Read more
This book addresses a fascinating set of questions in theoretical physics which will both entertain and enlighten all students, teachers and researchers and other physics aficionados. These range from Newtonian mechanics to quantum field theory and cover several puzzling issues that do not appear in standard textbooks. Some topics cover conceptual conundrums, the solutions to which lead to surprising insights; some correct popular misconceptions in the textbook discussion of certain topics; others illustrate deep connections between apparently unconnected domains of theoretical physics; and a few provide remarkably simple derivations of results which are not often appreciated. The connoisseur of theoretical physics will enjoy a feast of pleasant surprises skilfully prepared by an internationally acclaimed theoretical physicist. Each topic is introduced with proper background discussion and special effort is taken to make the discussion self-contained, clear and comprehensible to anyonewith an undergraduate education in physics.
List of contents
The Grand Cube of Theoretical Physics.- The Emergence of Classical Physics.- Orbits of Planets are Circles!.- The Importance of being Inverse-square.- Potential surprises in Newtonian Gravity.- Lagrange and his Points.- Getting the most of it!.- Surprises in Fluid Flows.- Isochronous Curiosities: Classical and Quantum.- Logarithms of Nature . - Curved Spacetime for pedestrians.- Black hole is a Hot Topic.- Thomas and his Precession .-When Thomas met Foucault.- The One-body Problem.- The Straight and Narrow Path ofWaves.- If Quantum Mechanics is the Paraxial Optics, then .....- Make it Complex to Simplify.- Nothing matters a lot.- Radiation: Caterpillar becomes Butterfly.- Photon:Wave and/or Particle.- Angular Momentum without Rotation.-Ubiquitous RandomWalk.- More on Random Walks: Circuits and a Tired Drunkard .- Gravitational Instability of the Isothermal Sphere.- Gravity bends electric field lines.-
References .- Index
Report
"It would be hard to find someone who would learn nothing from this book. ... I think that most physicists would both benefit from and enjoy working through the arguments ... presented here. ... I recommend it highly." (Phillip Helbig, The Observatory, Vol. 136 (1250), February, 2016)
"In Thanu Padmanabhan's new book, Sleeping Beauties in Theoretical Physics: 26 Surprising Insights, he aims to impart to aspiring theorists some of the important connections and techniques - spanning gravitation, classical mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics - that he's learned over his career. ... All in all, Sleeping Beauties in Theoretical Physics is a potentially excellent resource for those looking to add to their mental tool kit and sharpen their theoretical skills." (Ethan Siegel, Physics Today, November, 2015)
"The collection is a highly suitable pedagogic material and should be a must read for anyone who is interested in Physics, either for a career or for pleasure. It should require no more expertise than is available to an advanced undergraduate student of Physics or allied disciplines. I recommend that this is definitely acquired by all college libraries." (R. Ramachandran, IAPT Physics Education, Vol. 31 (2), April-June, 2015)
