Classical Mechanics. - Point, Particles and Relativity

The series of texts on classical theoretical physics is based on the highly successful series of courses given by Walter Greiner at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Intended for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students, the volumes in the series provide not only a complete survey of classical theoretical physics but also an enormous number of worked examples and problems to show students clearly how to apply the abstract principles to realistic problems. Classical Mechanics, Point Particles and Relativity begins with an introduction to vector calculus, covering such topics as: Vector algebra: component representations, scalar products, and vector products; Differentiation and integration of vectors; Line integrals, surface integrals, volume integrals, and the theorems of Gauss and Stokes. The discussion of Newtonian mechanics includes: Newton's axioms and the basic concepts of mechanics; General linear motion, free fall, and friction; The harmonic oscillator and the damped harmonic oscillator; Central field problems, planetary motions, the Solar System, and the place of Earth in the universe; Mathematical interludes on series expansions, Euler's formulas, and differential equations. The text concludes with a discussion of special relativity, including: The principle of relativity and the Michelson-Morley experiment; The Lorentz transformation and the addition of velocities; Mechanics in Minkowski space; Applications of the special theory of relativity.