Introduction to Electrodynamics  (English, Paperback, Griffiths David J.)

Introduction To Electrodynamics is a concise book that covers all the basic and necessary principles of electromagnetic theory. This revised 3rd edition with a compact structure of chapters, examples, problems and solutions is highly recommended as a textbook for undergraduate physics students.

Summary Of The Book

A branch of theoretical physics, Electrodynamics is a study of interactions between currents and electric charges. Although it uses the extension of Newtonian mechanics, it is a successful and complete theory in itself. While the classical Newtonian model is good enough for everyday physics, it is not as effective for the study of objects which are very far, extremely small and move at high speeds. After Classical Electrodynamics emerged as a branch to address this, it later evolved to become a unified field during the 19th century. It is one of the basic and most relevant subjects to be taught at undergraduate and graduate physics classes.

This textbook covers a wide array of topics including Vector Analysis, Electrostatics, Magneto-statics, Radiation and Relativistic Electrodynamics. Griffiths' unique style of informal explanation and the way he has kept things elementary and clear, make Introduction To Electrodynamics one of the widely prescribed texts for the introductory undergraduate year. Through simple explanations and ample examples, the book also intends to make difficult topics seem interesting and fun to learn. The author dedicates an entire chapter to Vector Analysis, which is a very key concept in understanding the basics of electrodynamics. The following 7 chapters focus on other fundamental principles with the same objective approach.

The third edition comes with a lot of changes so as to improve clarity of the subject. The first 8 chapters make up excellent course material for one semester. The rest of the contents, which cover Conservation Laws, Potentials and Fields and many other such topics, can be comfortably taught during the second semester. All chapters include relevant and practical examples to relate to.

In addition to the problems and solutions at the end of each chapter, there are also plenty of problems for learners to solve while understanding the topics. This is in view of aiding higher rates of retention.

About David J. Griffiths

David J. Griffiths is a noted physicist and educator from the United States of America.

His other books include Revolutions in Twentieth-Century Physics, Introduction to Elementary Particles and Introduction to Quantum Mechanics.

After graduating from The Putney School, Griffiths completed his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D., all at Harvard University. He had Sidney Coleman as his doctoral advisor during his Ph.D. to supervise his thesis. He had spent 31 years of his career at Reed College before retiring as the Howard Vollum Professor of Science. In 1997, Griffiths was awarded the prestigious Robert A. Millikan award for his outstanding scholarly contribution in the field of physics education.