A physicist’s guide to Mathematica

Patrick T. Tam0126831904, 9780126831900

A Physicists Guide to Mathematica (r) teaches students and professional physicists how to master Mathematica using examples and approaches that will appeal to them. The book illustrates the usefulness of Mathematica in learning, teaching, and carrying out research in physics. Part One gives a practical, physics-oriented, and self-contained introduction to the program. Part Two covers the application of Mathematica to mechanics, electricityand magnetism, and quantum physics. Mathematica enables the user to solve a wide range of physics problems, from the most important to those that are just for fun, and provides an environment that allows the user to develop a greater intuitive understanding of physics. This book aids the reader in using Mathematica for numerical, symbolic, and graphical calculations, and also demonstrates the programs capability to animate two- and three-dimensional graphics. Tams treatment of the subject is greatly detailed, and makes this book an essential reference for anyone needing an introduction to Mathematicas application to physics. This book teaches upper-division and graduate physics students as well as professional physicists how to master Mathematic (r), using examples and approaches that are motivating to them. It also shows that this computer algebra system can be a powerful and wonderful tool for learning, teaching, and doing physics. Part I gives a practical, physics-oriented, and self-contained introduction to Mathematica. Part II considers the application of Mathematica to mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and quantum physics. * Requires no prior knowledge of Mathematica or computer programming * Includes a disk containing all Mathematica input used in the text for practical application, which can be used by both Macintosh and Windows users