Modern Quantum Mechanics (Revised Edition) [Hardcover]

J. J. Sakurai (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201539292 | ISBN-13: 978-0201539295 | Publication Date: September 10, 1993 | Edition: 1

This best-selling classic sets the standard for the quantum mechanics physics market. It provides a graduate-level, non-historical, modern introduction of quantum mechanical concepts for first year graduate students. The author was a noted theorist in particle theory, and was well renowned in his area of expertise. This revised edition retains the original material, but adds topics that extend its usefulness into the 21st century. Students will still find such classic developments as neutron interferometer experiments, Feyman path integrals, correlation measurements, and Bell's inequality. Updated material includes time independent perturbation theory for The Degenerate Case which can be found in 5. New supplementary material is at the end of the text.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 500 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 1 edition (September 10, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201539292
• ISBN-13: 978-0201539295
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #297,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent text for bottom-up view of QM., December 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Modern Quantum Mechanics (Revised Edition) (Hardcover)

The majority of undergraduate QM texts, e.g. Liboff, Bransden & Joachain, Cohen-Tannoudji, rely strongly upon the wave-interpretation of QM, Schrodinger's equation, and the semi-historical exposition style which invariably invokes the ultraviolet catastrophe. I feel that as an introduction to QM, this is fine. However, this semi-classical approach has the disadvantage that the reader/student has one foot firmly planted in classical thinking, and makes connections to QM only through the emergence of contradictory observations in classical physics. Maybe if you were learning quantum mechanics in 1908 this approach would be fine.

But in the 21st century, perhaps it would be better to start off with one foot planted firmly in the weird, axiomatic and algebraic land of QM first, and to make contact with classical observations later. This is the approach of Sakurai. A quote from Julian Schwinger appropriately summarizes this idea, that this is a "non-historical approach" that "goes to the heart of the quantum experience."

The book does such a good job of explaining fundamentals that I have found it enjoyable to read. Gaps in derivations are suitably placed such that the reader may attack them for exercise. However, they are not detrimental to the progression of ideas. Exercises are suitably difficult, and introduce new ideas that are related to ones in the chapter.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first-class book on quantum mechanics, December 13, 1999

By 

Randolph Best (Norman, Oklahoma, USA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Modern Quantum Mechanics (Revised Edition) (Hardcover)

Sakurai was one of the smartest physicists of his generation, and it shows in this book. A characteristic of the physics writings of such greats as Einstein, Pauli, Heisenberg, and Dirac is that they make advanced physics theories seem so clear and transparent that one is always inclined to think, "of course, that's the way to do it." Sakurai's book comes across the same way, but there are plenty of good problems to bring you back down to Earth. Especially useful are the discussions of Feynman path integrals, the Aharonov-Bohm effect, the WKB approximation, Schwinger's treatment of angular momentum, and the Dyson series in perturbation theory.

38 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Classic with Holes, May 16, 2005

By 

S. D Webb (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Modern Quantum Mechanics (Revised Edition) (Hardcover)

As many reviewers have already pointed out, the Sakurai was completed after the death of its attributed author, and one can definitely see after chapter 3 that this is definitely where things drop off (the chapter on symmetries is convoluted and very mathematical, almost to a fault). The notation is often cumbersome; I have to say that out of the six or so quantum mechanics books I have read or own, this is the only one where you will see notation like <a'|x''''><x''''|a''>.

Aside from the fourth chapter (which is weak at best) and the cumbersome notation, this is one of the best textbooks for quantum mechanics out there. Chapter 1 is the best discussion of linear algebra in quantum mechanics I have ever seen, and it alone is worth about $40. Although sometimes a little scattershot, the third chapter, on angular momentum, is also the best introduction to the theory of angular momentum I have ever seen. The text does not baby you like some undergraduate texts (the Griffiths immediately comes to mind), and treats you like an actual physicist capable of working through some pretty complicated problems.

Perturbation theory is an almost purely mathematical tool with very little physical "intuition" to be had, and therefore these sections of the book are not bad.

As far as I can tell, with Baym out of the picture, the race for "standard" graduate school textbook on QM is a dead heat between the established Sakurai and the upstart Shankar, and both books have their ups and downs. The Shankar can be too long-winded at times, although it covers path integration in much greater depth than the Sakurai. However, the Sakurai's treatment of symmetry operations is much more in-depth than the Shankar's. As far as I am concerned, the only way to get the best of both worlds right now is to drop the cash and read both books. The Sakurai is probably a much better way to learn the subject, but there are a few holes in Sakurai that Shankar covers well, although with a verbose style and with very simple problems.