RE: Free D/L The Electromagnetic Field Theory Textbook Project

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Loudner, Godfrey by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <gloudner-at-SINTE.EDU>

The textbook certainty takes a high flying approach. One would have to have
a background in classical mechanics from the likes of Goldstein's famous
book on classical mechanics to understand the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian
formulations of electromagnetic fields. The relativistic invariance of
Maxwell's field equations is also treated. These are excellent topics if one
is aiming to study quantum field theory. The mathematics of quantum fields
is phony, but somehow physicists are able to extract correct physical
predictions. The mathematics of electromagnetic fields is charming indeed,
but what I find difficult to follow is the physical significance of the
equations. I find it difficult to sit down and apply Maxwell's equations to
electromagnetic situations. Even if one succeeds in setting up the correct
equations, the resulting boundary value problems are too difficult to solve.
One has to make simplifying physical assumptions that don't affect too much
what you are trying to study to bring the problem into the realm of known
mathematical techniques. It seems to me that the successful users of
electromagnetic theory are those who know the art of making the right
simplifying assumptions. My physical intuition is low, so I have a great
problem in making simplifying assumptions. When I attack physical problems,
I have to include everything I can think of into the equations, and hope for
the best on the mathematics. This approach usually leads to extremely
difficult mathematical questions. For those of us who are already in command
of the necessary mathematics, I wish someone would write a book that
constantly addresses the physical significance of the equations and the art
of making simplifying physical assumptions. Books will say, " we leave that
term out of the equation because it does not affect what we want to find
out." I say, "put that term back in because you did not tell me the physical
reasons why it has little effect." 

Godfrey Loudner        

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Tesla list [SMTP:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> Sent:	Monday, December 03, 2001 7:48 PM
> To:	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject:	Re: Free D/L The Electromagnetic Field Theory Textbook
> Project
> 
> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <Parpp807-at-aol-dot-com>
> 
> Bart and Matthew,
> 
> I tried the URL again, and again it failed to work for me.
> This time I went drectly to Uppsala University. There is a link that will 
> take you directly to the textbook. Looks like a lot of other good stuff 
> available there.
> Thanks for the help.
> 
> http://www.plasma.uu.se/CED/Book/
> 
> cheers,
> Ralph Zekelman
> 
>