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Principles of Quantum Mechanics
Reviews from the First Edition:
"An excellent text ... The postulates of quantum mechanics and the mathematical underpinnings are discussed in a clear, succinct manner." (American Scientist)
"No matter how gently one introduces students to the concept of Dirac's bras and kets, many are turned off. Shankar attacks the problem head-on in the first chapter, and in a very informal style suggests that there is nothing to be frightened of." (Physics Bulletin)
Reviews of the Second Edition:
"This massive text of 700 and odd pages has indeed an excellent get-up, is very verbal and expressive, and has extensively worked out calculational details---all just right for a first course. The style is conversational, more like a corridor talk or lecture notes, though arranged as a text. ... It would be particularly useful to beginning students and those in allied areas like quantum chemistry." (Mathematical Reviews)
R. Shankar has introduced major additions and updated key presentations in this second edition of Principles of Quantum Mechanics. New features of this innovative text include an entirely rewritten mathematical introduction, a discussion of Time-reversal invariance, and extensive coverage of a variety of path integrals and their applications. Additional highlights include:
- Clear, accessible treatment of underlying mathematics
- A review of Newtonian, Lagrangian, and Hamiltonian mechanics
- Student understanding of quantum theory is enhanced by separate treatment of mathematical theorems and physical postulates
- Unsurpassed coverage of path integrals and their relevance in contemporary physics
The requisite text for advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level students, Principles of Quantum Mechanics, Second Edition is fully referenced and is supported by many exercises and solutions. The book's self-contained chapters also make it suitable for independent study as well as for courses in applied disciplines.
"An excellent text ... The postulates of quantum mechanics and the mathematical underpinnings are discussed in a clear, succinct manner." (American Scientist)
"No matter how gently one introduces students to the concept of Dirac's bras and kets, many are turned off. Shankar attacks the problem head-on in the first chapter, and in a very informal style suggests that there is nothing to be frightened of." (Physics Bulletin)
Reviews of the Second Edition:
"This massive text of 700 and odd pages has indeed an excellent get-up, is very verbal and expressive, and has extensively worked out calculational details---all just right for a first course. The style is conversational, more like a corridor talk or lecture notes, though arranged as a text. ... It would be particularly useful to beginning students and those in allied areas like quantum chemistry." (Mathematical Reviews)
R. Shankar has introduced major additions and updated key presentations in this second edition of Principles of Quantum Mechanics. New features of this innovative text include an entirely rewritten mathematical introduction, a discussion of Time-reversal invariance, and extensive coverage of a variety of path integrals and their applications. Additional highlights include:
- Clear, accessible treatment of underlying mathematics
- A review of Newtonian, Lagrangian, and Hamiltonian mechanics
- Student understanding of quantum theory is enhanced by separate treatment of mathematical theorems and physical postulates
- Unsurpassed coverage of path integrals and their relevance in contemporary physics
The requisite text for advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level students, Principles of Quantum Mechanics, Second Edition is fully referenced and is supported by many exercises and solutions. The book's self-contained chapters also make it suitable for independent study as well as for courses in applied disciplines.
700 pages, Hardcover
First published December 31, 1980
About the author
Ramamurti Shankar
7 books60 followersRamamurti Shankar (born April 28, 1947) is the John Randolph Huffman Professor of Physics at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut. His research is in theoretical condensed matter physics, although he is also known for his earlier work in theoretical particle physics. In 2009, Shankar was awarded the Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize from the American Physical Society for "innovative applications of field theoretic techniques to quantum condensed matter systems". He received his B. Tech in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras and his Ph.D. in theoretical particle physics from the University of California, Berkeley (1974). After three years at the Harvard Society of Fellows, he joined the Yale physics department, which he chaired between 2001-2007. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is dedicated to teaching and has published three texts: Principles of Quantum Mechanics, Basic Training in Mathematics: A Fitness Program for Science Students and Fundamentals of Physics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 20, 2010
Those who follow the pack waste days wrinkling their foreheads at the long, winding, historical path through quantum mechanics that David Griffiths leads his unsuspecting followers on. Those who know better skip the foreplay and face the glorious intellectual burden that are the axioms of quantum mechanics in just the second chapter of Shankar.
Shankar's introductory chapter on the mathematics of quantum theory is the best out there. It was my saving grace after getting bogged down in a quantum information book for which I went in unprepared. If you too have lept into papers or books only to be baffled by the mysterious dances of Dirac brackets and quantum operators, let Shankar be your guide.
Shankar is also great for the independent learner. He embeds problems within the text so if you're reading on your own, you can feel as though you're engaged in the development of the theory (but don't kid yourself, you're not that smart).
I don't see why this book isn't far more popular. It's not only clear enough for undergrads (and, more specifically, clearer than Griffiths historical tour), but it covers many of the topics you'd want to see in any introductory grad level course too.
Shankar's introductory chapter on the mathematics of quantum theory is the best out there. It was my saving grace after getting bogged down in a quantum information book for which I went in unprepared. If you too have lept into papers or books only to be baffled by the mysterious dances of Dirac brackets and quantum operators, let Shankar be your guide.
Shankar is also great for the independent learner. He embeds problems within the text so if you're reading on your own, you can feel as though you're engaged in the development of the theory (but don't kid yourself, you're not that smart).
I don't see why this book isn't far more popular. It's not only clear enough for undergrads (and, more specifically, clearer than Griffiths historical tour), but it covers many of the topics you'd want to see in any introductory grad level course too.
February 7, 2016
To A Certain Pop Science Writer (He Knows Who He Is) Who Should Have More Sense
If you haven't read Shankar
You're really just a wankar
If you haven't read Shankar
You're really just a wankar
June 21, 2010
Hands down the best textbook I have ever read. Even though it is aimed at higher level students, I found Shankar much easier and more rewarding to follow than Griffith's Introduction To Quantum Mechanics. Each page follows very logically from the last, which to me is very important.
If you have taken basic courses in linear algebra, Lagrangian/Hamiltonian mechanics and boundary value problems than look no further. Perfect for self study!
If you have taken basic courses in linear algebra, Lagrangian/Hamiltonian mechanics and boundary value problems than look no further. Perfect for self study!
December 27, 2017
Quick Review:
A pedagogical masterpiece.
The author deals with many subtleties, the presentation shines with clarity, the material is wisely chosen and have broad coverage, the physics is always very well-motivated, it is suited for self-study and the exercises are carefully chosen so as to teach something new to the reader. Some exercises teach the reader stuff that are rarely found in popular textbooks.
Detailed Review:
I was impressed from how clear and well-motivated everything is in this textbook.
It contains two big chapters on prerequisites(mathematical methods and classical mechanics) which shows that the author is determined in making you actually understand the subject matter. Next, there is a small chapter to motivate the reader to believe that there's something more than just classical mechanics and effectively builds the way towards Quantum Mechanics. Then, at the start of chapter 4, the author gives the postulates of Quantum Mechanics in the clearest way possible; he gives them in the form of a list and he also compares them with the classical mechanics counterparts. This shows how deeply the author has thought about the presentation of his textbook.
In the next chapters, the author proceeds on with the same spirit and never disappoints. He's done an exquisite work!
What surprised me even more is that the author discusses path integrals and symmetries early one, before even getting to the hydrogen atom and approximation methods. Other textbooks leave path integrals and symmetries until later. This way of introducing path integrals and symmetries is much better. Introducing path integrals early on demystifies them; they are not such foreign concepts as they might seem to be when they are presented near the end of a book and after all the fundamentals of QM have been worked out with the canonical formulation. Introducing Symmetries early on helps with always keeping symmetries at the back of our minds, as we should because symmetries are at the heart of physics
The last point which surprised me was that the author also chooses to present some content that is not presented in typical QM textbooks very often. A brilliant example of this is the inclusion of the Berry phase(at a higher level and more effectively than Griffiths' presentation) which is a beautiful and very modern concept that led to important research(for example the 2016 physics Nobel prize). This also illustrates that the author's background has payed off big time. Shankar's research background is broad: from particle physics to condensed matter physics. And this shows from the choice of the material that's found here.
Now, here is an example that shows how well-motivated is everything:
In the introductory chapter(p.46, example 1.8.6), the author gives an example of how to find the normal modes of two coupled oscillators. He showcases how the change of basis to the eigenbasis is essential for solving the problem and understanding the problem. He uses this example to illustrate how the concepts of linear algebra that he explained a few pages back are used in physics. The whole example is written in the Bra-Ket language of Dirac(which is the language of advanced Quantum Mechanics) and thus serves as a very nice motivation of what's to come regarding Quantum Mechanics.
The textbook is full of such pedagogical examples.
It also reads very smoothly, although anyone that hopes to find a writing style similar to Griffiths' will be disappointed; this author chooses a formal but clear writing style which helps avoid babbling(although I like the writing style of Griffiths). And everything is explained in the intuitive way that you expect from a good author.
Lastly, the exercises in this textbook are very carefully chosen. A great example is exercise 7.4.9 on p.213, where the author shows that the association of the momentum operator is not unique and can be something more rather than just the derivative (-id/dx for 1d); we can also add an arbitrary function f(x) and asks the reader to show that this corresponds to a unitary change of basis.
These kinds of exercises are rarely found in textbooks and are, in my opinion at least, the pinnacle of pedagogy that every textbook must try to achieve.
A pedagogical masterpiece.
The author deals with many subtleties, the presentation shines with clarity, the material is wisely chosen and have broad coverage, the physics is always very well-motivated, it is suited for self-study and the exercises are carefully chosen so as to teach something new to the reader. Some exercises teach the reader stuff that are rarely found in popular textbooks.
Detailed Review:
I was impressed from how clear and well-motivated everything is in this textbook.
It contains two big chapters on prerequisites(mathematical methods and classical mechanics) which shows that the author is determined in making you actually understand the subject matter. Next, there is a small chapter to motivate the reader to believe that there's something more than just classical mechanics and effectively builds the way towards Quantum Mechanics. Then, at the start of chapter 4, the author gives the postulates of Quantum Mechanics in the clearest way possible; he gives them in the form of a list and he also compares them with the classical mechanics counterparts. This shows how deeply the author has thought about the presentation of his textbook.
In the next chapters, the author proceeds on with the same spirit and never disappoints. He's done an exquisite work!
What surprised me even more is that the author discusses path integrals and symmetries early one, before even getting to the hydrogen atom and approximation methods. Other textbooks leave path integrals and symmetries until later. This way of introducing path integrals and symmetries is much better. Introducing path integrals early on demystifies them; they are not such foreign concepts as they might seem to be when they are presented near the end of a book and after all the fundamentals of QM have been worked out with the canonical formulation. Introducing Symmetries early on helps with always keeping symmetries at the back of our minds, as we should because symmetries are at the heart of physics
The last point which surprised me was that the author also chooses to present some content that is not presented in typical QM textbooks very often. A brilliant example of this is the inclusion of the Berry phase(at a higher level and more effectively than Griffiths' presentation) which is a beautiful and very modern concept that led to important research(for example the 2016 physics Nobel prize). This also illustrates that the author's background has payed off big time. Shankar's research background is broad: from particle physics to condensed matter physics. And this shows from the choice of the material that's found here.
Now, here is an example that shows how well-motivated is everything:
In the introductory chapter(p.46, example 1.8.6), the author gives an example of how to find the normal modes of two coupled oscillators. He showcases how the change of basis to the eigenbasis is essential for solving the problem and understanding the problem. He uses this example to illustrate how the concepts of linear algebra that he explained a few pages back are used in physics. The whole example is written in the Bra-Ket language of Dirac(which is the language of advanced Quantum Mechanics) and thus serves as a very nice motivation of what's to come regarding Quantum Mechanics.
The textbook is full of such pedagogical examples.
It also reads very smoothly, although anyone that hopes to find a writing style similar to Griffiths' will be disappointed; this author chooses a formal but clear writing style which helps avoid babbling(although I like the writing style of Griffiths). And everything is explained in the intuitive way that you expect from a good author.
Lastly, the exercises in this textbook are very carefully chosen. A great example is exercise 7.4.9 on p.213, where the author shows that the association of the momentum operator is not unique and can be something more rather than just the derivative (-id/dx for 1d); we can also add an arbitrary function f(x) and asks the reader to show that this corresponds to a unitary change of basis.
These kinds of exercises are rarely found in textbooks and are, in my opinion at least, the pinnacle of pedagogy that every textbook must try to achieve.
March 8, 2010
Shankar has an interesting way of approach the teaching of Quantum Mechanics. He clumps all the math needed to appreciate the quantum theory at the beginning: mostly linear algebra. If you can solidly understand the first chapter, it's downhill from there.
October 8, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this book, and probably wouldn't use it to teach from. Might write a longer review later.
April 17, 2008
start with griffiths, but this is not a bad next step.
February 23, 2017
Amazing textbook. Hard at first for the novice, but upon re-read afterwards, it becomes clear just how great it is.
May 17, 2020
One year of graduate-level quantum mechanics. This book is deep and extensive and builds ideas rigourously from the ground up. Every now and then, Shankar does tend to describe derivations verbally rather than mathematically, but it's a 600-page book, so this can be excused. I did have to supplement it with Griffiths, especially in the second half (chapter 14 onwards); the trouble with Griffiths is that it is written in such a deceptively intuitive way that it's easy to think all of quantum mechanics is contained within that one textbook. Shankar does a good job of letting you know when he is skipping over something because it is beyond the scope of his book. Reading Shankar carefully has given me a lot of confidence in approaching solid state physics and electronic structure theory.
December 15, 2019
200 pages in. This is shaping up to be the definitive QM book. I started with Griffiths but I was not satisfied because he doesn't spend enough time building the basics and formalisms you will need. Shankar literally jackhammers bra-ket notation into your head for 100-something pages before he even mentions the postulates. It also has a chapter dedicated to the path integral formulation at the end to set you up nicely for Quantum Field Theory.
July 3, 2020
This is a fantastic explanation of quantum mechanics, readable at the undergraduate level if you are willing to put in the time and work. Highly detailed, lots of information, well-explained, and even touches on relevant philosophical aspects that some computation-heavy teachers are either afraid to consider or don't care about.
May 23, 2020
YOU HAVE TO READ SHANKAR!
The best introductory text for undergraduate Quantum Mechanics. All the maths required is (nearly ) covered in first chapter and review of classical mechanics of is also there. Presentation is clear and concise in correct pedagogical manner.
The best introductory text for undergraduate Quantum Mechanics. All the maths required is (nearly ) covered in first chapter and review of classical mechanics of is also there. Presentation is clear and concise in correct pedagogical manner.
May 9, 2019
One of the most clear physics textbooks I've ever read. I feel extremely fortunate to have chosen this book as my first on quantum mechanics.
December 21, 2019
Quite an excellent text for learning Quantum Mechanics...
February 6, 2021
Left me in an incoherent state.
December 3, 2021
We used it in my undergraduate quantum theory class.
May 6, 2023
super helpful material for easing your way into quantum mechanics
February 3, 2014
I was looking for some specific information earlier today, and Google failed me. Then I decided to dust off this undergrad textbook, and voila, it was right there.
The best QM textbook evar. Spend the money if you need this data on a regular basis.
The best QM textbook evar. Spend the money if you need this data on a regular basis.
June 25, 2021
The Principles of Quantum Mechanics is an influential monograph on quantum mechanics written by Paul Dirac and first published by Oxford University Press in 1930. ... Dirac is credited with developing the subject "particularly in Cambridge and Göttingen between 1925–1927" (Farmelo).
June 4, 2016
math intro is comprehensive, concise and very helpful. the first half of the text (which I have read) is very well written - step by step derivations and explanations of the main features of QM. a good alternate text.
June 13, 2007
Topics are explained clearly enough for an advanced undergraduate class but covers more than enough for a first semester grad class. Good to have on hand for reference/review durring quantum II.
September 22, 2007
One of the best books I ever read on this subject. Very clear and easy to follow.
Read
December 27, 2007i wanna start to read it!
Read
January 6, 2008I had to read this one for grad school. Not my favorite but not bad either. It does have some chapters that make it worth while.
April 12, 2009
A must read. A fantastic, self contained intro to graduate level quantum mechanics.
May 11, 2012
I'll never finish this but interesting.
May 29, 2018
It’s hard to say I have “read” this book — I have skimmed it to the end and did a few exercises. However, it is really comprehensive and provides enough learning material for months.
November 30, 2018
Great book, very clear and easy to follow. Don't be impatient, the beginning chapter on the <Φ|Ψ> linear algebra is essential.
A pleasure to work through.
A pleasure to work through.
November 23, 2019
The bible for Quantum Mechanics.
October 16, 2013
It's time I took this off my "currently reading" list.
Very good.
Very good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews