Our understanding of the physical world was revolutionized in the
twentieth century -- the era of "modern physics". This book, aimed at
the very best students, extends the coverage of the theoretical
groundwork of today's physics presented in the previous volume:
Introduction to Modern Physics: Theoretical Foundations (Vol. I).
Typically, students have to wade through several courses to see many of
these topics. The goal is to give them some idea of where they are
going, and how things fit together, as they go along.The present book
focuses on the following topics: reformulation of quantum mechanics,
angular momentum, scattering theory, lagrangian field theory,
symmetries, Feynman rules, quantum electrodynamics, including
higher-order contributions, path integrals, and canonical
transformations for quantum systems. Many problems are included that
enhance and extend the coverage. The book assumes a mastery of the
material in Vol. I, and the continued development of mathematical
skills, including multivariable calculus and linear algebra. Several
appendices provide important details, and any additional required
mathematics. The reader should then find the text, together with the
appendices and problems, to be self-contained. The aim is to cover the
framework of modern theoretical physics in sufficient depth that things
"make sense" to students, and, when finished, the reader should have an
elementary working knowledge in the principal areas of theoretical
physics of the twentieth century.
