Comprehensive List of STEM Bibles: Physics, Mechanics, Electrodynamics, etc.

AbyssalPloy said:

On the matter of encyclopedias does a
Mcgraw Hill Encyclopedia of Physics warrant a place on a list like this... Tons of topics covered.

vanhees71 said:

What do you mean by "bottom-up" vs. "top down" learning and how is it different in a "analogue" vs. a "digital" setting.

I think electronic media are a great addition to the tool box. I usually scan my calculations and handwritten notes to have them in an ordered with me in an ordered way. I provide manuscripts for my lectures to the students etc. Of course, I also use sometimes a projector with a presentation (though never powerpoint for aesthetical reasons) to show some plot or other graphics I'm not able to draw adequately on the black board, but that I use very rarely, because particularly in theoretical physics just flashing a presentation to the wall and telling them what's on the "slides" is not as helpful as it might seem. Developing ideas on the black board (if possible without using my notes but really rethinking the stuff on the blackboard again), including discussions with the students, is in my opinion something which provides the specific additional value of a lecture in contradistinction to other forms of teaching and learning like reading a textbook, solve problems, do some e-learning online exercise or chatting on a forum like the present one.

I think the more different media you have at hand as a learner the better, and I also think as teachers we have to carefully think about how to develop ways to use electronic media in a really useful way.

There's a big political debate in Germany about the introduction of the "new media" at primary and secondary schools as well as in universities. The discussion concerning the schools is usually only about hardware, including computers, laptops, tablets as well as LAN/WLAN access. This is of course a necessary prerequisite, particularly given that it's shame how Germany is lacking in this simply infrastructural necessities, but now that finally they managed to finance it via federal money (the school and university education in Germany is due to the states, and it's not so easy to fund something concerning this by federal money) they all of a sudden realize that they don't have sufficient didactically high-quality content to offer on all this hardware, which indeed is an even greater shame. Just equipping the schools with hardware without a didactical concept and sufficient high-quality material for each learning/age level makes of course the entire endeavor useless before it has really started.

I was really shocked when some years ago my niece came home from school telling that they now had some IT lessons, and she was a bit disappointed about the fact that it was just learning to work with the Microsoft Office package rather than doing some programming.

There's really a lot to be desired concerning a useful application of the great possibilities of the "new media", which goes beyond simple storage and availability of information in form of the "old media", i.e., simply pdfs of textbooks and the like, though it's of course also good to have this, but it's not enough to really provide a true additional value to them.

My conclusion is, we should take the opportunities serious and develop some great additional learning offers for the students using all kinds of "e-learning" concepts but not forget also the well established old-fashioned standard equipment, including black-board teaching and discussions at lectures and recitation sessions.

Wrichik Basu said:

For QM, you can surely include Griffiths' Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Ramamurti Shankar's Principles of Quantum Mechanics. Though finding a book containing everything in QM is not possible.

For general physics, Halliday's Fundamentals of Physics and H. C.Verma's Concepts of Physics do require a mention.

Wrichik Basu said:

Though finding a book containing everything in QM is not possible.

SaranSDS008 said:

I personally found Principles of physics by Halliday, Resnick to be more detailed and intuitive, yet beginner friendly at the same time for High School/UG level General Physics. So, i feel that requires a mention.

Demystifier said:

- quantum field theory:
the old testament: S. Weinberg, The Quantum Theory of Fields Volume I
the new testament: S. Weinberg, The Quantum Theory of Fields Volume II
(There is also the Volume III on supersymmetry, but it does not have such a high reputation.)

vanhees71 said:

I warn against Griffiths QM book. Given the many confused students in this forum, it's a bit too sloppy!

vanhees71 said:

I warn against Griffiths QM book. Given the many confused students in this forum, it's a bit too sloppy!

Dr Transport said:

As is his Electrodynamics book....

Falgun said:

What do you recommend then for e&m at a similar level.