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Book Description
In order to equip hopeful graduate students with the knowledge
necessary to pass the qualifying examination, the authors have
assembled and solved standard and original problems from major
American universities Boston University, University of Chicago,
University of Colorado at Boulder, Columbia, University of Maryland,
University of Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, MIT,
Princeton, Rutgers, Stanford, Stony Brook, University of Tennessee
at Knoxville, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison and Moscow
Institute of Physics and Technology. A wide range of material is
covered and comparisons are made between similar problems of
different schools to provide the student with enough information to
feel comfortable and confident at the exam. Guide to Physics
Problems is published in two volumes: this book, Part
2, covers Thermodynamics, Statistical Mechanics and Quantum
Mechanics; Part 1, covers Mechanics, Relativity and
Electrodynamics.
Praise for A Guide to Physics Problems: Part 2:
Thermodynamics, Statistical Physics, and Quantum Mechanics:
" A Guide to Physics Problems, Part 2 not only serves an
important function, but is a pleasure to read. By selecting problems
from different universities and even different scientific cultures,
the authors have effectively avoided a one-sided approach to
physics. All the problems are good, some are very interesting, some
positively intriguing, a few are crazy; but all of them stimulate
the reader to think about physics, not merely to train you to pass
an exam. I personally received considerable pleasure in working the
problems, and I would guess that anyone who wants to be a
professional physicist would experience similar enjoyment. This book
will be a great help to students and professors, as well as a source
of pleasure and enjoyment." (From Foreword by Max Dresden)
"An excellent resource for graduate students in physics and, one
expects, also for their teachers." (Daniel Kleppner, Lester Wolfe
Professor of Physics Emeritus, MIT)
"A nice selection of problems Thought-provoking, entertaining,
and just plain fun to solve." (Giovanni Vignale, Department of
Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri at Columbia)
"Interesting indeed and enjoyable. The problems are ingenious and
their solutions very informative. I would certainly recommend it to
all graduate students and physicists in general Particularly useful
for teachers who would like to think about problems to present in
their course." (Joel Lebowitz, Rutgers University)
"A very thoroughly assembled, interesting set of problems that
covers the key areas of physics addressed by Ph.D. qualifying exams.
Will prove most useful to both faculty and students. Indeed, I plan
to use this material as a source of examples and illustrations that
will be worked into my lectures." (Douglas Mills, University of
California at Irvine)
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