Introductory quantum mechanics

by Richard L. Liboff

Book Overview

Careful and detailed explanations of challenging concepts, and comprehensive and up-to-date coverage in this best-selling quantum mechanics book, continue to set the standard in physics education. In this new edition, a new chapter on the revolutionary topic of of quantum computing (not currently covered in any other book at this level) and thorough updates to the rest of the book bring it up to date. For anyone interested physics or quantum mechanics...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081625172X
• ISBN13: 9780816251728
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Holden-Day
• Length: 653 Pages
• Weight: 2.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Extremely good for most people studying quantum

Unless you're looking to go straight to field theory or some other "pure" form of quantum, this is probably one of the best books you can pick up, particularly for people who are actually going to use quantum mechanics to calculate real things (solids, atoms, molecules, etc.). This is not to say that it's in any way an applied book, it is certainly appropriate for an undergrad physics class. Doesn't baby you like Griffiths but still spells things out for you without being coy or requiring you to make many intuitive leaps on your own the way Sakurai etc. do. I find that physical chemist friends of mine particularly appreciate this book, as well as several engineers I know.

the qm encyclopedia

It's a bit old school but very complete. No book is as thick or helpful. Add this to your bookshelf.

excellent undergrad QM text.

I agree with the reader from Berkeley. I also took a year long sequence (at Illinois) that only required the Griffiths book. Although enjoyable to read, Griffith's books always seem to lack details necessary to the serious student.Liboff's book is comprehensive and well-written.

Great for beginners

The first course in quantum mechanics that I took at Berkeley required only the Griffiths book. After realizing how terrible that book was, I picked up the Liboff book and was thoroughly satisfied. Although it is lacking in depth at some points, the subject matter is chosen very well and each section is reasonably self contained (as much as it can be in this subject). The mathematical level is just right for a second/third year physics major as it does a good job introducing new mathematics such as Airy functions, Legendre polynomials, spherical harmonics, and spherical Bessel and Neumann functions. It is also nice to see Liboff give a taste of more advanced topics such as path integration and relativistic quantum mechanics. The treatment of angular momenta and their addition (orbital and spin) is especially good for beginners. All undergraduates in physics would benefit from this text.

excellent, undergraduate text, a classic

This is perhaps one of the best undergraduate level quantum mechanic book ever written. The examples in the book are necessary to go into any "deep" detail. (See other reviewer comments). I would recommend it to anyone trying to understand quantum mechanics for the first time.