Boundary and Eigenvalue Problems in Mathematical Physics (Dover Books on Physics) [Paperback]

Hans Sagan (Author), Physics (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Books on Physics | Publication Date: October 1, 1989

This well-known advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level text uses a few basic concepts to solve and develop complete answers to linear homogeneous partial differential equations such as the problems of the vibrating string, the vibrating membrane, and heat conduction. With problems and solutions. 31 illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 399 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (October 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486661326
• ISBN-13: 978-0486661322
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #256,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Applied

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A high-class, beautifully written text, July 19, 1998

By 

henrique fleming - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boundary and Eigenvalue Problems in Mathematical Physics (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

The problem with books on mathematical methods for physics is that they look more like a collection of recipes than like a coherent text. This was not true of the older classics, like Sommerfeld's "Partial Differential Equations of Physics". Fortunately, there is this beautiful book by Hans Sagan, now on Dover catalogue, to follow that tradition. A highlight is his treatment of the Sturm-Liouville problem. Having previously introduced variational methods, he shows that there is a "Lagrangian" whose "Euler-Lagrange equations" are just the Sturm-Liouville equations. In so doing, he has all the arsenal of approximation methods of variational calculus at his disposal to apply in the so-called special functions. As a beautiful example he estimates the position of the zeros of Bessel functions. The reader will find many other mathematical gems in this fine text.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Physical problems treated with mathematical rigor., May 18, 2000

By 

Bernardo Vargas - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boundary and Eigenvalue Problems in Mathematical Physics (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

This text includes material usually covered in mathematical physics courses, but its approach is somewhat different, and better, than most of the classics. The point is that the author felt not content with just explaining how to employ the most common mathematical methods to solve physical problems. He, on one hand, presents full motivation from the physical point of view, while on the other hand keeping high-level mathematical rigor. Believe me: this is not usual in mathematical physics books. By doing so, the author has produced a text valuable for both physicists and mathematicians.

Its contents are: Hamilton's principle and the theory of the first variation, representation of some physical phenomena by partial differential equations, theorems related to partial differential equations and their solutions, fourier series, self-adjoint boundary value problems, Legendre polynomials and Bessel functions, characterization of eigenvalues by a variational principle, spherical harmonics, the nonhomogeneous boundary value problem.

Includes excercises for most sections and references for each chapter. Suitable for third year undergraduates and on.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treatise for starting a career, June 27, 2000

By 

Donald L. Mackison (Boulder, CO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Boundary and Eigenvalue Problems in Mathematical Physics (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

I bought Sagan's book while a senior, and used it for a text while a second year professional and a third year graduate student in mathematics. The course led to a series of courses in theoretical mechanics, and untimately, a doctorate in control theory. The course taught from this book, and the following course in mechanics provided a strong foundation for a career. I continue to have my students read Sagan's book.