Basic Theoretical Physics

• Mechanics and Basic Relativity.- Space and Time.- Force and Mass.- Basic Mechanics of Motion in One Dimension.- Mechanics of the Damped and Driven Harmonic Oscillator.- The Three Classical Conservation Laws; Two-particle Problems.- Motion in a Central Force Field; Kepler’s Problem.- The Rutherford Scattering Cross-section.- Lagrange Formalism I: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian.- Relativity I: The Principle of Maximal Proper Time (Eigenzeit).- Coupled Small Oscillations.- Rigid Bodies.- Remarks on Non-integrable Systems: Chaos.- Lagrange Formalism II: Constraints.- Accelerated Reference Frames.- Relativity II: E=ms2.- Electrodynamics and Aspects of Optics.- and Mathematical Preliminaries to Part II.- Electrostatics and Magnetostatics.- Magnetic Field of Steady Electric Currents.- Maxwell’s Equations I: Faraday’s Law of Induction; the Continuity Equation; Maxwell’s Displacement Current.- Maxwell’s Equations II: Electromagnetic Waves.- Applications of Electrodynamics in the Field of Optics.- Conclusion to Part II.- Quantum Mechanics.- On the History of Quantum Mechanics.- Quantum Mechanics: Foundations.- One-dimensional Problems in Quantum Mechanics.- The Harmonic Oscillator I.- The Hydrogen Atom according to Schrödinger’s Wave Mechanics.- Abstract Quantum Mechanics (Algebraic Methods).- Spin Momentum and the Pauli Principle (Spin-statistics Theorem).- Spin-orbit Interaction; Addition of Angular Momenta.- Ritz Minimization.- Perturbation Theory for Static Problems.- Time-dependent Perturbations.- Magnetism: An Essentially Quantum Mechanical Phenomenon.- Cooper Pairs; Superconductors and Superfluids.- On the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (Reality?, Locality?, Retardation?).- Quantum Mechanics: Retrospect and Prospect.- Appendix: “Mutual Preparation Algorithm” for Quantum Cryptography.- Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics.- and Overview to Part IV.- Phenomenological Thermodynamics: Temperature and Heat.- The First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics.- Phase Changes, van der Waals Theory and Related Topics.- The Kinetic Theory of Gases.- Statistical Physics.- The Transition to Classical Statistical Physics.- Advanced Discussion of the Second Law.- Shannon’s Information Entropy.- Canonical Ensembles in Phenomenological Thermodynamics.- The Clausius-Clapeyron Equation.- Production of Low and Ultralow Temperatures; Third Law of Thermodynamics.- General Statistical Physics (Formal Completion; the Statistical Operator; Trace Formalism).- Ideal Bose and Fermi Gases.- Applications I: Fermions, Bosons, Condensation Phenomena.- Applications II: Phase Equilibria in Chemical Physics.- Conclusion to Part IV.

From the reviews:"A comprehensive work covering the material that graduate students in physics typically would study in preparing for doctoral candidacy examinations. … This book would be very useful for self-study by motivated students, or for preparation for candidacy exams. … Practicing physicists may find that the brief, accessible treatments of many topics will earn this book a place on a convenient bookshelf. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals." (M. C. Ogilvie, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (7), 2008)"The book, written by two … ‘working physicists’, contains what the authors regard as being ‘basic knowledge’ in the standard courses of theoretical physics (yet) held at German Universities. … is primarily intended to cover the ‘Basic Theoretical Physics’ in a single and handy volume. … Hence, the book should be considered as being a kind of ‘compendium’ of … formulas used in theoretical physics where the formulas are filledin between with some remarks." (Jürgen Tolksdorf, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1134 (12), 2008)