Vector Spaces and Matrices in Physics

Book excerpt: The theory of vector spaces and matrices is an essential part of the mathematical background required by physicists. Most books on the subject, however, do not adequately meet the requirements of physics courses-they tend to be either highly mathematical or too elementary. Books that focus on mathematical theory may render the subject too dry to hold the interest of physics students, while books that are more elementary tend to neglect some topics that are vital in the development of physical theories. In particular, there is often very little discussion of vector spaces, and many books introduce matrices merely as a computational tool. Vector Spaces and Matrices in Physics fills the gap between the elementary and the heavily mathematical treatments of the subject with an approach and presentation ideal for graduate-level physics students. After building a foundation in vector spaces and matrix algebra, the author takes care to emphasize the role of matrices as representations of linear transformations on vector spaces, a concept of matrix theory that is essential for a proper understanding of quantum mechanics. He includes numerous solved and unsolved problems, and enough hints for the unsolved problems to make the book self-sufficient. Developed through many years of lecture notes, Vector Spaces and Matrices in Physics was written primarily as a graduate and post-graduate textbook and as a reference for physicists. Its clear presentation and concise but thorough coverage, however, make it useful for engineers, chemists, economists, and anyone who needs a background in matrices for application in other areas.