Reference textbook suggestions for PHYS 2502 Mathematical Physics
There are lots and lots of textbooks out there on this material at this level, so you might want to consider borrowing or buying one or more of them if you want additional references. Following are some specific suggestions for books that I like. I haven't checked, but they are likely available from the Charles Library.
- Calculus and Analytic Geometry, by Abraham Schwartz
This is the book I used to learn calculus in high school. It approaches the subject from a very physical perspective, and has lots of exercises you can use for practice.
- Mathematical Tools for Physics, by James Nearing
This nice book is very readable, and contains most of what we will cover in the course. The link takes you to a free PDF that you can download, but also shows you where to buy an inexpensive hard copy from Dover Books.
- Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering: A Comprehensive Guide, 3rd Edition, by K. F. Riley, M. P. Hobson, and S. J. Bence.
This is a huge book, but I find it very useful for teaching this material. I believe it is a very useful reference for your future studies of physics.
- Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences, 3rd Edition, by Mary L. Boas
This is a well known and popular textbook for the material we will cover. There are lots of good practice exercises.
- A Course in Mathematical Methods for Physicists, by Russell L. Herman (a Temple undergraduate Physics alumnus)
One reason I like this book is that it includes a lot of physical examples.
- Div, Grad, Curl, and All That, by H.M.Schey
This "informal text on vector calculus" is a very nice and physical introduction to the material we will cover in Chapter 4.