Description
Book SynopsisCovers topics such as quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, field theory, thermodynamics, the role of mathematics in physics, and the concepts of probability and causality. This book is intended for advanced undergraduate students, professors, and researchers.
Trade Review"In Thinking About Physics, a fast-paced and challenging collection of essays, Newton appears as an opinionated yet approachable discussion leader... Newton cuts a wide swath and sprinkles his analysis with provocations that make it hard to be a passive reader."--Chris Quigg, Science "In brief, this book is a history of theoretical physics but is not lacking in interpretation of experimental results... [It] will interest anyone who wants to understand the basic concepts of physics."--Choice "Presents the essence of a great deal of modern physical theory in both a condensed and leisurely digestible form."--H. Rechenberg, European Journal of Physics
Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction3Ch. 1Theories27Ch. 2The State of a Physical System43Ch. 3The Power of Mathematics58Ch. 4Fields and Particles86Ch. 5Symmetry in Physics106Ch. 6Causality and Probability124Ch. 7Arrows of Time150Ch. 8Quantum Mechanics and Reality165Epilogue179Further Reading181Bibliography187Index193
