Structured as a dialogue between a mathematician and a physicist, Symmetry and Quantum Mechanics unites the mathematical topics of this field into a compelling and physically-motivated narrative that focuses on the central role of symmetry. Aimed at advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in mathematics with only a minimal background in physics, this title is also useful to physicists seeking a mathematical introduction to the subject. Part I focuses on spin, and covers such topics as Lie groups and algebras, while part II offers an account of position and momentum in the context of the representation theory of the Heisenberg group, along the way providing an informal discussion of fundamental concepts from analysis such as self-adjoint operators on Hilbert space and the Stone-von Neumann Theorem. Mathematical theory is applied to physical examples such as spin-precession in a magnetic field, the harmonic oscillator, the infinite spherical well, and the hydrogen atom.

Symmetries in Quantum Mechanics: From Angular Momentum to Supersymmetry (PBK) provides a thorough, didactic exposition of the role of symmetry, particularly rotational symmetry, in quantum mechanics. The bulk of the book covers the description of rotations (geometrically and group-theoretically) and their representations, and the quantum theory of angular momentum. Later chapters introduce more advanced topics such as relativistic theory, supersymmetry, anyons, fractional spin, and statistics. With clear, in-depth explanations, the book is ideal for use as a course text for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students in physics and those specializing in theoretical physics. It is also useful for researchers looking for an accessible introduction to this important area of quantum theory.

Greiner's lectures, which underlie these volumes, are internationally noted for their clarity, their completeness and for the effort that he has devoted to making physics an integral whole; his enthusiasm for his science is contagious and shines through almost every page. These volumes represent only a part of a unique and Herculean effort to make all of theoretical physics accessible to the interested student. Beyond that, they are of enormous value to the professional physicist and to all others working with quantum phenomena. Again and again the reader will find that, after dipping into a particular volume to review a specific topic, he will end up browsing, caught up by often fascinating new insights and developments with which he had not previously been familiar. Having used a number of Greiner's volumes in their original German in my teaching and research at Yale, I welcome these new and revised English translations and would recommend them enthusiastically to anyone searching for a coherent overview of physics.

This book provides an in-depth and accessible description of special relativity and quantum mechanics which together form the foundation of 21st century physics. A novel aspect is that symmetry is given its rightful prominence as an integral part of this foundation. The book offers not only a conceptual understanding of symmetry, but also the mathematical tools necessary for quantitative analysis. As such, it provides a valuable precursor to more focused, advanced books on special relativity or quantum mechanics. Students are introduced to several topics not typically covered until much later in their education.These include space-time diagrams, the action principle, a proof of Noether's theorem, Lorentz vectors and tensors, symmetry breaking and general relativity. The book also provides extensive descriptions on topics of current general interest such as gravitational waves, cosmology, Bell's theorem, entanglement and quantum computing. Throughout the text, every opportunity is taken to emphasize the intimate connection between physics, symmetry and mathematics.The style remains light despite the rigorous and intensive content. The book is intended as a stand-alone or supplementary physics text for a one or two semester course for students who have completed an introductory calculus course and a first-year physics course that includes Newtonian mechanics and some electrostatics. Basic knowledge of linear algebra is useful but not essential, as all requisite mathematical background is provided either in the body of the text or in the Appendices. Interspersed through the text are well over a hundred worked examples and unsolved exercises for the student.

This text focuses on the physics of symmetries, developing symmetries and transformations through concrete physical examples and contexts rather than presenting the information axiomatically, mathematically, and abstractly. Readers are introduced gradually to advanced mathematical procedures, including the Wigner and Racah algebras and their applications to various symmetry groups. The book also includes some of the latest research on the use of non-invariance and non-compact groups in the consideration of relativistic and many-particle problems of atoms and nuclei.This book is an updated replacement for the text Irreducible Tensorial Sets (Academic Press, 1959). Parts A and B of the present book grew out of occasional lectures in the intervening decades at the University of Chicago, where it became neccessary to update or elaborate upon certain points. Part C has been built more recently to deal with innovations and new information in the field of mathematical physics. The book as a whole develops the subject of symmetry from a physical point of view, allowing students and researchers to gain new insight on their subject. This book can be used both as a text and as a reference by students and scientists in the field.Adapts and extends the earlier Irreducible Tensor Sets (Academic Press, 1959) to classroom useExtends to multi-particle systems and relativityIncludes problems in each chapter for homework assignmentsEmbraces the latest research on non-invariance groups

This is a textbook that derives the fundamental theories of physics from symmetry. It starts by introducing, in a completely self-contained way, all mathematical tools needed to use symmetry ideas in physics. Thereafter, these tools are put into action and by using symmetry constraints, the fundamental equations of Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Field Theory, Electromagnetism, and Classical Mechanics are derived. As a result, the reader is able to understand the basic assumptions behind, and the connections between the modern theories of physics. The book concludes with first applications of the previously derived equations. Thanks to the input of readers from around the world, this second edition has been purged of typographical errors and also contains several revised sections with improved explanations.

This is a book about representing symmetry in quantum mechanics. The book is on a graduate and/or researcher level and it is written with an attempt to be concise, to respect conceptual clarity and mathematical rigor. The basic structures of quantum mechanics are used to identify the automorphism group of quantum mechanics. The main concept of a symmetry action is defined as a group homomorphism from a given group, the group of symmetries, to the automorphism group of quantum mechanics. The structure of symmetry actions is determined under the assumption that the symmetry group is a Lie group. The Galilei invariance is used to illustrate the general theory by giving a systematic presentation of a Galilei invariant elementary particle. A brief description of the Galilei invariant wave equations is also given.

This graduate-level text develops the aspects of group theory most relevant to physics and chemistry (such as the theory of representations) and illustrates their applications to quantum mechanics. The first five chapters focus chiefly on the introduction of methods, illustrated by physical examples, and the final three chapters offer a systematic treatment of the quantum theory of atoms, molecules, and solids. The formal theory of finite groups and their representation is developed in Chapters 1 through 4 and illustrated by examples from the crystallographic point groups basic to solid-state and molecular theory. Chapter 5 is devoted to the theory of systems with full rotational symmetry, Chapter 6 to the systematic presentation of atomic structure, and Chapter 7 to molecular quantum mechanics. Chapter 8, which deals with solid-state physics, treats electronic energy band theory and magnetic crystal symmetry. A compact and worthwhile compilation of the scattered material on standard methods, this volume presumes a basic understanding of quantum theory.

Field theory has special complexities which may not be common to other fields of research. Symmetry and its breaking are most exotic and sometimes almost mysterious to even those who can normally understand basic physics. In this textbook, there is a focus on presenting a simple and clear picture of the symmetry and its breaking in quantum field theory.

'The text is easy to read because the matter is clearly explained. Symmetries are a central component of physical laws, and the PT-symmetry proves to be very interesting and fruitful. The discussion of the matter is up-to-date and self-contained. The book is recommended to students of higher courses, PhD and researchers. It is also a basic read to those who wish to have an insight into this field.'Contemporary PhysicsOriginated by the author in 1998, the field of PT (parity-time) symmetry has become an extremely active and exciting area of research. PT-symmetric quantum and classical systems have theoretical, experimental, and commercial applications, and have been the subject of many journal articles, PhD theses, conferences, and symposia. Carl Bender's work has influenced major advances in physics and generations of students.This book is an accessible entry point to PT symmetry, ideal for students and scientists looking to begin their own research projects in this field.