Physics Reading List

Gravitation by Kip Thorne and Charles Misner

Actually doesn't G. T'Hooft's website How to be a Theoretical Physicist have an entire reading list

>>8551820
Young, Freedman - University Physics
Taylor - Classical Mechanics
Goldstein - Classical Mechanics

>>8551820
Hoffman, Kunze - Linear Algebra
Tenenbaum, Pollard - Ordinary Differential Equations
Spivak - Calculus on Manifolds

>Rudin - Principles of Mathematical Analysis
>Adams, Essex - Calculus: A Complete Course
>Guru, Hızıroğlu - Electromagnetic Field Theory Fundamentals
>Marion, Thornton - Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems

Sorry to play devils advocate here, but like this this will just be a list of books people like, and one where nobody can read half of the books if he wants to get something done

>>8551883
It's okay, we are all so autistic here that we like "collecting" titles of good books so that we can debate their merits without having to read them so that other autists think we are in grad school when actually we are sophomores.

>>8551820
The Whole of the Landua and Liftshitz series

Annnnd you're done

>>8551949
How to spot a Soviet: The post

>>8552007
Genuinely the best written and most concise books on each topic. I seriously don't think they'll ever be topped

>>8551820
What level are you starting at?

>>8551949
What I should know before read them?

>>8552200
Calculus, Linalg, Geometry and basically you're set

>>8551820
>guys help me build this list to be a theoretical physicist
There's your first mistake. Being a theoretical physicisst isn't about reading, it's about doing math.
Great physicists don't waste their time on books.

>>8551820
theoretical applied math

>>8551887
Who else is just here to expand their Goodreads list?

Easy. First delete that overrated feynmann popsci crap, then read landau and lifschitz. there it was that easy

>>8551820
Here's a list of books that I've read either in full or in part that I've found useful. Other's might not like it, but it's just an opinion. As you read it, you should know that most books should be read in the order that I've written them.

First some mathematics
I'm going to assume that you know up to vector calculus, including ODE's

>General mathematical methods
Riley et al. Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering

>Proofs
Hammack - Book of Proof
Velleman - How to Prove it

>Linear algebra
Axler - Linear Algebra done Right

>Real analysis
Abbott - Understanding Analysis
Rudin - Principles of Mathematical Analysis

>Analysis on manifolds
Spivak - Calculus on Manifolds

>Complex analysis
Howie - Complex Analysis
Freitag - Complex Analysis

>Topology
Munkres - Topology
Morris - Topology Without Tears
Lee - Introduction to Topological Manifolds

>Differentiable maifolds
Lee - Introduction to Smooth Manifolds
Tu - Introduction to Manifolds

>Differential geometry
Pressley - Elementary Differential Geometry
do Carmo - Differential Forms and Applications

There's a lot more to be included here (algebra, algebraic topology and algebraic geometry for a start), but I have to confess that my knowledge breaks down around here. So we'll continue onto some physics.

>Classical mechanics
Taylor- Classical Mechanics
Kibble and Berkshire - Classical Mechanics
Goldstein - Classical Mechanics

>Thermodynamics
Wassermann - Thermal Physics, Concepts and Practice

>Statistical mechanics
Reichl - A Modern Cause in Statistical Physics

>Electrodynamics
Percell - Electricity and Magnetism
Griffiths - An Introduction to Electrodynamics
Greiner - Classical Electrodynamics
Jackson - Classical Electrodynamics

>Special Relativity
French - Special Relativity
Woodhouse - Special Relativity

>Quantum mechanics
Griffiths - Introduction to Quantum mechanics
Greiner - Introduction to Quantum mechanics
Shankar - Principles of Quantum mechanics

Cont...

>>8552395
Part 2....

>Mathematics for particle theory
Robinson - Symmetry and the Standard Model
Hall - Lie Groups, Lie algebras and Representations

>Quantum Field Theory
Lancaster and Blundel - Quantum Field Theory for the Gifted Amateur
Schwartz - Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model
Srednicki - Quantum Field Theory
Peskin and Schroeder - An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory
Weinberg - The Theory of Quantum Fields Vols. 1-3

>Gauge Theories
Aitchison - Gauge Theories in Particle Physics, Vols. 1 and 2
Greiner - Gauge Theory of Weak Interactions
Naber - Topology, Geometry, and Gauge Fields, Vols. 1 and 2


>General Relativity
Hobson et al. - General Relativity: An Introduction for Physicists
Schutz - A First Cause in General Relativity (also Scott has a work book for this if you're struggling)

>Quantum gravity
Freedman and Proeyen - Supergravity
Ammon and Erdmenger - Gauge/Gravity Duality

>String Theory
Beeker, Beeker, Schwarz - String Theory and M-Theory: A Modern Introduction

Good luck.

>>8552395
>>Classical mechanics
>Taylor- Classical Mechanics
>Kibble and Berkshire - Classical Mechanics
>Goldstein - Classical Mechanics

Keep Taylor, Replace Kibble and Berkshire with Landau and Liftshitz and Dieter Strauch

Burn Goldstein

>>8551820
>http://4chan-science.wikia.com/wiki/Physics_Textbook_Recommendations

>>8552566
>>http://4chan-science.wikia.com/wiki/Physics_Textbook_Recommendation
Yeah it's absolute garbage

>>8551949
And then you realize that physics progressed beyond the early 60s.

>>8552667
How so?

>>8552047
The quantum field theory book and the general relativity portion of the classical fields book are very out of date.

>>8552789
Yeah but you ain't a pioneering physicist if you're asking for introductory physics books are you

>>8552841
But even as introductory books they're outdated, and you don't need to be a pioneering physicist to need more breadth than is offered by L&L. Take the book on QM, it's not been updated since 1977, so it'll not even contain a mention of Berry's phase (1983).

>>8552863
>But even as introductory books they're outdated
No, only slight specifics are missing.
If you full read and comprehend them, there's not a single PhD program that wouldn't be happy to have you.

>>8551820
Quantum Fields and Strings by Deligne et. al

'Lasers' by Seigman is considered the bible of its field

>>8552552
>Burn Goldstein

Oy gevalt

>>8551820
Hartogggggg for baby's first mechanics

>>8552667
is the math one also garbage or is it okay?
>http://4chan-science.wikia.com/wiki/Mathematics
>http://4chan-science.wikia.com/wiki/Math_Textbook_Recommendations
how are they garbage?

>>8553323
Yeah, the math recommendations are sound.

You will want to consult multiple sources to find out the most "canon" textbooks.

>>8553328
nice, i've been doing that for a while. obviously the classic spivak, rudin and munkres come up for calculus, analysis, and topology. what about linear algebra or lie algebras or other shit though? do they have classics?

>>8553323
He has an ax to grid over L&L. The physics books are pretty standard recommendations.

>>8553342
Hoffman&Kunze is the "classic" linear algebra text, and then Dummit&Foote for abstract algebra.

>>8552667
>Yeah it's absolute garbage
Can you elaborate?

>ctrl-f "courant"
>0 results
>ctrl-f "hilbert"
>0 results
OP said theoretical physicist, not physics undergrad

>>8554480
brainlet tier

Just go to MIT.
Too stupid for that? I got news for you.
You really need to work hard to be a physicist.

Stop daydreaming.
Stop collecting books.
Do the work.

Good luck.

>>8551820
How about you read those two books (it will take a very long time) and come back instead of shitposting on /sci/ asking to be spoonfed reqs?

>>8552552
Damn I just bought Goldstein
Seems nice desu