Classical Mechanics, 2nd edition, 1980 (Addison-Wesley series in physics)
By addebook • Jul 2nd, 2008 • Category: Physics •
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Classical Mechanics, 2nd edition, 1980 (Addison-Wesley series in physics)
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
Number Of Pages: 672
Publication Date: 1980-07
Sales Rank: 695888
ISBN / ASIN: 0201029189
EAN: 9780201029185
Binding: Hardcover
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley
Studio: Addison-Wesley
Average Rating: 4
For thirty years this has been the acknowledged standard in advanced classical mechanics courses. This classic book enables readers to make connections between read.freeduan.com classical and modern physics - an indispensable part of a physicist’s education. In this new edition, Beams Medal winner Charles Poole and John Safko have updated the book to include the latest topics, applications, and notation, to reflect today’s physics curriculum. They introduce readers to the increasingly important role that nonlinearities play in contemporary applications of classical mechanics. New numerical exercises help readers to develop skills in how to use computer techniques to solve problems in physics. Mathematical techniques are presented in detail so that the book remains fully accessible to readers who have not had an intermediate course in classical mechanics. For college instructors and students.
Review:
Good contents but can be written clearer
I gave this book a 4-star because some parts of it are in fact not so clearly written, as some of the previous reviewers have pointed out. Yet it is probably the only book out there that explains classical mechanics at the level of sophistication and comprehensiveness suitable for an advanced physics student. This book is aimed at the graduate audience but in my opinion any undergraduate students with a solid introductory mechanics course should have no problem understanding most of the materials in this book though I have to admit that the authors did not do a very good job in explaining the concepts.
A distinct feature of this book is that it tries to teach classical mechanics in a way that illuminates many analogous approaches in quantum theory. By this I mean the theoretical constructions such as the Hamilton-Jacobi theory, Poisson brackets, canonical perturbation theory, relativistic field theory, and so on. This book is probably a must read for beginners of theoretical physics because some of the theoretical methods exploited here appear almost ubiquitously in other fields of physics. In the study of other subjects of physics, I was often reminded of the little bits of things I picked up from this book: variational principles, tensors and forms, symmetry groups, field theoretical ideas, etc.
Of course, the main goal of this book is to introduce the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of classical mechanics. The book is actually strong in this aspect. The first few chapters I think are very well written, especially the chapter on central force which is the most thorough treatment I have seen. There are things one hardly sees in other books of this type, such as the Lenz vector which would find a beautiful use in the quantum Kepler problem. However, the book tends to lose clarity in the latter chapters. The three chapters on Hamiltonian mechanics can be much better written. The chapter on chaos serves as nothing but a really rough introduction. Readers interested in these areas will probably benefit better by looking at other books written exclusively on Hamiltonian dynamics or chaos.
After all this is a good book mostly because I haven’t yet found any other book at this level that does a better job. If one finds it difficult to read I would suggest getting the book by Marion and Thornton which contains many step-by-step derivations and tons of examples and in my opinion serves as a great companion to this book. Another book at almost the same level is the legendary book by Landau which is extremely concise and get-to-the-point. So some people may like Landau’s style better. However, in my opinion, no other books can really replace this one as a comprehensive treatment of classical mechanics.
Review:
Who publishes books like this?
Goldstein’s Classical Mechanics is one of the worst books I have ever read on the subject. It is disturbing that it could have been published on the first place since it is full of very serious omissions and mistakes.
The classical mechanics is based on two basic experimental facts, which lie at its foundations: The Newton-Laplace principle of determinacy and Galileo’s principle of relativity. These fundamental principles are never stated in the book. More over the authors are confused about such elementary notions as phase space and configuration space probably due to the fact that phase space could be identified with a tangent bundle or cotangent bundle of the configuration space depending weather we use Lagrangian or Hamiltonian formalism.
After the reading of this book novice reader might be under the false impression that the most of mechanical systems are integrable since all examples and problems stated in this book are of that type. There is no place in this book for Arnold-Liouville’s theorem on integrability.
Even such elementary topics like the chapter on Rigid Body are full of serious mistakes as mixing of the body and space coordinates. The authors prefer lengthy “intuitive” explanations to the few simple lemmas from the operator theory.
A short excursion to non-holonomic mechanics is disastrous and should be considered as totally wrong. The same goes for the chapters on canonical transformations, Hamilton-Jacobi theory and action-angle variables.
This list goes on and on.
The book in its present form is beyond repair and should not be used.
Review:
Introduction to Mechanics
Goldsteins Classical Mechanics is a standard reference in intermediate theoretical physics, suitable for second year theoretical, and third year experimental physics. Its contents include material beyond the scope of two periods, but most of the material can be covered during this time.
Classical mechanics is a mathematically modest treatment of mechanics, and the most advanced topic included is calculus of variation. However, most topics are given a rigorous treatment, and when this is not available a reference is given. Examples are somewhat sparse in the book as this is not a solution manual but a treatment of physical theory. However, working out exercises is essential for understanding the text and this is for many a turning-point, the exercises are not easy and do not simplify like problems of basic courses. But for those who work a great award awaits.
The last chapter of the book is an introduction to Chaos, with emphasis on aplication. For a more rigourous treatment differential geometry, the language of mechanics, and algebra is needed. However, it is clear that this would take the book beyond an introduction to mechanics, which it only is.
For those who have motivation and a good lecturer with notes to support the book, such as more examples, Goldsteins Classical mechanics is excellent. A note should be made, the book is probably too hard for sensible self-study, conversation and insight of others is invaluable.
Review:
Standard classical text but is it the best ever?
I will not tell you about the glorious life Dr. Goldstein lived, or his personality or his beliefs, I think a reader is more concerned about his work -especially- as a student. His book classical mechanics is known to be one of the most famous throughout the world, like to form an epistemological basis for the scientists working in this field. In my opinion it is not the best book in this field, I am sorry to be compelled to confess this. The book is written with a motivation to put you in a mode of awe: “Oh man this guy has read all these material, 25,000 books , Oh my God!”. But in fact he is like vomiting all the information on you, or at least in a way that looks like unprocessed food. A good book for some topics like central force fields etc, unique in Canonical transformations and Poisson Brackets, but let us be honest for a while and ask ourselves: Are there better books may be for a Physics student? I think there are: Marion`s Classical Mechanics is a very nice book for starters. The book by Walter Greiner is also a nice book in my oppinion, with all its exercises, and chapters on Chaos and non linear theory. The book by Friedhelm Kuypers is also another nice book, the unfortunate thing is it is called Klassische Mekanik, -in German-, no body ever traslated it. If you really really like the abstract, most exclusive way of doing it, how about Constantine Caratheodory, that to me is the most supreme book written by a true genius.I was lucky cause my professor followed Caratheodory`s book and assigned problems from Goldstein,it was like a piece of cake after having gained the perfect organized way of perceiving the problems,thanx Dr. Y.Guler for this exclusive experience…Let us give all the best credit to Professor Goldstein for his contributions to Orthodox Jewish society and science as well,but be aware of the fact that his book is not a Bible in this field,let me kindly just say that the book was not his greatest achievement.So,you will buy the book for your graduate class, what should you do then? Solve all the problems, and discuss the solutions with the people arround, and always remember that this is not the ultimate step, there is V.I.Arnold and C.Caratheodory beyond H.Goldstein. Do not get exhausted with the never ending math, consider it a life style, as it would be when you really jump into research one way or another. Use the references well, take your time, try to enjoy, cause you will not have an other choice but this book in the graduate school in most American universities..
Review:
Sad News- Dr. Goldstein has passed on
Herbert Goldstein, Professor Emeritus of Nuclear Science and Engineering at Columbia, died on Jan. 12. He was 82.
Goldstein, long recognized for his scholarship in classical mechanics and reactor shielding, was the author of the graduate textbook, Classical Mechanics. The book has been a standard text since it first appeared 50 years ago and has been translated into nine languages. Goldstein’s contributions to nuclear energy were honored by the U.S. Department of Energy, which awarded him the E.O. Lawrence Memorial Award in 1962. In 1977, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the shielding division of the American Nuclear Society.
Goldstein was a professor of nuclear science and engineering at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science since 1961. He received the Great Teacher Award, given by the Society of Columbia Graduates, in 1976. In 1984, Goldstein was the first to hold the Thomas Alva Edison Professorship at the University.
In addition to research, Goldstein devoted time to promoting scientific literacy by teaching undergraduate courses. In 1977, he taught a course he designed to increase scientific understanding of energy issues — “Nuclear Energy: A Semi-technical View for the Non-scientist.” He was also one of the faculty members instrumental in developing an innovative science course for non-scientists, “The Theory and Practice of Science,” at the College.
Goldstein was a consultant for Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory. He was a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Nuclear Society, the New York Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Goldstein also was a member of the American Association of Physics Teachers and was a founding member and president of the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists. He received a B.S. from City College of New York in 1940 and a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1943.
He is survived by his wife, Channa; his children, Penina, Aaron Meir and Shoshanna; and 10 grandchildren.
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