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"This is a concise, beginning graduate-level textbook on classical electromagnetism, the branch of physics that describes the interaction of electric currents or fields and magnetic fields. Electromagnetism (also called electrodynamics) is one of the pillars of modern physics and, as such, of the modern physics curriculum, with courses on electromagnetism required at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These courses traditionally proceed in a quasi-historical fashion, starting from equations and laws that were first formulated in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and still form the foundations of our understanding of electromagnetism. However, as Robert Wald argues, teaching in this way can be imprecise and tends to promote outdated ways of thinking about the subject. This book rethinks how electromagnetism is presented at the graduate level, offering a corrective that aims to bring teaching up to date with our more modern understanding of the topic. The book begins by debunking four common misconceptions, or "myths," that can hinder a deep conceptual understanding of electromagnetism. Wald then proceeds through the major topics first-year grad courses (and textbooks) in electromagnetism typically cover, including electrostatics, dielectrics, magnetostatics, electrodynamics, geometric optics, special relativity, gauge theory, and point charge. Wald's aim throughout is to explain to students how to think about electromagnetism from a modern and mathematically precise perspective, formulating all the key conceptual ideas and results in the field clearly and concisely, while forgoing extensive collections of examples and applications. The book could be used as the basis for or as a supplement to a course, or for self-study by students seeking a deeper understanding than traditional courses and books offer"--
About the author
Robert M. Wald is the Charles H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Physics and the Enrico Fermi Institute at the University of Chicago. His books include
General Relativity,
Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime and Black Hole Thermodynamics, and
Space, Time, and Gravity: The Theory of the Big Bang and Black Holes.
Summary
A modern approach to classical electromagnetism
Electromagnetism is one of the pillars of modern physics. Robert Wald provides graduate students with a clear, concise, and mathematically precise introduction to the subject, covering all the core topics while bringing the teaching of electromagnetism up to date with our modern understanding of the subject. Electromagnetism is usually taught in a quasi-historical fashion, starting from concepts formulated in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but this tends to promote outdated ways of thinking about the theory. Wald begins with Maxwell’s equations—the foundation of electromagnetism—together with the formulas for the energy density, momentum density, and stress tensor of the electromagnetic field. He then proceeds through all the major topics in classical electromagnetism, such as electrostatics, dielectrics, magnetostatics, electrodynamics and radiation, diffraction, and special relativity. The last two chapters discuss electromagnetism as a gauge theory and the notion of a point charge—topics not normally treated in electromagnetism texts.
- Completely rethinks how to teach electromagnetism to first-year graduate students
- Presents electromagnetism from a modern, mathematically precise perspective, formulating key conceptual ideas and results clearly and concisely
- Written by a world-class physicist and proven in the classroom
- Covers all the subjects found in standard electromagnetism textbooks as well as additional topics such as the derivation of the initial value formulation for Maxwell’s equations
- Also ideal as a supplementary text or for self-study
