Good introductory books for Quantum Mechanics?

[Chippsz]

Could you give recommendations for introductory quantum mechanics books? If the book is mathematically heavy, that's great, as long as an overview of a derivation is also provided.

 

Thanks

[liarliarpof]

"Introduction to the Quantum Theory", David Park

[toastywombel]

Quantum World, by Kenneth W. Ford

 

Great book, a link to Amazon Review here!

 

You can also find it at most book stores. Barnes and Noble's and Borders both have it hear in New Mexico.

[Klaynos]

I'd suggest "Quantum Mechanics" by A I M Rae

[JHAQ]

The Complete Idiots Guide series have one on Understanding Einstein & many other topics . May be too elementary for you though

[ajb]

I quite like Schwabl's Quantum Mechanics. It covers a lot of important ground.

[timo]

I quite like Schwabl's Quantum Mechanics. It covers a lot of important ground.

 

I didn't expect that the books are translated to English. I also did like the books (can't remember why, though) and they also did have a very good reputation for preparing for final exams amongst my fellow students. But looking at it I don't know if it possibly introduces too many concepts and terms too fast for a complete beginner.

 

Considering I feel like seeing a lot of book recommendation threads I wonder if it made sense to compile an sfn-recommendation list (of serious textbooks) with a short comment about the books and put it as a sticky. But then, people could as well browse the user reviews on Amazon.

[ydoaPs]

"Road to Reality" by Roger Penrose

[ajb]

But looking at it I don't know if it possibly introduces too many concepts and terms too fast for a complete beginner.

 

This to would be my worry for a complete beginner. Once you have some understanding of quantum mechanics it is a great book.

[binarypulsar]

It is good to differentiate from Introductory and Undergraduate texts. If you have never studied QM before an intoductory book would be a good read before an Undergraduate textbook.

 

Introductory Text

 

Eisberg, Robert; Resnick, Robert (1985). Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei, and Particles (2nd ed.). Wiley. ISBN 0-471-87373-X.

Bohm, David (1989). Quantum Theory. Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-65969-0.

 

Undergraduate Texts

 

Used by most major universities

 

Griffiths, David J. (2004). Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-805326-X.

 

Liboff, Richard L. (2004). Introductory Quantum Mechanics. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-0805387148. The spiderman book

 

Shankar, R. (1994). Principles of Quantum Mechanics. Springer. ISBN 0-306-44790-8.

 

Advanced texts.

 

Gasiorowicz (2003). Quantum Physics, 3rd Edition. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-05700-0. More advanced. Used by Princeton, MIT, Berkeley, Harvard, Columbia, UCLA, Illinois, Chicago, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, Colorado, UCSD, and UCSB among others.

 

Even more advanced.

 

Cohen Tannoudji. Quantum Mechanics (2 vol. set) by Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Bernard Diu, and Frank Laloe (Paperback - Oct 6, 2006).

ISBN 0471569526. Used by Stanford University.