Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Feynman's way to quantum mechanics, February 18, 2001
This is a book every physicist, or student of physics, should study. Here the author describes the principle of action in quantum physics. It is not a minimum action principle, like in classical mechanics: you can, however, derive the classical minimum principle from it, in the classical limit. Why is this important? Well, it so happens that the famous gauge field theories could only be quantized under this formalism. Feynman, of course, reformulates everything with his technique, so that the book is very enlightening: it is a rich experience to see well-known things under a different viewpoint. But there are many new things also. The applications are brilliant, covering just about everything: electrodynamics, statistical mechanics, you name it. A new mathematics is introduced by Feynman, a theory of integration in a space whose elements are curves (path integrals). As far as I know, the rigorous theory of this integration does not exist as of now. Undauntedly, Feynman is able to guide us to very important results by using intuitive methods, and checking the validity of a result by obtaining it by two different ways, for instance. Don't miss, by the way, his discussion on the role of rigor (in the mathematical sense) in physics. There is a section on that!
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Path integral theory explained by its inventor, November 11, 1996
By A Customer
The path integral technique of quantum physics is used
in nearly all of modern physics, ranging from astrophysics
to condensed matter theory. In this book, the author and
developer of path integrals, R.P.Feynman, provides us with
a unique insight into this theory and its applications in
the various fields of physics.
The first few chapters present Feynman's view on the
fundamental concepts underlying quantum mechanics. From
this intuitive view, path integrals are introduced.
Later chapters cover more advanced topics like the
perturbation method, quantum electrodynamics and the
relation of path integrals to statistical mechanics.
Most books on quantum mechanics tend to drown the
underlying physics in a sea of mathematics. Feynman
however, presents his celebrated theory in a clear,
concise way, keeping the perfect balance between
mathematics and physical insight. Definitely a book
anyone interested in quantum physics should keep
under his or her pillow !
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A source of inspiration, August 6, 1998
By A Customer
This is an extraordinary book, a great example of Feynman's intense originality. Of course he put quantum mechanics upside down, with his path integrals (you DERIVE Schroedinger's equation!), and this is extremely enlightening. But that is not the whole story. The book is full of profound insight on practically anything, even elementary matters, such as the consideration of continuous spectra and the role of mathematics in physics. The idea of summing over histories propagates from quantum dynamics to everything in sight, leaving no stone unturned. One of the most important books on science, ever. Very readable!
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