This textbook is intended for advanced undergraduates or beginning graduates. It is based on the notes from courses I have taught at Indiana State University from 1967 to the present. The preparation needed is an introductory calculus-based course in physics and its prerequisite calculus courses. Courses in vector analysis and differential equations are useful but not required, since the text introduces these topics. In writing this book, I tried to keep my own experience as a stu dent in mind and to write the kind of book I liked to read. That goal determined the choice of topics, their order, and the method of presentation. The organization of the book is intended to encourage independent study. Accordingly, I have made every effort to keep the material self-contained, to develop the mathematics as it is needed, and to present new material by building incrementally on preceding material. In organizing the text, I have taken care to give explicit cross references, to show the intermediate steps in calculations, and to give many examples. Provided they are within the mathematical scope of this book, I have preferred elegant mathematical treatments over more ad hoc ones, not only for aesthetic reasons, but because they are often more profound and indicate connections to other branches of physics. I have emphasized physical understanding by presenting mechanical models. This book is organized somewhat differently from the traditional textbook at this level.

A notoriously difficult subject, covariant electrodynamics is nonetheless vital for understanding relativistic field theory. John M. Charap’s classroom-tested introduction to the mathematical foundations of the topic presents the material in an approachable manner. Charap begins with a historical overview of electrodynamics and a discussion of the preliminary mathematics one needs in order to grasp the advanced and abstract concepts underlying the theory. He walks the reader through Maxwell’s four equations, explaining how they were developed and demonstrating how they are applied. From there, Charap moves through the other components of electrodynamics, such as Lorentz transformations, tensors, and charged particle behavior. At each point, he carefully works through the mathematics, applies the concepts to simple physical systems, and provides historical context that makes clear the connections among the theories and the mathematicians responsible for developing them. A concluding chapter reviews the history of electrodynamics and points the way for independent testing of the theory. Thorough, evenly paced, and intuitive, this friendly introduction to high-level covariant electrodynamics is a handy and helpful addition to any physicist’s toolkit.

Learning Electrodynamics doesn’t have to be boring What if there was a way to learn Electrodynamics without all the usual fluff? What if there were a book that allowed you to see the whole picture and not just tiny parts of it? Thoughts like this are the reason that No-Nonsense Electrodynamics now exists. What will you learn from this book? Get to know all fundamental electrodynamical concepts —Grasp why we can describe electromagnetism using the electric and magnetic field, the electromagnetic field tensor and the electromagnetic potential and how these concepts are connected.Learn to describe Electrodynamics mathematically — Understand the meaning and origin of the most important equations: Maxwell’s equations & the Lorentz force law.Master the most important electrodynamical systems — read step-by-step calculations and understand the general algorithm we use to describe them.Get an understanding you can be proud of — Learn why Special Relativity owes its origins to Electrodynamics and how we can understand it as a gauge theory. No-Nonsense Electrodynamics is the most student-friendly book on Electrodynamics ever written. Here’s why. First of all, it's is nothing like a formal university lecture. Instead, it’s like a casual conservation with a more experienced student. This also means that nothing is assumed to be “obvious” or “easy to see”.Each chapter, each section, and each page focusses solely on the goal to help you understand. Nothing is introduced without a thorough motivation and it is always clear where each formula comes from.The book contains no fluff since unnecessary content quickly leads to confusion. Instead, it ruthlessly focusses on the fundamentals and makes sure you’ll understand them in detail. The primary focus on the readers’ needs is also visible in dozens of small features that you won’t find in any other textbook In total, the book contains more than 100 illustrations that help you understand the most important concepts visually. In each chapter, you’ll find fully annotated equations and calculations are done carefully step-by-step. This makes it much easier to understand what’s going on in.Whenever a concept is used which was already introduced previously, there is a short sidenote that reminds you where it was first introduced and often recites the main points. In addition, there are summaries at the beginning of each chapter that make sure you won’t get lost.

This book is an excellent text for undergraduates majoring in physics and engineering. The style pedagogical with clear and concise illustration followed by practise problems at the end of each chapter.

Comprehensive graduate-level text by a distinguished theoretical physicist reveals the classical underpinnings of modern quantum field theory. Topics include space-time, Lorentz transformations, conservation laws, equations of motion, Green’s functions, and more. 1964 edition.

This is a re-issued and affordable printing of the widely used undergraduate electrodynamics textbook.

Self-contained, systematic introduction examines application of quantum electrodynamics to interpretation of optical experiments on atoms and molecules and explains the quantum theory of electromagnetic radiation and its interaction with matter.