Mechanics: From Newton's Laws to Deterministic Chaos [Paperback]

Florian Scheck (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 3540655581 | ISBN-13: 978-3540655589 | Publication Date: July 20, 1999 | Edition: 3rd

This third edition closely follows the fifth German edition. In particular, it now contains an enlarged presentation of the "tippe top" and a new section on the use of Riemannian geometry in mechanics. As before, the book contains numerous problems with complete solutions, and some practical examples.This will be appreciated in particular by students using the text to accompnay lectures on mechanics. The main features of the book remain unchanged: the coverage extends from elementary Newtonian mechanics, Lagrangian as well as canonical Hamilton-Jacobian mechanics, the mechanics of rigid bodies, special relativity, and the geometric aspects of mechanics to the discussion of deterministic chaos and a short introduction to continuous systems. The book ends with some historical remarks on important pioneers in mechanics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews:

"¿ The author writes well and comprehensively ¿ Ideal for a physics student desirous of mastering the basic tools." Contemporary Physics

"Scheck has provided us with an assortment of problems¿In addition, he has added an innovation: ¿practical¿ exercises along with suggested methods of approach for a solution¿ I would not be surprised if it were to find wider use among faculty and advanced students seeking to update their picture of mechanics¿one might do considerably worse than to use it as an entrée into the literature of chaos." American Scientist

From the Back Cover

This updated and revised fourth edition covers all topics in mechanics from elementary Newtonian mechanics, canonical and rigid body mechanics to relativistic mechanics and nonlinear dynamics. In particular, symmetries and invariance principles, geometrical structures and continuum mechanics play an important role. This book will enable the reader to develop general principles from which equations of motions may be derived, to understand the importance of symmetries as a basis for quantum mechanics and to get practice in using theoretical tools and concepts that are essential for all branches of physics. The book contains numerous problems with complete solutions, and some practical examples.This will be appreciated in particular by students using the text to accompnay lectures on mechanics. The book ends with some historical remarks on important pioneers in mechanics. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 3rd edition (July 20, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3540655581
• ISBN-13: 978-3540655589
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,167,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest undergratuate book in Mechanics., November 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mechanics: From Newton's Laws to Deterministic Chaos (Paperback)

This book is the greatest there is for a study of mechanics on an undergratuate level. This book covers alot of subjects with a unique combination of strictness and easyness. It's a must for all physics and mathematics students. It's index: 1.Elementary Newton Mechanics 2.The Principles of Canonical Mechanics 3.The Mechanics of Rigid Bodies 4.Relativistic Mechanics 5.Geometric Apsects of Mechanics 6.Stability and Chaos 7.Continuous Systems

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but not as a first contact with Mechanics, November 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Mechanics: From Newton's Laws to Deterministic Chaos (Paperback)

I would agree on the rather high quality of the present
book, as pointed out in the other review.

However, the books seems not appropriate for a first contact
with Newtonian mechanics.

While the book makes every effort to introduce the reader to
modern concepts used in Mechanics, notably its setting in a
differential geometric context and an introduction to nonlinear
dynamical systems, the very basis of vector mechanics receives
only attention from one chapter.

This is clearly inadequate and a thourough understanding of
elementary vector mechanics and a good round of problem solving
is certainly essential before addressing even the simplest
Lagrangian mechanics.

The reason I want to point this out, is that the book is used
at an early level in German universities.

That is scary. I can well imagine people attempting to walk
through tangent spaces, but not able to integrate a simple
dynamics problem in R^2.

Please be careful!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very complete book, May 11, 2006

By 

Charybdis "Charybdis" (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mechanics: From Newton's Laws to Deterministic Chaos (Paperback)

Although I agree that one might be scared by the presence of sophisticated chapters like the one devoted to differential geometry, I find that this book is the best for an undergraduate level. It begins with Newtonian mechanics (some knowledge on linear algebra and calculus assumed) and covers all the fundamental points of modern mechanics in a rigorous and straightforward way, including a chapter in special relativity and another on dynamical systems and chaos. As it emphasizes the relevant role of symmetries, it naturally leads to quantum mechanics and can be used by advanced undergrad or graduate students interested in the geometrical foundations of mechanics.
Even though it is certainly not the easiest book available, if you have to buy just one, buy this!