This updated edition contains a good deal of new and relevant material including Bessel inequality, vector spaces of functions, physical laws and invariance principle, invariance in 3-D Newtonian and 4-D Minkowski spaces, fully antisymmetric tensors and their contraction. Discusses normal matrices and features a proof of the general theorem that a matrix possesses a complete set of orthonormal eigenvectors if and only if it is a normal matrix.

It is an ideal companion for courses such as mathematical methods of physics, classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and relativity.--Gary White, editor of The Physics Teacher "American Journal of Physics"

The First Part Of This Book Begins With An Introduction To Matrices Through Linear Transformations On Vector Spaces, Followed By A Discussion On The Algebra Of Matrices, Special Matrices, Linear Equations, The Eigenvalue Problem, Bilinear And Quadratic Forms, Kronecker Sum And Product Of Matrices. Other Matrices Which Occur In Physics, Such As The Rotation Matrix, Pauli Spin Matrices And Dirac Matrices, Are Then Presented. A Brief Account Of Infinite Matrices From The Point Of View Of Matrix Formulation Of Quantum Mechanics Is Also Included. The Emphasis In This Part Is On Linear Dependence And Independence Of Vectors And Matrices, Linear Combinations, Independent Parameters Of Various Special Matrices And Such Other Concepts As Help The Student In Obtaining A Clear Understanding Of The Subject. A Simplified Proof Of The Theorem That A Common Set Of Eigenvectors Can Be Found For Two Commuting Matrices Is Given. The Second Part Deals With Cartesian And General Tensors. Many Physical Situations Are Discussed Which Require The Use Of Second And Higher Rank Tensors, Such As Effective Mass Tensor, Moment Of Inertia Tensor, Stress, Strain And Elastic Constants, Piezoelectric Strain Coefficient Tensor, Etc. Einsteins Summation Convention Is Explained In Detail And Common Errors Arising In Its Use Are Pointed Out. Rules For Checking The Correctness Of Tensor Equations Are Given. This Is Followed By Four-Vectors In Special Relativity And Covarient Formulation Of Electrodynamics. This Part Comes To An End With The Concept Of Parallel Displacement Of Vectors In Riemannian Space And Covariant Derivative Of Tensors, Leading To The Curvature Tensors And Its Properties.Appendix I Has Expanded And Two New Appendices Have Been Added In This Edition.

Vector spaces, matrices, and tensors in physics form an essential part of the mathematical background required by physicists. This book is written primarily as textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate students and as a reference book for working physicists. Special emphasis is given to topics relevant to physics, for example linear independence and dependence of vectors, inner product, orthonormality, matrices as representations of linear transformations on vector spaces, similarity, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, diagonalization of matrices, expressing various physical quantities as tensors, tensorial formulation of vector algebra, calculus and geometry. The role of orthogonal, hermitian and unitary matrices in physics is highlighted.

First published in 1957, this classic study has been reissued in a paperback version that includes an additional chapter bringing the material up to date. The author formulates the physical properties of crystals systematically in tensor notation, presenting tensor properties in terms of their common mathematical basis and the thermodynamic relations between them. The mathematical groundwork is laid in a discussion of tensors of the first and second ranks. Tensors of higher ranks and matrix methods are then introduced as natural developments of the theory. A similar pattern is followed in discussing thermodynamic and optical aspects.