Quantum Mechanics Supplements
This World Wide Web page written by
Dan Styer,
Oberlin College Physics Department;
http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/dstyer/TeachQM/Supplements.html;
last updated 15 December 2022.
In addition to a text book, you might want to assign one or more of these
supplements.
- Richard P. Feynman, QED:
The Strange Theory of Light and Matter
(Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1985).
A masterful exposition of quantum mechanics, aimed not at teaching
students to do calculations, but at teaching them to understand what's
going on behind calculations.
- George Greenstein and Arthur Zajonc, The Quantum Challenge:
Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
(Jones and Bartlett, Sudbury, Massachusetts, 1997).
Books on the foundations of quantum mechanics often wallow in
vague philosophy. This one is full of crisp experiments.
- A.P. French and E.F. Taylor, An Introduction to Quantum Physics
(W.W. Norton, New York, 1978).
Lower in mathematical level than the typical junior-senior course,
but full of physical insights.
- Daniel T. Gillespie, A Quantum Mechanics Primer
(International Textbook Company, Scranton, Pennsylvania, 1970).
Very clear presentation of formal quantum theory. Does not attempt
to justify the theory through experiments, or to give applications,
or to develop physical insight. But it excels at what it does do,
namely untangle the motivation and the plausibility arguments
from what we now know to be true.
Available for
free download.
- S. Brandt and H.D. Dahmen,
The Picture Book of Quantum Mechanics
(Wiley, New York, 1985).
Computer-generated visualizations that attempt to build physical intuition.
Sometimes they succeed!
- R.P. Feynman and A.R. Hibbs,
Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals: Emended Edition
(Dover Publications, Mineola, New York, 2010).
A deservedly famous book.
- Jean Marc Levy-Leblond and Francoise Balibar,
Quantics: Rudiments of Quantum Physics
(Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1990).
A French textbook with an unconventional but attractive approach.
- John S. Townsend, A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics
(McGraw-Hill, New York, 1992).
Another unconventional textbook, beginning with spin systems.
Now available from
University Science Books.