Quantum Mechanics [Paperback]

Eugen Merzbacher (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471887021 | ISBN-13: 978-0471887027 | Publication Date: December 1997 | Edition: 3

Rapid advances in quantum optics, atomic physics, particle physics and other areas have been driven by fantastic progress in instrumentation (especially lasers) and computing technology as well as by the ever-increasing emphasis on symmetry and information concepts-requiring that all physicists receive a thorough grounding in quantum mechanics. This book provides a carefully structured and complete exposition of quantum mechanics and illustrates the common threads linking many different phenomena and subfields of physics.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Rapid advances in quantum optics, atomic physics, particle physics and other areas have been driven by fantastic progress in instrumentation (especially lasers) and computing technology as well as by the ever-increasing emphasis on symmetry and information concepts--requiring that all physicists receive a thorough grounding in quantum mechanics. This book provides a carefully structured and complete exposition of quantum mechanics and illustrates the common threads linking many different phenomena and subfields of physics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 3 edition (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471887021
• ISBN-13: 978-0471887027
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars modern, October 30, 2000

By 

Tobias James Osborne (Brisbane, Queensland Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quantum Mechanics (Paperback)

Merzbacher is one of the `classic' learning books on quantum mechanics. It is commonly grouped together with Messiah, Schiff and Davydov. Unlike most of the other classics however, Merzbacher has moved with the times and managed to keep up with current trends in quantum mechanics.

When I originally flipped through this book I was impressed by the wealth of the content and the large number of interesting exercises that applied the fundamentals to the basic principles of various fields of research (quantum optics and quantum information for example). I then resolved to work through all of the problems and exercises. After having completed this book I am less impressed than I hoped I would be.

The problems in this book are divided into two classes, the first being exercises interspersed throughout the text, the second being problems at the end of each chapter. None of the exercises in the text are difficult but they tend to disrupt the flow of the book as they (especially towards the end of the book) are of the form: `now you have seen the most trivial case, verify this formula for the cases n=5,6,7 which will involve you inverting 27 4x4 matrices' (I exaggerate slightly). I am a little irritated by this as it requires the reader to switch into autopilot and wade through pages of algebra to get a result you knew you would get anyway. The problems at the end of each chapter range from the ultimately trivial to applications to some research topics (but still fairly straightforward).

The style of the presentation of the subject matter is a little quirky and idiosyncratic in places. This book is in its 3rd edition and it is easy to pick additions in this edition. The typo density increases in these chapters/sections and the text just skims the derivations. Merzbacher seems to occasionally choose a deliberately more complicated explanation for some topics.

I would not recommend this book for a reference as Merzbacher does leave some useful formulas to the problems/exercises. I have trouble recommending this book as a learning book as well. Shankar is certainly the best (modern) learning book in my opinion. You could simulate the content of Merzbacher by using Shankar and then referring to the literature/references for the advanced topics that Merzbacher treats.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A venerable and excellent graduate quantum theory textbook., November 5, 1999

By 

Physics Prof (Tempe, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quantum Mechanics, 2nd Edition (Hardcover)

I cannot let the posted reviews go unanswered. I have taught from the various editions of Merzbacher for many years (since I was a graduate TA for a QM course) and have always had good results with it. It is not, however, an undergraduate text at most institutions. And any student advanced enough to be in a course where Merzbacher is appropriately used knows that graduate physics textbooks are not intended to be problem solving manuals. At this stage of one's development, one knows how to convert the principles learned from lecture and study into appropriate problem solving strategies. My principal complaint is the price; I cannot ask my students to pay $100 for a textbook, even in 1999. More's the pity.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clearly written, traditional approach to QM, January 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Quantum Mechanics (Paperback)

Having had this text recommended for my graduate quantum class, but not taught from (instead taught out of the execrable book by J.J. Sakurai), I think that Merzbacher has written a very readable and very thorough book. Clearly, it is not a book aimed at undergraduates, but it is very elegantly written and uses the approach mirrored in Gasiorowicz and others, building the subject up with ordinary calculus and slowly bringing in matrix algebra. For a more modern treatment, and one very well written for the motivated self-studier, try Shankar's "Principles of Quantum Mechanics".