12. MW Recently Acquired Physics Textbooks

Theoretical Physics with Mark Weitzman
23 May 202217:42
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this video, Mark Weitzman reviews and recommends various physics textbooks, including 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' and 'Oxford Solid State Basics', discussing their relevance to specific courses and personal experiences. He also highlights 'Modern Atomic Physics' for its comprehensive coverage and 'Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics' for its unique algebraic approach. Weitzman touches on cosmology with 'An Introduction to Cosmology' and concludes with 'Learning Scientific Programming with Python', emphasizing its science-centric exercises. He mentions plans to update previous book recommendation videos and hints at a quantum field theory lesson in the works.

Takeaways
  • 📚 Mark Weitzman is discussing his recent book purchases and their relevance to specific courses or topics in physics.
  • 🔬 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' by Barton Zwiebach is recommended as a comprehensive undergraduate quantum mechanics textbook, with a strong focus on exercises and problem-solving.
  • 🌐 Zwiebach's quantum mechanics MOOCs (8.04, 8.05, and 8.06) are highly successful and will be available on the new MITx website.
  • 📘 'Oxford Solid State Basics' is suggested for those with some quantum mechanics background, offering a relatively easy course with accessible videos and problems.
  • 🔬 'Modern Atomic Physics' is a book that provides a coherent understanding of atomic physics, with detailed topics and solved problems for better comprehension.
  • 🌌 'Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics' offers an alternative algebraic approach to quantum mechanics, which is accessible and engaging for those interested in different methods.
  • 📚 'An Introduction to Cosmology: Undergraduate' by Barbara Ryden is a comprehensive textbook, though Mark finds it less engaging due to its formula-heavy approach.
  • 💻 'Learning Scientific Programming with Python' by Hill is praised for its science-oriented approach, making programming learning relevant and interesting through math and science problems.
  • 🔬 Mark is taking a computational physics course at Rutgers, which has helped him speed up his Python programs significantly by integrating Fortran or C++ code.
  • 📈 Mark plans to continue making videos as he purchases new books and intends to redo his previous nine videos with improved software and presentation.
  • 👋 Mark mentions taking a break from video production and humorously refers to his time off as a 'sabbatical' from the stock market, not academia.
Q & A

  • Who is the speaker in the video?

    -The speaker in the video is Mark Weitzman.

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is discussing and recommending various physics textbooks that the speaker has recently purchased or is familiar with.

  • What is the title of the first book mentioned in the video?

    -The first book mentioned is titled 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics'.

  • Who is the author of 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics'?

    -The author of 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' is Barton Zwiebach.

  • What makes 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' stand out according to the speaker?

    -According to the speaker, 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' stands out because it is comprehensive, well-edited, and includes top-notch exercises and problems, making it a gold standard for undergraduate quantum mechanics.

  • What online resources are associated with the book 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics'?

    -The online resources associated with 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' are MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) taught by Barton Zwiebach, which will be available on the new MITx course website.

  • What is the title of the book recommended for those interested in solid-state physics?

    -The book recommended for those interested in solid-state physics is 'Oxford Solid State Basics'.

  • Which course does the speaker mention as being related to 'Oxford Solid State Basics'?

    -The speaker mentions a course at Oxford that is available on YouTube and the professor's website, which parallels the content of 'Oxford Solid State Basics'.

  • What is the title of the book on atomic physics that the speaker purchased?

    -The title of the book on atomic physics that the speaker purchased is 'Modern Atomic Physics'.

  • What is the unique approach taught in the supersymmetric quantum mechanics book mentioned by the speaker?

    -The unique approach taught in the supersymmetric quantum mechanics book is the factorization method, which is an algebraic solution to various potentials without solving differential equations.

  • What is the title of the cosmology book that the speaker is not particularly enjoying?

    -The title of the cosmology book that the speaker is not particularly enjoying is 'An Introduction to Cosmology: Undergraduate' by Barbara Ryden.

  • What programming book does the speaker recommend for scientific programming?

    -The speaker recommends 'Learning Scientific Programming with Python' by Lee A. Harrison for scientific programming.

  • What is the main focus of the 'Learning Scientific Programming with Python' book?

    -The main focus of 'Learning Scientific Programming with Python' is to approach programming from a scientific perspective, with exercises and problems related to math and science.

  • What is the speaker's current project involving computational physics?

    -The speaker is currently involved in a computational physics course offered at Rutgers, focusing on setting up a computing environment and speeding up Python programs.

  • What is the speaker's plan for future videos?

    -The speaker plans to make more videos when he purchases new books and intends to redo the first nine videos with the new software he uses.

  • What was the reason for the speaker's hiatus from making videos?

    -The speaker took a hiatus from making videos to focus on personal matters, specifically dealing with the U.S. stock market, rather than being on a sabbatical as a professor.

Outlines
00:00
📚 Quantum Mechanics Textbook Review

Mark Weitzman introduces 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' by Barton Zypman, a comprehensive textbook based on successful MOOCs. He praises its thoroughness, high-quality problems, and suitability as a gold standard for undergraduate quantum mechanics. Weitzman also mentions the upcoming availability of the related courses on the new MITx platform, emphasizing the book's value despite its cost.

05:01
🔬 Solid State Physics and Atomic Physics Books

Weitzman discusses 'Oxford Solid State Basics', chosen for its alignment with an Oxford course available on YouTube, and 'Modern Atomic Physics', purchased to gain a coherent understanding of the subject after an unsatisfactory online course experience. He appreciates the basics provided by the former and the detailed coverage of atomic physics topics in the latter, including spectroscopy and line shapes.

10:01
🌌 Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics and Cosmology

The speaker reviews a book on supersymmetric quantum mechanics, appreciating its accessibility and the algebraic approach to solving quantum problems, which is taught by Jim Freericks at Georgetown University. He also mentions 'An Introduction to Cosmology' by Barbara Ryden, which he finds less engaging due to its formula-heavy approach, despite its comprehensiveness and suitability for undergraduates.

15:03
💻 Scientific Programming and Computational Physics

Weitzman recommends 'Learning Scientific Programming with Python' by Hill for its science-oriented approach to teaching Python, focusing on math and science problems. He also discusses a computational physics course from Rutgers, which he praises for its detailed instructions on setting up a computing environment and speeding up Python code, resulting in a significant performance boost for his own programs.

🔄 Upcoming Plans and Course Updates

In conclusion, Weitzman shares his plans to create more videos as he acquires new books and to redo his previous physics textbook recommendation videos with improved software. He also mentions his ongoing work on a quantum field theory course and hints at a possible sabbatical from video creation due to stock market investments, humorously referring to it as a 'sabbatical' despite not being a professor.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Quantum Mechanics
Quantum Mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that describes the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. In the video, it is the central theme as the speaker discusses a book titled 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' and emphasizes its comprehensiveness and utility for undergraduate studies, highlighting its 1000 pages and the quality of exercises and problems it contains.
💡MOOCs
MOOCs, which stands for Massive Open Online Courses, are free online courses available to a large audience. The script mentions that Barton Zwiebach taught several quantum mechanics MOOCs, which were successful and contributed to the creation of the 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' book discussed in the video.
💡Solid State Physics
Solid State Physics is the study of the physical properties of solid materials, particularly the study of the electronic properties of solids. The speaker mentions 'Oxford Solid State Basics' as a book that he purchased to accompany a set of videos from an Oxford course, indicating its relevance to the study of solid state physics.
💡Atomic Physics
Atomic Physics pertains to the study of the properties and behavior of atoms, including their interactions with electromagnetic radiation. The speaker discusses 'Modern Atomic Physics' as a book that helped him gain a coherent understanding of the subject, which he felt was lacking from his previous course experience.
💡Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics
Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics is a field that applies supersymmetry, a symmetry principle that relates two different but equally valid physical theories, to quantum mechanics. The speaker mentions a book on this topic and a course by Jim Freericks from Georgetown University, indicating the use of algebraic solutions to problems in quantum mechanics.
💡Cosmology
Cosmology is the study of the universe's origin, evolution, and eventual fate. The speaker talks about 'An Introduction to Cosmology' as a book that he is not particularly enjoying due to its formula-heavy approach, but acknowledges its comprehensiveness and its use in an MIT course.
💡Scientific Programming
Scientific Programming refers to the use of programming languages to solve scientific problems, often involving complex calculations and data analysis. The speaker recommends 'Learning Scientific Programming with Python' for its science-oriented approach and its focus on math and science problems, which helps in learning Python while also understanding scientific concepts.
💡Computational Physics
Computational Physics is the study of physics using computers and numerical methods to solve complex problems. The speaker mentions starting a course on computational physics and finding it helpful in setting up a computing environment and speeding up Python programs, indicating the practical application of programming in physics.
💡Numpy
Numpy is a Python library used for numerical computing and is essential for scientific programming. The speaker mentions needing to review Numpy as part of his study of scientific programming with Python, indicating its importance in handling large, multi-dimensional arrays and matrices for scientific calculations.
💡Matplotlib
Matplotlib is a plotting library for Python that is widely used for creating static, interactive, and animated visualizations in scientific computing. The speaker mentions needing to review Matplotlib, suggesting its use in visualizing data and results in scientific programming.
💡Anaconda
Anaconda is a distribution of Python and R languages for scientific computing, that aims to simplify package management and deployment. The speaker discusses installing Anaconda as part of setting up a computing environment for a computational physics course, highlighting its role in managing scientific Python packages.
Highlights

Mark Weitzman intends to create a series of videos on physics textbook recommendations, including a new addition to his previous nine videos.

He discusses 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' by Barton Zwiebach, which is based on successful MOOCs and is considered a gold standard for undergraduate quantum mechanics.

The 'Mastering Quantum Mechanics' book is praised for its problem sets and is over a thousand pages long.

Weitzman mentions that the courses related to the quantum mechanics book will be available on the new MITx website.

He reviews 'Oxford Solid State Basics', a book chosen for its alignment with a course at Oxford and its availability online.

Weitzman recommends 'Modern Atomic Physics' for its comprehensive coverage of atomic physics material and its problem-solving approach.

He talks about 'Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics', appreciating its algebraic solutions and its approach to various potentials.

Weitzman mentions a course on edx by Jim Freericks that uses a super symmetric method for quantum mechanics.

He critiques 'An Introduction to Cosmology' by Barbara Ryden for its formula-heavy approach and lack of depth on some topics.

Weitzman discusses taking a cosmology course by Alan Guth from MIT OCW and the challenges of accessing some of the video lectures.

He recommends 'Learning Scientific Programming with Python' by Hill for its science-oriented approach to learning Python.

Weitzman shares his experience with a computational physics course from Rutgers, highlighting its effectiveness in speeding up Python programs.

He mentions the use of Anaconda, Fortran, and C++ to enhance Python's performance in scientific programming.

Weitzman plans to continue creating videos as he purchases new books and redo his previous nine videos with new software.

He discusses his hiatus from video creation and his activities during that time, including his involvement in the U.S. stock market.

Weitzman expresses his intent to complete a quantum field theory lesson and his commitment to his educational video series.

Transcripts

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