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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The great book on classical field theory, still going strong, July 18, 1998
This review is from: The Classical Theory of Fields, Fourth Edition: Volume 2 (Course of Theoretical Physics Series) (Paperback)
When I need the real explanation of something concerning relativity, electromagnetism or gravitation, I know this is the place to go. I know I will find the essence of the problem clearly yet tersely written. Some highlights: the derivation of the retarded Green function, where a clever mathematical analogy avoids lots of contour integration; the frequent use of the powerful Hamilton-Jacobi equation, again avoiding long Riemannian-geometry computations; the explanation of why nothing, not even light, can escape the attraction of a black hole. When it overlaps with Jackson's rightly famous textbook on Electrodynamics, you'll see the difference between a good (Jackson's) and a remarkable book. Though not up to date in matters of cosmology, it is still the starting point to be recommended.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ultimate treatise on classical field theory, September 3, 2001
This review is from: The Classical Theory of Fields, Fourth Edition: Volume 2 (Course of Theoretical Physics Series) (Paperback)
This book is simply the best treatment of the subject that can be found. Period. Having been written by Landau it comes with the guarantee that the material is presented in the most elegant, yet logically consistent manner possible. And this book delivers all of that and more. Similar to the approach in "Mechanics" the principle of least action plays a prominent role in all the theories: relativistic mechanics, electromagnetic theory and Einstein GR. As a result Landau develops the whole material through very plausible and very physical arguments, thus providing a very deep understanding for the material. To put it simply, the derivation of Maxwell's equations are stunning. I have never seen a clearer, more convincing treatment. And as we have come to expect from this series, it is almost impossible to find any flaws(except for some typos which unfortunately still exist even in the most recent reprint.) The sections on radiation of electromagnetic waves and The treatment of relativity is very consice and it is rather unfortunate that we could not get a more detailed exposition on the subject from Landau. It would have been extremely interesting to see what Landau would have had to say had he written this section after the "Golden Area for Black Holes Rsearch" As it is the discussion of Relativity from, as is to be expected, a principle of least action(Hilbert Action) is very cleverly done. Every section of the book is very physically motivated rather than purely geometric arguments. Reading this book gives you a fairly good intuitive understanding for the actual physics involved rather than simply an ability to write and solve field equations. It might be a very good idea to read some sections of their Vol1. on Mechanics before attemting this book, with special attention to Chapters 1,2 and the last chapter on the Hamiltonian treatment. But all in all, this is probably one of my favorite books both in terms of contect as well as sheer elegance of presentation. A geneuine masterpiece.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic text, November 30, 2004
This review is from: The Classical Theory of Fields, Fourth Edition: Volume 2 (Course of Theoretical Physics Series) (Paperback)
Yes. The writing is clear and concise. The book is packed with information.
This book is for those who want to do physics, and it teaches one to do physics the way physicists do it. It is the second volume in L&L's Course on Theoretical Physics; it follows the volume on Mechanics. And the next logical topic is relativity. So this book starts out with special relativity, four-vectors, relativistic mechanics, and particle decay and scattering.
But then we proceed to what I think really needs to come next, namely a discussion of electromagnetic fields. We derive Maxwell's equations. We learn a little about optics. And then we get to the field of moving charges, and radiation of electromagnetic waves. These are very important topics. If I were teaching a class on relativity, I'd make good use of these two chapters. I think it is very instructive to learn about the field of an accelerating charge.
The sections on general relativity are especially well written. And we learn how to work all sorts of general relativity problems, such as finding the radiated energy and angular momentum loss for a system of two bodies moving in elliptical orbits. The icing on the cake is a short chapter on cosmology.
This is the way to learn physics.
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