Visual Quantum Mechanics: Selected Topics with Computer-Generated Animations of Quantum-Mechanical Phenomena (with CD-ROM) [Hardcover]

Bernd Thaller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 22, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0387989293 | ISBN-13: 978-0387989297

"Visual Quantum Mechanics" uses the computer-generated animations found on the accompanying material on Springer Extras to introduce, motivate, and illustrate the concepts explained in the book. While there are other books on the market that use Mathematica or Maple to teach quantum mechanics, this book differs in that the text describes the mathematical and physical ideas of quantum mechanics in the conventional manner. There is no special emphasis on computational physics or requirement that the reader know a symbolic computation package. Despite the presentation of rather advanced topics, the book requires only calculus, making complicated results more comprehensible via visualization. The material on Springer Extras provides easy access to more than 300 digital movies, animated illustrations, and interactive pictures. This book along with its extra online materials forms a complete introductory course on spinless particles in one and two dimensions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews "The new introductory textbook by Bernd Thaller, Visual Quantum Mechanics, has two distinctive features, a well-produced CD-ROM, and an emphasis on dynamics. These two features work together well and make for a remarkable publication, which mathematically oriented readers will appreciate for the care it takes with rigorous aspects of physics. (...) It is the CD-ROM which makes the book. (...) Thaller has provided 137 modules illustrating different topics (...) I would venture to say that not only the beginning student, but even the seasoned scientist may benefit, by getting a clue to a new phenomenon or theorem. (...) In sum, Visual Quantum Mechanics can be profitably used as a major supplement in an undergraduate course on quantum mechanics, and it will certainly enliven the curriculum. It could be a superb stand-alone text in a short physics course or a seminar for mathematically oriented students." Evans M. Harrell II in: SIAM Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 283 pages
• Publisher: Springer (June 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387989293
• ISBN-13: 978-0387989297
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #885,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, June 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Visual Quantum Mechanics: Selected Topics with Computer-Generated Animations of Quantum-Mechanical Phenomena (with CD-ROM) (Hardcover)

This is the best quantum mechanics book I know! It explains quantum mechanics in a very understandable way (well, at least for a physics student). The explanations are just better than elsewhere, and its easier to follow the mathematical derivations. There are no unfair remarks like 'it is easy to see that..', etc. Now I can understand quantum mechanics much better. The movies are just great. The CD-ROM alone is worth the price (unfortunately it works only for Windows and Macintosh, not for Linux). In particular, I liked the section about one-dimensional scattering theory. Here the movies and the text fit together in an optimal way. If you can only afford one book about quantum mechanics, buy this one. Unfortunately, this book is only the first part of the story. The web site tells me that the next book will describe the hydrogen atom, the Dirac equation, and quantum information. I am growing impatient. What am I going to do until the second book appears?

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it's not that complicated, August 24, 2001

By 

"quaste1979" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Visual Quantum Mechanics: Selected Topics with Computer-Generated Animations of Quantum-Mechanical Phenomena (with CD-ROM) (Hardcover)

This is a great combination: Many diagrams, animations and so on on the CD-ROM, which are not just to look at, but you can modify parameters and interact with some of them, which is great for understanding and the book with the theoretical background to everything you can see an the CD-ROM and more. You should be fimilar with higher mathematics (complex numbers and stuff) if you really want to understand the complicated-looking mathematical background, but the CD-ROM shows that the core of the whole Quantum-Mechanic-Thing seems to be very natural (what a surprise). This book is an excellent approach to this topic - take a glance. ... and for those, who are not interested in QM-theory: the animations are very colorful and fine to look at ;)