G. Barton - Böcker

This text takes the student with a background in the standard undergraduate courses in physics and mathematics towards the skills and insights needed for graduate work in theoretical physics. The author uses Green's functions to explore the physics of potentials, diffusion and waves. These are important phenomena of classical physics in their own right, but this study of the partial differential equations describing them also prepares the student for more advanced applications in many-body physics and field theory. Calculations are carried through in enough detail for self-study, and case histories illustrate the interplay between physical insight and mathematical formalism. The aim is to develop the habit of dialogue with the equations and the craftsmanship this fosters in tackling problems.

Informal empire is a key mechanism of control that explains much of the configuration of the modern world. This book traces the broad outline of westernization through elite formations around the world in the modern era. It explains why the world is western and how formal empire describes only the tip of the iceberg of British and American power.

Relativity, almost a hundred years old in its classic Einsteinian form, is one of the most fascinating threads running through science from Galileo's day to ours. This book, based on a short course at the University of Sussex, presents relativity as a natural outgrowth of dynamics: the concepts are introduced through careful physical reasoning and simple mathematics, and are then applied over a wide range, well meshed with current undergraduate syllabuses. Features* An accessible introduction through pre-Einstein relativity* Scrupulously assessed experimental evidence (mostly modern)* Elementary mathematics, aimed at a working acquaintance with kinematics, energy and momentum conservation, and the propagation of plane waves* The book includes many carefully chosen examples and student problemsIntroduction to the Relativity Principle is suitable for undergraduates studying physics, also as a preliminary to more formal courses designed for mathematicians.

Relativity, almost a hundred years old in its classic Einsteinian form, is one of the most fascinating threads running through science from Galileo's day to ours. This book, based on a short course at the University of Sussex, presents relativity as a natural outgrowth of dynamics: the concepts are introduced through careful physical reasoning and simple mathematics, and are then applied over a wide range, well meshed with current undergraduate syllabuses. Features* An accessible introduction through pre-Einstein relativity* Scrupulously assessed experimental evidence (mostly modern)* Elementary mathematics, aimed at a working acquaintance with kinematics, energy and momentum conservation, and the propagation of plane waves* The book includes many carefully chosen examples and student problemsIntroduction to the Relativity Principle is suitable for undergraduates studying physics, also as a preliminary to more formal courses designed for mathematicians.