Books for a friend interested in mathematical physics but...?

In summary, his friend is interested in becoming a Mathematical Physicist, however, he is struggling with basic math and physics due to his lack of education in these subjects. He is recommended to start from basics by reading books from a reputable source and work his way up to more difficult material. The Schaum's Outline series is a good place to start.
  • #1
Tukhara
15
2
Okay, I have a good friend and he is into the idea of becoming a Mathematical Physicist; however, there's several issues at hand. He's in his mid 20's and attends a really cheap community college. Apparently his high school was horrible at teaching students good material; in other words, he ended up falling behind on the pace he was at his studies and this was certainly not good for anyone but in particular for him, since he has a passion for learning mathematics and physics for becoming a mathematical physicist, not only was he behind on the basic math required for general purposes he also was massively held back on the track to going forth and becoming what he desires. I decided to help him out thereon.

I recommended for him to read books from here:

https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~abhishek/chicmath.htm

https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~abhishek/chicphys.htm

Of course starting from the very beginning but even the most basic books on this list were hard for him. He told me he wants a way to learn as if he never was taught mathematics in his life before; as if he were completely blank. I recommended for him to teach himself mathematics the proper way starting with set theory and logic but he found that difficult as well (Halmos book) also he was at a dangerously slow pace. So my question to you guys is, what would you recommend for him? I want him to become mathematically mature and also start being able to be quicker in understanding material. So what can we do? He wants to just be treated in his reading catalog as if he never took math in his entire life.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Starting from scratch will be a long, hard effort, but it can be done. I would recommend starting at basic high school math and working up from there. The Schaum's Outline series has a wide variety of books that are relatively inexpensive and have many worked examples and exercises. He should look at precalculus book and see if that is the right level, too hard, or too easy, and proceed from there.
 
  • #3
I would recommend the book No Bullshit Guide to Math and Physics by Ivan Savov. It's a great book, it teaches high school math, physics, and calculus very well
 
  • Like
Likes FactChecker
  • #4
It also has practice questions with the answers to the questions in the back of the book
 

FAQ: Books for a friend interested in mathematical physics but...?

What are some good books to recommend for a friend interested in mathematical physics but with no prior knowledge?

Some good books to recommend for a friend interested in mathematical physics with no prior knowledge are "Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences" by Mary L. Boas, "Mathematical Methods for Physicists" by George B. Arfken and Hans J. Weber, and "Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering" by K.F. Riley, M.P. Hobson, and S.J. Bence. These books provide a comprehensive introduction to mathematical concepts used in physics and are suitable for beginners.

Are there any books that provide a more in-depth understanding of mathematical physics for someone with a strong mathematical background?

Yes, there are several books that provide a more in-depth understanding of mathematical physics for someone with a strong mathematical background. Some examples include "Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics" by V.I. Arnold, "Methods of Modern Mathematical Physics" by Michael Reed and Barry Simon, and "Mathematical Physics: A Modern Introduction to Its Foundations" by Sadri Hassani.

Which books cover both mathematical concepts and their applications in physics?

There are many books that cover both mathematical concepts and their applications in physics. Some popular choices include "Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering" by K.F. Riley, M.P. Hobson, and S.J. Bence, "Mathematical Techniques: An Introduction for the Engineering, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences" by Dominic Jordan and Peter Smith, and "Mathematical Methods for Physicists" by George B. Arfken and Hans J. Weber.

Are there any books that focus specifically on mathematical physics in the context of quantum mechanics?

Yes, there are several books that focus specifically on mathematical physics in the context of quantum mechanics. Some examples include "Mathematical Methods in Quantum Mechanics: With Applications to Schrödinger Operators" by Gerald Teschl, "Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics" by John von Neumann, and "Mathematical Methods for Quantum Mechanics: Fundamental Sciences" by Takao Fujiwara.

Are there any books that provide a historical perspective on the development of mathematical physics?

Yes, there are several books that provide a historical perspective on the development of mathematical physics. Some recommended titles are "The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations" by Dana Mackenzie, "A History of Mathematical Notations" by Florian Cajori, and "The History of Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction" by Jacqueline Stedall. These books not only cover the mathematical concepts used in physics, but also their historical context and evolution.

Similar threads

Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
30
Views
4K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
435
Replies
6
Views
1K
Back
Top