A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics 2nd Edition by John S. Townsend | (PDF) Free Download

Description

Using an innovative approach that students find both accessible and exciting, A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics, Second Edition lays out the foundations of quantum mechanics through the physics of intrinsic spin. Written to serve as the primary textbook for an upper-division course in quantum mechanics, Townsend’s text gives professors and students a refreshing alternative to the old style of teaching, by allowing the basic physics of spin systems to drive the introduction of concepts such as Dirac notation, operators, eigenstates and eigenvalues, time evolution in quantum mechanics, and entanglement. Chapters 6 through 10 cover the more traditional subjects in wave mechanics-the Schrodinger equation in position space, the harmonic oscillator, orbital angular momentum, and central potentials-but they are motivated by the foundations developed in the earlier chapters. Students using this text will perceive wave mechanics as an important aspect of quantum mechanics, but not necessarily the core of the subject. Subsequent chapters are devoted to perturbation theory, identical particles, scattering, and the interaction of atoms with radiation, and an optional chapter on path integrals is also included. This new edition has been revised throughout to include many more worked examples and end-of-chapter problems, further enabling students to gain a complete mastery of quantum mechanics. It also includes new sections on quantum teleportation, the density operator, coherent states, and cavity quantum electrodynamics.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review ‘With this second edition, Townsend has succeeded in making a clear and pedagogical textbook on undergraduate quantum mechanics even better.’ – –Charles Gale, McGill University, Canada’The second edition of Townsend’s book has added some very nice new features. New sections on contemporary topics and newly added worked examples have further increased my satisfaction with the book.’ – –Randall Feenstra, Carnegie Mellon University, USA About the Author JOHN S. TOWNSEND, Susan and Bruce Worster Professor of Physics at Harvey Mudd College, the science and engineering college of the Claremont Colleges, USA. He received his BS from Duke University, his PhD from Johns Hopkins University, USA, and was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. He has been a visiting professor at Caltech, the University of Southampton in England, Duke University and Swarthmore College, and he was a Science Fellow at the Center for International Security and Arms Control at Stanford University, USA. Townsend is also the author of Quantum Physics: A Fundamental Approach to Modern Physics.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics by Townsend is in my view the best undergraduate text i have seen. The book is somewhat overlapping in sequence with Sakurai’s book but is truly an undergraduate text that requires minimal prerequisites. Quantum mechanics is a difficult subject to learn given the variety of mathematical methods involved in solving problems as well as the unintuitive nature of the solutions. Modern Quantum Mechanics offers one of the most approachable introductions focusing on spin first before moving on to wave mechanics.The author covers typical topics of an undergraduate course, namely wave mechanics in 1-d and 3-d, the hydrogen atom, spin and angular momentum before moving on to perturbation theory. The author also includes short overviews of path integrals, though the coverage is minimal and discusses identical particles along with scattering in 3-D followed by short coverage of time-dependent perturbation theory and the concepts in photon emission and absorption. The book starts with a discussion of spin and really focuses on the linear algebra first. By giving the reader a solid foundation in how quantum mechanics can be understood in integer state systems, the author then moves onto infinite dimensional spaces like position and momentum. The path is non-standard but i think it provides a better foundation. The problems are all quite approachable which means the book is good for self-study. I think the problems are a bit easy compared to a hard undergraduate 1-year sequence for quantum mechanics but the coverage of each topic is understandable and quite complete. Certain topics are certainly skimmed, namely the path integral, identical particles, time-dependent perturbation theory which are covered more completely in books like Shankar, but the overall approachability of each topic i believe is better. This textbook should be used more and is a good stepping stone to read Sakurai and thus take a graduate course in quantum mechanics.Modern Quantum Mechanics by Townsend is both readable and referenceable. It is not encyclopedic but instead a very solid and approachable course for a 1-1.5 year undergraduate quantum mechanics sequence. It covers all major topics, mainly at the appropriate breadth and depth. Furthermore it is more understandable than other well used texts like Griffiths and Shankar. I certainly recommend this to those trying to learn the subject for the first time.

⭐Finally a text book that starts with 2-State Systems! I have been teaching quantum mechanics off and on for 25 years to gifted high school students. I have experience using many other quantum texts. In John Townsend’s latest edition, we finally have an excellent modern textbook that makes the mathematical and physical learning curve as gentle as possible WITHOUT CUTTING CORNERS ON THE PHYSICS. Prof. Townsend’s treatment (developed over a sequence of refinements in his approach in previous texts = battle tested) enables students to engage the fundamentals of quantum mechanics and many of its emerging applications that rely on understanding few-state and composite systems. The approach is preferable to more traditional approaches because it climbs the mathematical hill starting from the gentlest point, avoiding mathematical issues and levels of abstraction that arise from infinite dimensionality in quantum systems until after basic physical principles have been introduced. The early use of Dirac notation and the clear separation of state space and matrix representations add considerable clarity for the beginning student. Townsend’s approach moves students as quickly as possible to the point that they can honestly engage the fundamentals of forefront applications in quantum information , quantum computing, quantum teleportation, and other fundamental developing applications. Unlike some older texts, Townsend engages the ‘spookiest’ parts of quantum mechanics ( EPR, BELL Inequalities, GHZ states…) early. For this alone, he deserves extra credit! It is terribly important that physics students develop an understanding and intuition for quantum mechanics as early in life as possible and they can only do this by engaging the conceptually challenging aspects head-on but in the technically simplest context. Prof Townsend has found the sweet spot. This is THE best existing gateway text I have seen for serious physics students.

⭐It is a new book but the hard cover has been pretty beat up with no signs of damage to shipping box. Most of the price difference between soft and hard cover is lost with the torn, smashed, and beaten edges of this hard cover. Good quality text, cover could be damaged before shipping.

⭐This textbook is excellent! It should be used at absolutely every university for entry to intermediate level courses on quantum mechanics. It is well written, has an excellent examples and problem sets. Everyone is talking how quantum mechanics are ‘weird’, ‘strange’ and ‘impossible to comprehend’, but it is obviously a lie. With proper (modern) approach everyone can understand and apply QM principles with ease. This textbook is amazing in providing support for modern QM course.

⭐Great service, amazing book, arrived fast, highly recommended.

⭐This book is a semi-copy of Sakurai’s Modern Quantum Mechanics and a few chapters in Feynman’s The Lectures on Physics. I applaud for Townsend’s effort to nicely summarize them, but a huge portion of the book is following the same logic and even the same examples of Sakurai’s and Feynman’s. Townsend changed notations and added explanations to make it clear, though.I think this book is a good introductory quantum mechanics textbook. I wouldn’t say that he is a copycat, but I think it is not an advantage for his own academic career.FYI, this book is a main textbook for graduate-level quantum mechanics course in MIT department of chemistry.

⭐One of the best services I have gotten. The product came and it was as described. I am very, very happy with the product!!

⭐My book was missing pages 200-220, was gonna return it for another one but got burned in a house fire before I could. 4/5.

⭐I think I bought this book with a very special price. It has been one of my best purchases since I’m in Amazon. The book is gorgeous looking and the content is really good. I’m studying a Masters in Physics and I think this one has a pretty good level, well explained and again, the edition is awesome.This is one of the best books of quantum physics I ever read. What I liked was its original approach which is quite new and much more convincing that the traditional ones. One of the best things of this book is that it makes cristal clear the difference between spin 1/2 and other spins on a physical (traditional) point of view.Every young student tackling quantum physics should read that book for better understanding.

⭐Excellent book.

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