Quantum Mathematical Physics: Atoms, Molecules and Large Systems

ISBN-13: 9783642077111 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 592 str.

Walter Thirring; E. M. Harrell

Opis

This edition combines the earlier two volumes on Quantum Mechanics of Atoms and Molecules and on Quantum Mechanics of Large Systems, thus including in a single volume the material for a two-semester course on quantum physics. Since this volume is already quite heavy, I could not include many new results which show how lively the subject is. I just want to mention that inequality (IV:4. 1. l. 1) has been sharpened by T. Weidl by a factor 2] and the difficult problem 1 of (III:4. 6) has been solved by A. Martin. I have to thank N. Ilieva for the devotion in preparing this new edition. Vienna, November 2001 Walter Thirring Preface to the Second Edition: Quantum Mechanics of Atoms and Molecules Ever since the first edition of this volume appeared in 1980 quantum statistical mechanics has florished. Innumerable results in many areas have been obtained and it would require a series of volumes to do justice to all of them. On the other hand the first edition was already rather crowded with many details so it would not be overburdened any more. Thus I added only one chapter on quantum ergodic theory where one can get the main notions across without too much pain. Nevertheless many subjects treated in the book had splendidely developed ever since and the only way out I could see is to add some recent references which the interested reader can consult.

Recenzje

From the reviews of the second edition:

"Just as the general theory of relativity leads to many new mathematical advances and applications, the same is true of quantum mechanics. It is these mathematical advances that are the topic of this extensive volume, a volume which also delineates how these advances made possible the difficult transition from understanding hydrogen to understanding complex atoms, molecules, and 'large systems'. As such this volume will serve as an excellent source book for the mathematical basis of the many recent advances in quantum mechanics. It will also serve as an excellent text book for an advanced course in either quantum physics or applied mathematics." (Physicalia, 25/3, 2003)

"This work is written uncompromisingly for the mathematical physicist ... . Thirring writes concisely but with a clarity that makes the book easy to read. ... There are extensive bibliographies, with references mostly to articles in journals ... . There are copious problems and-even better-all the solutions. ... the volume would make a valuable addition to the library of ... a mathematical physicist." (Prof. A.I. Solomon, Contemporary Physics, Vol. 46 (4), 2005)

"This volume will serve as an excellent source book for the mathematical basis of the many recent advances in quantum mechanics. It will also serve as an excellent textbook ... . Each chapter is chock full of mathematical derivations and proofs but perhaps the most interesting part of each proof is the following section entitled 'Remarks' sections which are full of interesting details, ideas, drawbacks, comments, and references. ... As is usually the case with Springer-Verlag, this book has been beautifully produced ... ." (Fernande Grandjean and Gary J. Long, Physicalia, Vol. 25 (3), 2003)

Spis treści

I Quantum Mechanics of Atoms and Molecules.- 1 Introduction.- 2 The Mathematical Formulation of Quantum Mechanics.- 3 Quantum Dynamics.- 4 Atomic Systems.- II Quantum Mechanics of Large Systems.- 1 Systems with Many Particles.- 2 Thermostatics.- 3 Thermodynamics.- 4 Physical Systems.- Bibliography to Part I.- Bibliography to Part II.

O autorze

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Walter Thirring, geb. 1927. 1953/54 Member of the Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies. 1956/57 Visiting Professor am M.I.T., Cambridge, anschließend University of Washington, Seattle. Dann Lehrtätigkeit in Bern und Wien. 1968-71 Direktor des Theoretical Department CERN. Über 200 wissenschaftliche Publikationen, zahlreiche internationale Auszeichnungen, u. a. Eötvös-Medaille 1967, Erwin-Schrödinger-Preis, Max-Planck-Medaille, Ehrendoktorat der Comenius-Universität Bratislava, Henri-Poincare-Preis der Int. Association of Mathematical Physics. Thirrings große Liebe gilt der Musik, und hier besonders der Orgel und der Komposition.

Blurb

This book is a new edition of Volumes 3 and 4 of Walter Thirring's famous textbook on mathematical physics. The first part is devoted to quantum mechanics and especially to its applications to scattering theory, atoms and molecules. The second part deals with quantum statistical mechanics examining fundamental concepts like entropy, ergodicity and thermodynamic functions. The author builds on an axiomatic basis and uses tools from functional analysis: bounded and unbounded operators on Hilbert space, operator algebras etc. Mathematics is shown to explain the axioms in depth and to provide the right tool for testing numerical data in experiments.