If you're thinking about going to grad school for physics or another physical science, this is the book for you. It discusses: *whether you should go to grad school *how to choose prospective graduate programs *how to develop a competitive application *what to do after you're admitted Written specifically for physics applicants, this book contains general information as well as very specific advice about writing essays, studying for exams, negotiating funding, and more. It even includes worksheets to help you stay organized. This book is perfect for anyone who is: *in college studying physics - grad school admissions are based on what you do in college, so you should learn the rules of the game as early as possible *about to start the physics grad school application process *wondering whether applying to grad school is a good idea *thinking of going back to earn an advanced degree in physics And not just physics! This book will also be invaluable to anyone interested in grad school for any physical science (math, chemistry, astronomy, etc.) since the application processes for those programs are nearly identical.
GRE Physics practice questions with the most complete explanations and step-by-step solutions. Over 1,300 practice questions cover the following physics topics tested on the GRE Physics: ∙ Kinematics & dynamics ∙ Force, motion, gravitation ∙ Equilibrium and momentum ∙ Work & energy ∙ Waves & periodic motion ∙ Sound ∙ Fluids & solids ∙ Light & optics ∙ Heat & thermodynamics ∙ Electrostatics & electromagnetism ∙ Electric circuits ∙ Atomic & nuclear physics ∙ Quantum mechanics ∙ Special relativity ∙ Laboratory methods To achieve a GRE Physics score, you need to develop skills to properly apply the knowledge you have and quickly choose the correct answer. You must solve numerous practice questions that represent the style and content of the GRE Physics. This GRE Physics prep book contains over 1,300 practice questions with detailed explanations and step-by-step solutions. It is the most complete and comprehensive study tool that will teach you how to approach and solve a multitude of physics problems. This book consists of: - 12 diagnostic tests to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses to optimize your preparation strategy - topical practice question sets to drill down on each topic from a variety of angles and formula applications - test-taking strategies to maximize your performance on the test day - sheets of formulae, equations, variables and units to know for each topic The practice questions that comprise this book will help you to: - master important GRE Physics topics - assess your knowledge of topics tested on the GRE Physics - improve your test-taking skills - prepare for the test comprehensively and cost effectively All the questions in this book are prepared by physics instructors with years of experience in applied physics, as well as in academic settings. This team of physics experts analyzed the content of the test, released by the ETS, and designed practice questions that will help you build knowledge and develop the skills necessary for your success on the test. The questions were reviewed for quality and effectiveness by our science editors who possess extensive credentials, are educated in top colleges and universities, and have years of teaching and editorial experience.
At what point does theory depart the realm of testable hypothesis and come to resemble something like aesthetic speculation, or even theology? The legendary physicist Wolfgang Pauli had a phrase for such ideas: He would describe them as "not even wrong," meaning that they were so incomplete that they could not even be used to make predictions to compare with observations to see whether they were wrong or not. In Peter Woit's view, superstring theory is just such an idea. In Not Even Wrong , he shows that what many physicists call superstring "theory" is not a theory at all. It makes no predictions, even wrong ones, and this very lack of falsifiability is what has allowed the subject to survive and flourish. Not Even Wrong explains why the mathematical conditions for progress in physics are entirely absent from superstring theory today and shows that judgments about scientific statements, which should be based on the logical consistency of argument and experimental evidence, are instead based on the eminence of those claiming to know the truth. In the face of many books from enthusiasts for string theory, this book presents the other side of the story.
The second edition of this highly praised textbook provides an introduction to tensors, group theory, and their applications in classical and quantum physics. Both intuitive and rigorous, it aims to demystify tensors by giving the slightly more abstract but conceptually much clearer definition found in the math literature, and then connects this formulation to the component formalism of physics calculations. New pedagogical features, such as new illustrations, tables, and boxed sections, as well as additional “invitation” sections that provide accessible introductions to new material, offer increased visual engagement, clarity, and motivation for students. Part I begins with linear algebraic foundations, follows with the modern component-free definition of tensors, and concludes with applications to physics through the use of tensor products. Part II introduces group theory, including abstract groups and Lie groups and their associated Lie algebras, then intertwines this material with that of Part I by introducing representation theory. Examples and exercises are provided in each chapter for good practice in applying the presented material and techniques. Prerequisites for this text include the standard lower-division mathematics and physics courses, though extensive references are provided for the motivated student who has not yet had these. Advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in physics and applied mathematics will find this textbook to be a clear, concise, and engaging introduction to tensors and groups. Reviews of the First Edition “[P]hysicist Nadir Jeevanjee has produced a masterly book that will help other physicists understand those subjects [tensors and groups] as mathematicians understand them... From the first pages, Jeevanjee shows amazing skill in finding fresh, compelling words to bring forward the insight that animates the modern mathematical view...[W]ith compelling force and clarity, he provides many carefully worked-out examples and well-chosen specific problems... Jeevanjee’s clear and forceful writing presents familiar cases with a freshness that will draw in and reassure even a fearful student. [This] is a masterpiece of exposition and explanation that would win credit for even a seasoned author.” —Physics Today "Jeevanjee’s [text] is a valuable piece of work on several counts, including its express pedagogical service rendered to fledgling physicists and the fact that it does indeed give pure mathematicians a way to come to terms with what physicists are saying with the same words we use, but with an ostensibly different meaning. The book is very easy to read, very user-friendly, full of examples...and exercises, and will do the job the author wants it to do with style.” —MAA Reviews
Practically all of modern physics deals with fields—functions of space (or spacetime) that give the value of a certain quantity, such as the temperature, in terms of its location within a prescribed volume. Electrodynamics is a comprehensive study of the field produced by (and interacting with) charged particles, which in practice means almost all matter. Fulvio Melia's Electrodynamics offers a concise, compact, yet complete treatment of this important branch of physics. Unlike most of the standard texts, Electrodynamics neither assumes familiarity with basic concepts nor ends before reaching advanced theoretical principles. Instead this book takes a continuous approach, leading the reader from fundamental physical principles through to a relativistic Lagrangian formalism that overlaps with the field theoretic techniques used in other branches of advanced physics. Avoiding unnecessary technical details and calculations, Electrodynamics will serve both as a useful supplemental text for graduate and advanced undergraduate students and as a helpful overview for physicists who specialize in other fields.
Over the past years the author has developed a quantum language going beyond the concepts used by Bohr and Heisenberg. The simple formal algebraic language is designed to be consistent with quantum theory. It differs from natural languages in its epistemology, modal structure, logical connections, and copulatives. Starting from ideas of John von Neumann and in part also as a response to his fundamental work, the author bases his approach on what one really observes when studying quantum processes. This way the new language can be seen as a clue to a deeper understanding of the concepts of quantum physics, at the same time avoiding those paradoxes which arise when using natural languages. The work is organized didactically: The reader learns in fairly concrete form about the language and its structure as well as about its use for physics.
