What is the best introductory book for quantum mechanics?

[armis]

Greetings

I'll have quantum mechanics next year so I figured I would read a book or two on the subject. Thus I am looking for an introduction, sort of the "perfect companion" to the more difficult texts. I would love something which would have problems in it as well. I hope you will help me to pick one
I can't buy a book but I do have access to the following ones:

Landau, Lifgarbagez Quantum mechanics
Landau, I can't miss with a book like that. But maby this should be my 2nd book on the subject?

Scheck Quantum mechanics
This looked allright

McGraw Hill Quantum mechanics demystified - a self teaching guide
Now if you look at the title that is exactly what I am looking for! Sort of Quantum physics for dummies. But after reading the reviews I started to have doubts

Griffiths Introduction to quantum mechanics
That's the book I think I'll read. I really liked the reviews and the fact that it's more of a problem centered book

Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Bernard Diu, Frank Laloe Quantum Mechanics (2 vol. set)
This seemed like a REALLY nice one too. I can't really decide between this one and Griffiths

So I can't really decide! Has any of you read any of these books? I am sure you did. Feel free to suggest any other book

Thanks

 

[armis]

I forgot to mention Essential Quantum Mechanics by Gary Bowman

 

[will.c]

Extra suggestions: Shankar is one of my favorites. It's a standard grad text, but it really holds your hand and is an easier read than a lot of undergrad texts. Also the Schaum's book is pretty good.

For what you've mentioned so far, Griffiths is an excellent introduction to the subject, and is also pretty easy to read through. Cohen-Tannoudji, Diu, Laloe is an outstanding reference, but it's way too much to just sit and read through. You'll end up encumbered by all the wonderful material, where with Griffiths you get your toolbox right away. Landau is definitely not a starter book, but you should have it on your shelf anyway, also for reference... and I don't know anything about the other books you mentioned.

 

[Werg22]

will.c beat me to it: I was about to suggest Shankar, though I hate his "do what comes naturally.".

 

[armis]

Hi will.c

Thanks for the extra suggestions, I'll definetally look up those!

As for the over books you mentioned now I just want to get Griffith's book even more
I looked it up at amazon.com via the cool "search inside" feauture. Looks really good. I've also looked up the older topics in the forum, people seem to mention it over and over again. That's a must I thought. Seems like the best candidate for my 1st QM book so far
Yeah Cohen-Tannoudji, Diu, Laloe book is indeed a BIG one. But I will keep it mind
As for Landau, yeah... I sort of felt that way

thanks

 

[armis]

will.c beat me to it: I was about to suggest Shankar, though I hate his "do what comes naturally.".

thanks Werg

It means I'll have to keep a closer eye on that book

 

[armis]

Also the Schaum's book is pretty good.

You mean this one, right?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0070540187/?tag=pfamazon01-20

thanks

 

[xristy]

Essential Quantum Mechanics by Gary Bowman is a nice complement to the others. It gives a decent overview of the territory that is covered in depth in the others.

 

[armis]

Thanks xristy
Yeah, I kind of liked that one and it isn't a big one as well. Exactly what I am looking for for now. I'll keep it in mind

 

[will.c]

That's the one, armis.

 

[armis]

Thanks. Oh, it has exercises solved, nice. Basdevant - The Quantum Mechanics Solver 2nd Edition looks also quite good or does the Griffith book have exercises in it?

Wow, I am getting really excited about his QM stuff I better leave PC for a while before I start buying every QM book I find looking good enough

 

[Murad_70]

I think a great QP book is Zettili's

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471489441/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[armis]

thanks Murad

 

[Daverz]

Landau, Lifgarbagez Quantum mechanics
Landau, I can't miss with a book like that. But maby this should be my 2nd book on the subject?

I find this book sometimes rather opaque.

McGraw Hill Quantum mechanics demystified - a self teaching guide
Now if you look at the title that is exactly what I am looking for! Sort of Quantum physics for dummies. But after reading the reviews I started to have doubts

I think the main problems with the "demystified" books is sloppiness and shallowness.

I'll third the recommendation of Shankar. I also like an old text by Dicke and Wittke, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, which you can probably find at the library.

 

[armis]

Thanks Daverz

 

[adartsesirhc]

Griffiths is the best introductory text you'll find. Landau-Lifgarbagez and Cohen-Tannoudji are far too dense to use as textbooks (in my opinion, at least). Keep them for reference.

The Demystified series is generally pretty crappy - I think whoever edits/proofreads them should get fired - the mistake to page ratio is greater than 1. Also, their proofs are crap: an older version of a Calculus Demystified book had something like the following:

"x-x0 goes to zero as x goes to x0, and f(x)-f(x0) goes to zero as x goes to x0, so (f(x)-f(x0))/(x-x0) must go to df/dx as x goes to x0". Ridiculous. Just because the top and the bottom go to zero doesn't mean it's a derivative.

Shankar is a great book that's aimed at undergraduates, but at a slightly higher level than Griffiths. You should be comfortable with linear algebra and differential equations before reading it.

 

[armis]

Thanks adartsesirhc. Your advice is greatly aprecciated
I am reading Griffiths book right now. I think I'll use the shankar one during the study year.

 

[qspeechc]

I second Zetilli

 

[^_^physicist]

What about Modern Quantum Mechanics by J. J. Sakurai? It is a fantastic book, but you should be read for dirac notation from the get go.

 

[patillotes]

I second ^_^physicist. I prefer Sakurai, but it doesn't seem exactly an introductory textbook.

 

[muppet]

If you just want an introductory text: Quantum Physics of Atoms,Molecules, Solids, Nuclei and Particles by Eisberg and Resnick can't be bettered for comprehensible exposition I don't think. But it's expensive, and it's coverage of advanced topics is limited. I'm getting quite well accquainted with my QM textbook: Bransden and Joachain, Quantum Mechanics. It's got a fantastic coverage of QM, starting from the basics but including lots on working in momentum space, the formalism of QM and Matrix Mechanics, the path integral formulation, quantum statistics, Bell's theorem and the problem of measurement, and an introduction to relativistic QM with the Dirac and Klein-Gordon equations. The maths is pretty rigourous too, considering it's written by and for physicists.

 

[will.c]

If you want a book on the level of Eisberg and Resnick, I have to say I really liked Haken and Wolf, "The Physics of Atoms and Quanta."

 

[armis]

Thanks guys. I'll have to review this thread again for sure once I finish with Griffiths

 

[dx]

How's Landau's qm book (course of theoretical physics volume 3)? Also, what level is it?

 

[Desh627]

Sakurai's good, but I've been told (and seen) that's more of a graduate level text, it's not the best for an intro book.

I'm taking a QM course right now, and I'm using the Griffiths and Shankar texts, they're bloody brilliant, and I highly recommend them. Shankar is good in that it provides a decent quick overview of some math you'll find necessary. Griffiths also has a nice linear algebra appendix, which I find very nice b/c I never took linear algebra (and go figure I decide to take quantum mechanics... lol).

 

[mathlete]

I used Bransden's book, and to be honest I didn't really like it. It seems more like a graduate/reference text. I just don't like books that are too pedagogical and have a very scant number of problems/examples (as introductory texts).

 

[armis]

thanks for the replies!

In fact I am using exactly the same books as Desh627 :). Shankar and Griffiths are just great

I had a quick glance at "Quantum mechanics for scientists and engineers" by David Miller too. It seemed very well written as well

 

[Reedeegi]

The one QM book I loved was Dirac's Principles of Quantum Mechanics. Very little hand-holding, but it gives deep insight into the mind and true formulation of QM as envisioned by its creators.

 

[2ltben]

I have a background in classical physics from Mechanics and E&M and know a bit of Stat Mech (that course is next year), what would be the best text for an introduction to quantum mechanics?