Mathematical Methods for Physicists

Now in its 7th edition, Mathematical Methods for Physicists continues to provide all the mathematical methods that aspiring scientists and engineers are likely to encounter as students and beginning researchers. This bestselling text provides mathematical relations and their proofs essential to the study of physics and related fields. While retaining the key features of the 6th edition, the new edition provides a more careful balance of explanation, theory, and examples. Taking a problem-solving-skills approach to incorporating theorems with applications, the book’s improved focus will help students succeed throughout their academic careers and well into their professions. Some notable enhancements include more refined and focused content in important topics, improved organization, updated notations, extensive explanations and intuitive exercise sets, a wider range of problem solutions, improvement in the placement, and a wider range of difficulty of exercises.

• Revised and updated version of the leading text in mathematical physics
• Focuses on problem-solving skills and active learning, offering numerous chapter problems
• Clearly identified definitions, theorems, and proofs promote clarity and understanding

New to this edition:

• Improved modular chapters
• New up-to-date examples
• More intuitive explanations

Table of Contents

1. MATHEMATICAL PRELIMINARIES

2. DETERMINANTS AND MATRICES

3. VECTOR ANALYSIS

4. TENSOR AND DIFFERENTIAL FORMS

5. VECTOR SPACES

6. EIGENVALUE PROBLEMS

7. ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

8. STURM – LIOUVILLE THEORY

9. PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

10. GREEN’ FUNCTIONS

11. COMPLEX VARIABLE THEORY

12. FURTHER TOPICS IN ANALYSIS

13. GAMMA FUNCTION

14. BESSEL FUNCTIONS

15. LEGENDRE FUNCTIONS

16. ANGULAR MOMENTUM

17. GROUP THEORY

18. MORE SPECIAL FUNCTIONS

19. FOURIER SERIES

20. INTEGRAL TRANSFORMS

21. INTEGRAL EQUATIONS

22. CALCULUS OF VARIATIONS

23. PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS

About the Authors

George B. Afken is Professor Emeritus at Miami University of Ohio, and resides in Clearwater, Florida.

Hans Juergen Weber is Professor of Physics at the University of Virginia, and a scholar and researcher in the fields of theoretical nuclear physics and particle physics. As part of his research with students and colleagues he analyzes data from the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News, VA relating to the quark structure of the proton and neutron. Prof. Weber holds a doctorate (Doctor rer. nat.) from the University of Frankfurt and has published more than 100 papers in current physics journals.

Frank E. Harris was awarded his A. B. (Chemistry) from Harvard University in 1951 and his Ph.D. (Physical Chemistry) from University of California in 1954. The author of 244 research publications and multiple books, Dr. Harris has been a Professor of Physics and Chemistry, University of Utah and Resident Adjunct Professor of Chemistry, Quantum Theory Project, University of Florida. He served on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, and has been named a Fellow for both the American Institute of Chemists and the American Physical Society.