Customer Reviews

Electrodynamics and Classical Theory of Fields and Particles (Dover Books on Physics)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

On the subject of Classical fields, I have not read a better book than Barut's. It is clear and comprehensive. I discovered more about things like the Lorentz group and the Lagrangian formalism of fields than I thought existed. It is an excellent book by all standards. If you need to learn Quantum Field theory, start here first. Learn all about classical fields. The equations in this book are ready for quantization.

This is a concise, clear, friendly but unfussy little book on classical electrodynamics (CED), and relativistic fields. Simultaneously, it provides an easy introduction to the mathematical machinery of relativistic dynamics and fields. There is an agreeable emphasis on the Lagrangian formulations, a good-sized chapter devoted to radiation and radiation-reaction, and a (regrettably) short piece on action-at-a-distance CED. This book is about the structure of CED in general, and does not deal with particular arrangements of charges, currents, coils, etc. etc. in the manner of an undergraduate text on EM.

Starts from the foundations of Special-Relativity, including Lorentz transformation, groups and spinors, then dynamics.
Formulation of Lagrangian fields and the conserved quantities is also very good, though I think Rohrlich's book is better.
Covers self-interaction and radiation reaction in a very clear way.
In short, for this price, it is truly a gem.

This is an excellent book if you want to understand Electrodynamics for what it really is-a relativistic field theory!

The book is excellent in terms of contents. But this dover edition comes with hand-written notes! Probably they used a used-book when making this printing. Do not buy!