What book should I get as an introduction into quantum theory?

Question

What book would you recommend for an interested, moderately intelligent non-scientist? I'm looking for something at about the level of Einstein's 'Relativity', that gives a comprehensive summary of the theory without becoming either too simplistic or too complicated.

Thanks!

Answer 1

What you want can not be done. Quantum mechanics is conceptually and mathematically a lot easier than general relativity and certainly not much harder than special relativity. BUT, and this is a huge but, you can not learn them by reading "comprehensive summaries", books for lay-people or anything else that promises to work similar to those language guides which advertise that you can become fluent in French without living in France for three decades.

If you have a real interest, you will have to learn the real thing. Which means you have to start by learning classical mechanics. Seriously... if you had physics in school and you think you know classical mechanics somewhat, you are already dead wrong. You don't know the first thing. You will need to learn about two very important mathematical formulations of classical mechanics first: Lagrange and Hamilton theory. Those will teach you some very fundamental structural insights into mechanics which are not being discussed in high school.

More importantly, Hamilton's formalism is the starting point into quantization of non-relativistic single particle systems. There are a number of formulas and theorems which you will need to get started with QM and without which it will look like magic.

Trust me... I had to navigate a bunch of engineers through a dead wrong QM introduction (so they could learn semiconductor physics) which started out by introducing the Schroedinger equation. The guys were crying because nothing made sense... of course not... they were asked to translate Victor Hugo without even having had an introduction to French grammar and without as much as a dictionary.

That is pretty much where you will end up without taking a class on classical mechanics.

So what can be done? Well... you could try one thing for starters. Read Q.E.D. by Richard Feynman. It is not the usual layman book because it discusses QM from a perspective that is far beyond an introductory class on QM by using path integrals. And because of his unique approach Feynman avoids most of the misinterpretations and booby traps that an interested layman will encounter while reading a book that can't teach the real thing, it might just give you a hint of an idea. Not more though.

Beyond that you should take an online class on QM. The real thing... like Berkeley's Podcast:

http://webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details.php?seriesid=1906978479

Actually, you might want to start with classical mechanics...

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-01Physics-IFall1999/VideoLectures/index.htm

Sadly, this will NOT have the theory that you will need for QM... but it looks like fun. And once you have done this, you can take the next step. Like this one... but there is no podcast:

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-09Fall-2006/CourseHome/index.htm

Good luck!

Answer 2

The best I ever read was Fear of Physics: A Guide for the Perplexed by Lawrence M. Krauss. Krauss is a brilliant quantum physicist, but he makes it easy to understand, and sometimes even humorous, for the layman. I've enjoyed several of his books.

Answer 3

"The Elegant Universe" by Biran Greene, Ph.D., Columbia U.

Greene writes in very easy to understand style. Very little math beyond algebra is needed, but the more advanced math is included as end notes if you wish to check that out.

"Universe" covers the history of modern physics up through and including string/M theory. Relativity, quantum mechanics, Maxwell's Equations, and some others are discussed as stepping stones leading to string theory. Such strange things as parallel universes, quantum jitter, higher dimensions, and worm holes are discussed using lots of down to Earth examples.

Greene also has a web site. Browse for "Brian Greene" or "The Official String Theory Site."

Answer 4

I have had decent success with QED-The Strange Theory of Light and Matter by Richard Feynman, using it in classes of honors non science majors.

Answer 5

Cat, Box, Hammer, and glass vile.


Or statistics, spherical harmonics, and 3rd year physics text.

Answer 6

This one is good
http://books.google.com/books?id=HYEZD0Mh8JEC&printsec=frontcover