Quantum Mechanics
Quantum Mechanics
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Offering a detailed account of the key concepts and mathematical apparatus of quantum mechanics, this textbook is an ideal companion to both undergraduate and graduate courses. The formal and practical aspects of the subject are explained clearly alongside examples of modern applications, providing students with the tools required to thoroughly understand the theory and apply it. The authors provide an intuitive conceptual framework that is grounded in a coherent physical explanation of quantum phenomena, established over decades of teaching and research in quantum mechanics and its foundations. The book's educational value is enhanced by the inclusion of examples and exercises, with solutions available online, and an extensive bibliography is provided. Notes throughout the text provide fascinating context on the tumultuous history of quantum mechanics, the people that developed it, and the questions that still remain at its center. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
- Offers a coherent causal description of quantum phenomena that is accessible to students from all physics-related disciplines, and will also be of interest to those studying the philosophy of physics
- Discusses quantum mechanics in a way that encourages critical scientific thinking, with novel explanations that are not usually found in textbooks
- Adaptable for use in both introductory and more advanced courses, the book is also suitable for use as a supplementary text in areas such as quantum information and communication, nanotechnology and quantum chemistry
- This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core
Reviews & endorsements
‘This text provides a comprehensive study of quantum mechanics that any physics student can follow. It presents the essential material and clearly explains the underlying physics. Quantum mechanics will ultimately determine the course of technology and shape our efforts to find a fundamental physical theory. This book is an excellent resource for scientists and graduate and undergraduate students in physics and related fields who want to delve into the subject.’ Tonatiuh Matos, Cinvestav
‘Ana María Cetto and Luis de la Peña are among the foremost physicists in the foundations of quantum theory. Their decades of research have established a natural bridge between classical and quantum physics, offering a deeper causal picture of quantum phenomena. Quantum Mechanics: A Physical Approach distills this unique perspective into a comprehensive and pedagogical textbook for students. The book begins with the historical rupture brought by Planck and Einstein, guiding readers through the development of wave mechanics, matrix mechanics, and the Schrödinger formalism. Alongside the standard curriculum, it integrates foundational insights such as the role of the zero-point field and stochastic approaches to quantum behavior. By combining clarity, historical context, and physical intuition, the book helps students see the quantum world not as ‘weird,’ but as a coherent part of the physical world.’ Andrei Khrennikov, Linnaeus University
Product details
- Published: December 2025
- Format: Hardback
- ISBN: 9781009679626
- Length: 640 pages
- Dimensions: 260 × 185 × 38 mm
- Weight: 1.36kg
- Availability: Available
Table of Contents
- 1. The quantum world and its description
- 2. Matter and field
- 3. Quantum mechanics in the Heisenberg (matrix) picture
- 4. Quantum mechanics in the Schrodinger (wave) picture. Dirac's notation
- 5. One-dimensional potential steps, barriers and wells
- 6. The WKB approximation. Electronic properties of solids
- 7. The free particle. The time dependent Schrodinger equation
- 8. Dynamics of quantum systems
- 9. The one-dimensional harmonic oscillator
- 10. The physics underlying quantum phenomena
- 11. Angular momentum theory
- 12. Central potentials. The hydrogen atom
- 13. Stationary perturbation theory and the variational method
- 14. The Electron Spin. Entangled states
- 15. Identical-particle systems: quantum statistics. The density matrix
- 16. Atoms and molecules
- 17. Time-dependent perturbations. Field quantization and second quantization
- 18. Elastic scattering theory
- 19. Relativistic equations. An introduction
- Appendix A Mathematical Tools
- Bibliography
- Index.
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