the explanations in Griffiths. I remember my housemates in Ph12 banging their heads against Liboff -- none of them understood it.

By Fishbutt (Fishbutt) on Wednesday, August 18, 2004 - 12:40 am: Edit

oops...yeah that list is for junior year QM for physics majors. i knew griffiths was used in one of the QM classes.

By Kyshantry (Kyshantry) on Wednesday, August 18, 2004 - 01:53 pm: Edit

Yeah, avoid the 125 text like the plague!!!

Griffiths (the "dead cat book" ... look at hte front cover, and then the back cover; that's what happens to you when you take quantum) was a solid text. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I "loved" the explanations in Griffiths, but they were certainly passable. I guess the main thing that I remember from Phys 2b though was the grunge, which was mammoth - Phys 12b (Liboff) had more thinking and less grunging I think, though that could just have been the problem assigned, as opposed to the text.

Galen

By Gih (Gih) on Thursday, August 19, 2004 - 09:27 pm: Edit

I would recommend Shankar's principles of quantum mechanics. Its not used in Phys 2 of 12 but probably should be. Study hard and do what you like, but don't get burned out man.

By Jab93 (Jab93) on Friday, August 20, 2004 - 02:10 am: Edit

I used Liboff as an undergrad, and I thought it sucked... no real attempts at any sort of explanations, poor choice of problems... too much emphasis on formalism... on the other hand, when I was a teaching assistant in grad school, the undergrads used griffiths... which i thought was an outstanding first pass through quantum...
i'm also familiar with griffith's intro textbooks on electromagnetism and particle physics... both pretty solid... griffiths writes damn good undergrad textbooks.

By Trolley_5204 (Trolley_5204) on Friday, August 20, 2004 - 01:09 pm: Edit

If you really want a rigorous approach, try P.A.M. Dirac's book.