could anybody recommend a good introductory quantum mechanics textbook for
the undergraduate level?. I intend to use it for self-study.
Thanks in advance.

Sure. "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" by Griffiths is OK but there are
probably better ones. Since I am also doing self-study of QM, I find this
book very understandable. But in the usual Griffiths' style, he depends on
the student working out problems for further treatment later on. This is
somewhat of a pain for a self-study student but is not too bad. He
sometimes tells what the answers are later on. So read the book fast one
time and then go back and study it.

I'm teaching undergraduate quantum mechanics this quarter, and using
Griffiths as my main text. It's probably the most popular one for
such courses, at least among major universities in the US, judging
from Web pages I've looked at. It has a good assortment of topics,
and won't overwhelm you with the volume of material and the number
of different topics, as many texts will. (Authors of textbooks are
under some pressure to include everything anyone teaching a course
might want to cover; it may increase sales, but it results in bulky,
hard-to-follow, and somewhat intimidating books.)

As you say, though, Griffiths leaves a lot to problems, and also has
fairly few examples (though more in the new edition that was just
released). So I'm also recommending Zettili's _Quantum Mechanics:
Concepts and Applications_, which has an enormous number of worked
examples.

We are engineers and we are studying the "Concepts of Modern Physics",
sixth edition by Arthur Beiser. ISBN: 0-07-244-848-2 and also has a
solution manual.

Its an Introduction to QM so you will get the basic theory and ideas
around it, and solve a couple QM problems (3D particle in a box,
infinite potential wells, finite potential wells etc). plus you will get
some other neat modern physics stuff like the compton effect, particle
wave theory, derivation of heisenberg uncertainty principle, a full
treatment to calculate the hydrogen atom, finite structures, statistical
mechanics, introduction to semiconductor theory, solid state theory etc..

Its a near little book, you don't need any great advanced math to use
it. A basic ODE and some trig, that's it.

Thanks, I will look into getting Zettili's book. The important thing is
that Griffiths has an uncanny knack of making tough subjects understandable
with some decent studying effort on the part of the student. At least in my
case. Which is good for someone like myself trying to learn on their own.
You guys on the newsgroups are my professors sometimes. ;-)

Try Morrison's "Understanding Quantum Physics". I think it would be good
for self study because it explicitly covers the mathematical details that
many textbooks skim over (assuming that the student is familiar with them
already).

I still like Cohen-Tannoudji/Diu/Laloe (sp?). Some find it too
wordy, and its approach is a little dated by now, but it
explains the math from the ground up and has lots of fully
worked examples.

It depends upon the idea of "good". There are a lot of books which look
easy at the first glance, but do not explain the stuff right from the
very beginning. My favourite is

Leslie, E. Ballentine
Quantum Mechanics, A Modern Development
World Scientific
2nd edition, 1998

Another very good one is the classical book by PAM. Dirac, Principles of
Quantum Mechanics (I'm not sure whether this is the precise title, but
you'll surely find it in your bib).

I actually liked all the books by John Gribbin.

The search for Schodinger's cat: a fantastic book forthe begginer and the advanced I will never grow tired of this book leads you from the simples to the advanced.

Schodinger's Kittens: A the sequel also fantastic

Also I recomend to read

A brief history of time: Stephen Hawking, I really liked this not strictly all to do about Quantum but still worth the read.

Also a search of the Quantum Mech will leave you with many sites.

Also I am at the moment making a forum devoted solely to Quantum Mech. and the other strange Physics it's worth I visit (i'm probally bias) but why don't you give it a go at: http://s8.invisionfree.com/The_Quantum_Factor/

Before contemplating self study of quantum mechanics make sure you have a thorough understanding of multi-variable vector calculus.
For this try "div grad curl and all that an informal text on vector calculus", by Schey. There are plenty of others on the topic.

Once your comfortable with that I would try Zettili's book, "Quantum Mechanics : Concepts and Applications".

I personally choose this book myself for an introduction. It was a choice between Griffith and Zettili. Zettili won because of the numerous problems that work with the chapter content to provide an understanding. You can't really learn QM by reading long winded text without picking up a pen and getting 'down and dirty' with QM!
Another bonus is that Zettili's book is cheaper too.

Once you've mastered Zettili's book, you could move onto the QM 'bible'; "Principles of Quantum Mechanics", by Shankar to become one with QM.

Good luck on your QM study.

Why not try "The Feynman Lectures" by (of course) Richard Feynman. It is rather old, so you may have difficulties in finding it.

there was an episode of Understanding on the Science Channel (formerly discover science) on the subject that I thought was quite good. it gave an overview of the field with out a lot of Math. so it won't give you an in depth understanding, but it will give you a glimpse of the big picture.

here's a copy you can order from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...ance&vi=reviews

If you really want to understand the subject as opposed to learning the
mathematical "handle turning" then the best book is, in my humble opinion,
The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol3.

Happy reading.
Richard P

Hi eder izaguirre and Richard P,

I can fully endorse that comment by Richard P. I have all three. He is great. If you would like to have another Feynman reference please e-mail me directly. You too RP if you want.

As I have mentioned before one of his best books is also "QED The Strange Theory of Light and Matter" by Richard P. Feynman (deceased), PUP 1985. You obviously can't be him Richard P. I am really sorry that you are not him because I am one of his greatest fans (second only to Einstein). Tesla comes a close third.

That is the problem with my life - too little money... too late. Would have loved to attend his lectures in person.

Cheers

Hi everyone,

ISBN 0-201-50064-7 Vol. 1-2-3 and Vol. 3 ISBN 0-201-51005-7 QM

Try Barnes and Nobel if you need it now.

Or Ebay I would like to think they have some used if your not concerned about the cover, besides what is inside is priceless.

Feynman shared the 1965 Nobel Prize in physics with American physicist Julian S. Schwinger and Japanese physicist Shin'ichiro Tomonaga.

Best regards,
yquantum

Good Elf has it down! Good advice!

Learning QM is intimidating, first because to do it properly, you need some serious mathematics in your back pocket. Just consider the following essential mathematical skills: (roughly in order)

BASIC SKILLS
Basic Geometry & Algebra (areas volumes)
Cartesian Coordinate Spaces (dimensions, orthogonal scales)
Trigonometry (projective geometry, transforms)
Probability Theory
Elementary Calculus (single variable, real numbers)
Complex Number Theory (imaginary number spaces)
Vector Algebra (phasors)
Fourier Analysis (harmonic structures, pulses & transients)
Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations. (along with Newtonian Mechanics)
Laplace Transforms and Lebesque Integrals (very good but difficult)

This gets you as far as Electrical Engineer...then:

Advanced Math:
Non-Euclidean Geometry (Zinkowski Spaces)
Special Relativity (needed for accuracy in predictions & corrections)
Tensors and Fields (for Gen Rel & Advanced Electrodynamics)
Matrix Algebra ( core parts of Quantum Mechanics )
Wave Theory (from Maxwell to Schroedinger)
Matrix Calculus (EigenValues and EigenMatrixes)
Hilbert Spaces
Group Theory (critically important)

Abstract thinking skills involving questioning of philosophical foundations, hidden assumptions, axioms, definitions & weaknesses,

On the side you should be studying some chemistry, and physics topics like:
thermodynamics, spectroscopy, nuclear structure, magnetism, superconductivity, particle accelerators, Big Bang cosmology, quarks, tachyons.

Historically you should bone up on: the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, the evolution of gravitational theories, the mystery of 'Spin', the ether, relativity and Machian Mechanics. the Discovery of quantum effects, Light. The Interpretation of Quantum Formalisms - Bell's Inequality, EPR experiments.

On the physics / experimental side, learning QM requires serious 'accuracy'/tidy skills, for experimental results to be meaningful and reliable. Good comprehension of mechanics and building skills.
Ability to calculate strength, stress, force, flexibility etc. for success and calibration.

Resources
To get all this you have to have access to dozens of books, not just a single QM textbook. and the usual situation in University is that you take a variety of other critical courses in math and physics alongside QM to provide what cannot be provided by the QM course itself. This is the flaw with QM books, and even huge QM 'bibles'. You need a whole textbook on each mathematical specialty!

Environment
For instance, try your hand at electrical engineering first: if you can handle the mathematics behind that, such as sinusoidal analysis, electromagnetic theory, you are almost ready to try tackling QM! But you will still need a few years of preparation on such topics as Group Theory and Riemanian Manifolds!

Key Textsin my view would be:

Collective Electrodynamics by Carver Mead (continuing Feynman's program)

Transactional Interpretation of QM by John Cramer
(continuing from: Einstein EPR, Bell, Bohm, Stapp..with experimental support!)

Then you can ignore outdated interpretations like Copenhagen,
and idiotic interpretations like Many Worlds.

Quantum Chemistry by D.A. McQuarrie (0-935702-13-X) is pretty good and what I used, though the Rogue is correct. Regardless of which text you use, you need a ton of solid math bkgd.

This text is perhaps a little lighter than the physics texts, mostly b/z (at least the first 10 chapters) it does not make use of extensive Hamiltonian treatment as a vector space of itself. It also demonstrates direct application to basic molecules (H2) as well as slightly larger molecules w/ funkier fermi energies (like ozone - O3).

ss

For a novice like myself who isn't well schooled in higher math but has a real passion to try and
get some understanding about the quantum world, I've found the following references to be helpful:

QUANTUM MECHANICS AND EXPERIENCE by DAVID Z ALBERT 1992
QED by Richard Feynman 1985
QUARKS by Harald Fritzsch 1983
Q IS FOR QUANTUM by John Gribbin 1998
IN SEARCH OF SCHRODINGER'S CAT - QUANTUM PHYSICS AND REALITY by John Gribbin 1988
QUANTUM REALITY by Nick Herbert 1985
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUANTUM WORLD by Euan Squires 1986
PARTICLES AND FIELDS (An anthology of Scientific American Magazine articles) 1980

All big on fundementals and basics and easy on math