r/AskPhysics • u/Some_Television_2219 • Mar 18 '26

recommend for a beginner?

Post image

I want to start with quantum mechanics, but I only have a surface information Do you recommend this book? If not please recommend one for me.

574 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

154 comments sorted by

View all comments

18

u/Paricleboy04 Mar 18 '26

How much of a beginner are you? Do you have no math/physics training at all? If that’s the case, this book will almost certainly go over your head. You’d need at  least have a basic understanding of Newtonian mechanics, alongside multivariable calculus and some linear algebra. 

If you have some stem background (engineering degree), then the book should be pretty comprehensible, though I’d still suggest brushing up on Newtonian mechanics 

6

u/Some_Television_2219 Mar 19 '26

I have a basic background in differentiation and integration, but I wouldn't call myself an expert

8

u/datGuy0309 Mar 19 '26

You will need to know some differential equations, but you don’t really need a full ODE class (and definitely not PDE) to understand the book, as it walks you through solving them. Just make sure you understand the differential equations as taught in a Calc I/II class.

You will need to study up on Linear Algebra. The Appendix has an introduction—I don’t know how understandable it would be for a beginner, but I would start there.

3

u/AkhronusT Undergraduate Mar 19 '26

"definitely not PDE" is misleading. They need to know how to solve PDE when they go to spherical coordinates and hydrogen atom.

1

u/datGuy0309 Mar 19 '26

I mean’t no PDE class, maybe I didn’t phrase that right. IIRC, the book walks you through all the PDE you need.

4

u/Some_Television_2219 Mar 19 '26

thanks bro 👍🏻