Poetry: Representations

Finally, a revelation! I was asking myself: Why do I often find ancient, terse, illustration-free textbooks easier to follow than their modern, friendly, playful, illustrated, multi-media-enhanced counterparts? Case in point (and I know that not everybody will agree): Paul Dirac's legendary Principles of Quantum Mechanics or the definitive course on theoretical physics, the volumes by Landau and Lifshitz. In modern lectures and articles such resources may be announced as "valuable but not […]

https://elkement.art/2026/06/11/poetry-representations/

Poetry: Dynamical Variables and Observables

The lines of the following poem are phrases selected from consecutive pages of the second chapter of Paul Dirac's Principles of Quantum Mechanics, Fourth Edition, Dynamical Variables and Observables. we may look upon the passagefor the triple product We therefore make the general rulein spite of this fundamental difference which conforms with our notationThe rule may easily be extended By repeating the processUsing this terminology, we can assert that Suppose we have a solutionTaking the […]

https://elkement.art/2020/09/24/poetry-dynamical-variables-and-observables/

Poetry: The Principle of Superposition

The lines of the following poem are phrases selected from consecutive pages of the first chapter of Paul Dirac's Principles of Quantum Mechanics, Fourth Edition (Revised), The Principle of Superposition. ~ one would be inclined to think There must certainly be some internal motion from general philosophical grounds we cannot expect to find any causal connexion observe what appears on the back side of the crystal all that can legitimately be asked somewhere in the region of space […]

https://elkement.art/2020/09/13/poetry-the-principle-of-superposition/

Scientists found a surprisingly simple way to create powerful quantum states. Via @sciencedaily_official #Science #Physics #QuantumPhysics #QuantumMechanics πŸ”­πŸ”¬πŸ§ͺπŸ₯ΌπŸ§‘β€πŸ”¬

Scientists found a surprisingl...
Scientists found a surprisingly simple way to create powerful quantum states

A team at the University of Chicago has discovered a surprisingly simple way to create powerful quantum states that are normally difficult to produce. By making small adjustments to the energy levels of atoms inside an optical cavity, researchers can generate a wide variety of highly entangled states without adding complicated hardware.

ScienceDaily
Scientists discover a hidden quantum world inside cobalt. Via @sciencedaily_official #Science #Physics #QuantumPhysics #QuantumMechanics πŸ”­πŸ”¬πŸ§ͺπŸ₯ΌπŸ§‘β€πŸ”¬

Scientists discover a hidden q...
Scientists discover a hidden quantum world inside cobalt

Scientists have uncovered unexpected quantum complexity inside cobalt, a metal long thought to be fully understood. Advanced measurements revealed a dense network of topological electronic states that remain robust at room temperature. These states enable extremely fast electron behavior and can be switched or controlled using magnetism. The discovery could open new paths toward next-generation computing and spin-based devices.

ScienceDaily

A. S. Kompaneyets – A Course Of Theoretical Physics (Vols. 1 and 2)

Volume 1 of this course of theoretical physics deals with the fundamental laws of physics. The text lucidly presents for students and workers in theoretical physics the fundamental principles underlying the findings of experimental physics. It gives a unified presentation of classical mechanics, electrodynamics, and quantum mechanics and provides an excellent foundation for the study of more advanced topics in atomic, molecular, and solid-state physics. Fundamental laws can be read by students who have had courses in introductory physics, electricity, and magnetism.

Volume 2 of this course of theoretical physics deals with statistical laws, the basic structure remains essentially the same. The author has selected those topics he felt to be of general interest. The book includes, for instance, sections on fluctuations, Gibbs statistics, detonation waves, ferromagnetism, and the theory of semiconductors. Statistical laws can be read by a student who has had courses in classical mechanics, electrodynamics, and quantum mechanics. Numerous exercises combine with the masterly coverage of the subject to make statistical laws an essential text for university and college students.

 

Alexander S. Kompaneyets (1914-1974)
Professor Alexander Solomonovich Kompaneyets was a leading Soviet theoretical physicist from 1946 Until his untimely death he worked at the Institute of Chemical Physics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, contributing, among other things, to the development of nuclear energy in the Soviet Union in all its aspects.

 

The book was translated from the Russian by V. Talmy and was published by Mir in 1978.

You can get the Volume 1 here and here

You can get the Volume 2 here and here

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CONTENTS

Volume 1

Preface β€” 5

PART I. MECHANICS

  • General Remarks β€” 9
  • Lagrange Equations β€” 13
  • Examples of Constructing the Lagrange Equations β€” 27
  • Conservation Laws β€” 36
  • Motion in a Central Field β€” 49
  • Collision of Particles β€” 58
  • Small Oscillations β€” 70
  • Noninertial Frames of Reference β€” 81
  • Dynamics of Rigid Bodies β€” 89
  • Hamilton’s Equations and the Hamilton–Jacobi Equation β€” 108
  • PART II. ELECTRODYNAMICS

  • Vector Analysis β€” 125
  • Maxwell’s Equations β€” 142
  • Einstein’s Relativity Principle β€” 157
  • Relativistic Mechanics β€” 177
  • Action of an Electromagnetic Field β€” 194
  • Electrostatics of Point Charges β€” 208
  • Magnetostatics of Point Charges β€” 219
  • Plane Electromagnetic Waves β€” 229
  • Transmission of Signals. Almost Plane Waves β€” 239
  • The Emission of Electromagnetic Waves β€” 248
  • PART III. QUANTUM MECHANICS

  • The Inadequacy of Classical Mechanics. The Analogy Between Classical Mechanics and Geometrical Optics β€” 269
  • Electron Diffraction β€” 278
  • The Wave Equation β€” 285
  • Operators in Quantum Mechanics β€” 293
  • Expansions in Wave Functions β€” 306
  • Transformation of Independent Variables β€” 318
  • Operators in Matrix Representation β€” 331
  • Some Problems in Coordinate Representation β€” 342
  • Motion in a Central Potential β€” 365
  • Electron Spin β€” 383
  • The Quasi-Classical Approximation β€” 401
  • Perturbation Theory β€” 424
  • Many-Electron Systems. The Atom β€” 436
  • Diatomic Molecules β€” 480
  • The Quantum Theory of Scattering β€” 491
  • The Quantum Theory of Radiation β€” 508
  • The Dirac Equation β€” 528
  • Supplementary Exercises β€” 547

    Index β€” 557

    Volume 2

    Preface β€” 5

    PART I. STATISTICAL PHYSICS

  • Equilibrium Distribution of Molecules in Ideal Gas β€” 9
  • Boltzmann Statistics: Translational Motion of Molecules; Gas in an External Field β€” 27
  • Boltzmann Statistics: Vibrational and Rotational Molecular Motion β€” 41
  • Applications of Statistics to Electromagnetic Fields in Vacuum and to Crystalline Bodies β€” 51
  • The Bose Distribution β€” 69
  • The Fermi Distribution β€” 73
  • Gibbs Statistics β€” 82
  • Thermodynamic Quantities β€” 95
  • The Thermodynamic Properties of Ideal Gas in Boltzmann Statistics β€” 120
  • Fluctuations β€” 132
  • Phase Equilibria β€” 143
  • Dilute Solutions β€” 158
  • Chemical Equilibria β€” 164
  • Surface Phenomena β€” 170
  • PART II. HYDRODYNAMICS AND GAS DYNAMICS

  • The General Equations of Hydrodynamics β€” 176
  • Some Problems on the Motion of an Ideal Fluid β€” 192
  • Mechanics of a Viscous Incompressible Fluid β€” 201
  • Motion of Bodies in an Incompressible Fluid β€” 213
  • Superfluidity β€” 226
  • One-Dimensional Steady Flow of a Compressible Gas β€” 236
  • Quasi-One-Dimensional Flow of a Gas β€” 241
  • Characteristics of One-Dimensional Nonsteady Isentropic Flow β€” 246
  • Simple Waves β€” 251
  • One-Dimensional Nonsteady Isentropic Flow: Interaction of Simple Waves β€” 258
  • Shock Waves β€” 267
  • Applications of the Theory of Shock Waves β€” 277
  • Detonation Waves β€” 284
  • PART III. ELECTRODYNAMICS OF CONTINUOUS MEDIA

  • General Equations β€” 290
  • Electrostatics of Conductors β€” 299
  • Electrostatics of Dielectrics β€” 312
  • Direct Current β€” 321
  • Magnetic Properties of Nonferromagnetic Media β€” 332
  • Ferromagnetism β€” 342
  • The Magnetic Field of Direct Current β€” 352
  • Quasi-Stationary Currents β€” 363
  • Rapidly Variable Fields β€” 376
  • Theory of Dispersion β€” 386
  • Electromagnetic Waves β€” 397
  • Some Applications of the Electrodynamics of Rapidly Variable Fields β€” 411
  • PART IV. PHYSICAL KINETICS

  • General Relationships β€” 423
  • The Transport Equation β€” 440
  • Electrons in Crystals β€” 465
  • Semiconductors and Metals β€” 480
  • Index β€” 502

    #classicalMechanics #electrodynamics #electrodynamicsOfContinuousMedia #fundamentalLaws #gasDynamics #hydrodynamics #mirPublishers #mirtitles #physicalKinetics #physics #quantumMechanics #statisticalLaws #statisticalPhysics #theoretical
    A quantum metasurface breakthrough could finally close the terahertz gap. Via @sciencedaily_official #Science #Physics #QuantumPhysics #QuantumMechanics πŸ”­πŸ”¬πŸ§ͺπŸ₯ΌπŸ§‘β€πŸ”¬

    A quantum metasurface breakthr...
    A quantum metasurface breakthrough could finally close the terahertz gap

    Researchers have developed a compact quantum detector that makes terahertz radiation much easier to detect. A specially designed metasurface funnels incoming energy into tiny active regions, greatly strengthening the electrical signal produced. The approach boosted efficiency by roughly 20 times compared to earlier designs and could pave the way for more practical THz devices in healthcare, communications, and scientific research.

    ScienceDaily
    Microsoft claims new quantum chip 1,000 times better than before. Via @bbc #Science #Physics #QuantumPhysics #QuantumMechanics πŸ”­πŸ”¬πŸ§ͺπŸ₯ΌπŸ§‘β€πŸ”¬ #ComputerSciences πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» #QuantumComputers πŸ–₯️ #Tech βš™οΈπŸ’ΎπŸ“±πŸ”ŒπŸ’»

    Microsoft claims new quantum c...
    Microsoft claims new quantum chip 1,000 times better than before

    The tech giant predicts it will have a quantum computer that can solve commercially useful problems by the end of the decade.

    New light-powered chip could accelerate AI and quantum computing. Via @sciencedaily_official #AI #ArtificialIntelligence πŸ’» 🧠 #Science #Physics #QuantumPhysics #QuantumMechanics πŸ”­πŸ”¬πŸ§ͺπŸ₯ΌπŸ§‘β€πŸ”¬

    New light-powered chip could a...
    New light-powered chip could accelerate AI and quantum computing

    Scientists have created a tiny chip that can generate, steer, and read light-based information all in one device, marking a major leap toward ultra-fast, energy-efficient computing. The breakthrough uses atomically thin materials and nanoscale structures to control a unique quantum property of light called the β€œvalley” degree of freedom, allowing information to be encoded in new ways.

    ScienceDaily
    Quantum computers could expose our digital secrets, but there are much better reasons to build them. Via @techxplore #Science #Physics #QuantumPhysics #QuantumMechanics πŸ”­πŸ”¬πŸ§ͺπŸ₯ΌπŸ§‘β€πŸ”¬ #ComputerSciences πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» #QuantumComputers πŸ–₯️ #CyberSecurity πŸͺͺ

    Quantum computers could expose...
    Quantum computers could expose our digital secrets, but there are much better reasons to build them

    Quantum computers are coming. Or, at least, that's what current predictions say. These machines harness the power of quantum mechanics, the set of rules governing how physics operates at atomic and sub-atomic scales.

    Tech Xplore