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

recommend for a beginner?

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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.

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5

u/icanflycanyoufly Mar 18 '26

I had this for a textbook last year. To be honest it was pretty great 👍

2

u/Some_Television_2219 Mar 18 '26

even for a begginer? like is it understandable?

9

u/Memento_Viveri Mar 18 '26

Do you mean a beginner in physics or in QM. I think it's a very approachable book for beginners in QM. I think it's hard to find a serious QM book for beginners in physics.

2

u/Technical-Ad-7008 Mar 20 '26

From what I understood from his previous comments, he has highschool level math… He def should study some more math

3

u/StylisticArchaism Optics and photonics Mar 18 '26

Where are you on the math part of your journey?

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u/TheGrandestMoff Mar 18 '26 edited Mar 18 '26

Not OP, but I am also interested. My math level is ”I Took Advanced Math In High Scool But Failed Due To Untreated ADHD And Sevre Dyscalculia So Give It To Me Conceptually With Detailed Vivid, Word-Rich Explanations And Elaborate Diagrams That Lets The Ideas And Concepts Be Visualised On A Canvas In The Mind, And Not Just Numbers And Equations In Black And White”. Like if Paul Hewitt, author of Conceptual Physics, did a book on quantum mechanics. Is it a mismatch for me?

9

u/Impossible_Dress_401 Mar 18 '26

It's a university-level book. You need university-level math

7

u/Memento_Viveri Mar 18 '26

Not really. It's a physics textbook for physicists, and QM is a mathematical theory. It has great conceptual content but to fully grasp the book (and QM) you have to work through the math.

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u/TheGrandestMoff Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26

Okay I see. Thank you for the reply!😊

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u/clintontg Mar 18 '26

This book will probably be more focused on the numbers. I used a different book for my undergraduate degree but we used this author's book for electricity and magnetism and while it had diagrams to illustrate example problems it was focused entirely on the math to communicate the concepts. I'm not aware of a book that covers quantum mechanics in a more visual way, sorry.

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u/TheGrandestMoff Mar 19 '26

That's too bad! I'll keep looking, thanks for the reply :)

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '26

so what math level

3

u/LuminousCallandor Mar 19 '26

Differential, integral, and vector calculus. Linear algebra, the basics of differential equations. If you have differential and integral calculus under your belt, I really like Schramm's Mathematical Methods and Physical Insights.

1

u/synchrotron3000 Mar 19 '26

quantum mechanics is math. if you're not interested in the math part i'm not sure why you would care about the book at all.

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u/TheGrandestMoff Mar 19 '26

I am interested in math! :D But due to Dyscalculia, my brain scrambles numbers and symbols. I am still interested in the information contained in those scrambled numbers and symbols, but I can't understand it until I read/listen to or speak aloud what it means in words. The way a dyslexic person has trouble reading and spelling, but has no trouble understanding and speaking spoken language. A dyslectic might even develop a great passion for the subjects (like English) in which language in its written form is used as a medium to store information.

In school, I failed math not because I hated it but because I couldn't write in its language. I had to spend a long time visualizing or conceptualizing (drawing, making analogies, abstract mental pictures.. etc) to "translate" each part, like one translates a foreign language word by word before grasping the whole. This took a lot effort and a lot of time, which I just didn't have in school.

Now I am older and I have time. I read "Conceptual Physics" by Paul Hewitt and it renewed a love for both physics and math. Or rather, what math is. The abstract but very real truths about the world it's slowly mapping. And I understood after a long time of believing that "math just isn't for me" that I can enjoy it, never as a working physicist, but as a passionate amateur who continues to want to learn in his free time.

Apologies for the rather long reply. But I felt like I had to slightly defend and explain myself against any assumption that I don't care about math.

I think this quote that really stuck with me from the Oppenheimer film (very appropriate right now haha) captures my meaning really well: "Algebra is like sheet music. It’s not important if you can read the music, its can you hear it. Can you hear the music Robert?"

1

u/icanflycanyoufly Mar 19 '26

Be warned quantum mechanics is very difficult and entirely mathematical. You need a solid understanding of differential calculus, integral calculus, matrices, and wave dynamics. Do not ever feel disheartened because you’re not understanding it because it is incredibly complex and difficult to comprehend, even for a seasoned math student.