Classical Mechanics

by Tom W.B. Kibble, Frank H. Berkshire

This is the fifth edition of a well-established textbook. It is intended to provide a thorough coverage of the fundamental principles and techniques of classical mechanics, an old subject that is at the base of all of physics, but in which there has also in recent years been rapid development. The book is aimed at undergraduate students of physics and applied mathematics. It emphasizes the basic principles, and aims to progress rapidly to the point of being able to handle physically and mathematically interesting problems, without getting bogged down in excessive formalism. Lagrangian methods are introduced at a relatively early stage, to get students to appreciate their use in simple contexts. Later chapters use Lagrangian and Hamiltonian methods extensively, but in a way that aims to be accessible to undergraduates, while including modern developments at the appropriate level of detail. The subject has been developed considerably recently while retaining a truly central role for all students of physics and applied mathematics.This edition retains all the main features of the fourth edition, including the two chapters on geometry of dynamical systems and on order and chaos, and the new appendices on conics and on dynamical systems near a critical point. The material has been somewhat expanded, in particular to contrast continuous and discrete behaviours. A further appendix has been added on routes to chaos (period-doubling) and related discrete maps. The new edition has also been revised to give more emphasis to specific examples worked out in detail.Classical Mechanics is written for undergraduate students of physics or applied mathematics. It assumes some basic prior knowledge of the fundamental concepts and reasonable familiarity with elementary differential and integral calculus.

Genres: Physics, Science, Mathematics, Textbooks

500 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[Ida]

I did not feel "safe" with the book, as though I was constantly missing something and a great deal of it was just not satisfying.
The first book of the sort I ever read which strongly discouraged continuing with the book. It has a messy advancement of ideas and most interesting topics were not well discussed... at least as much of as I got to read.

[Jeffrey Sung]

Some textbooks are known as classics, because they are authoritative on the subject at hand. For example, Landau and Lifshitz. Others are known as introductory, because they're certainly far from authoritative, but they are great for the novice. For example, Griffiths (either E&M or Quantum).

This textbook is neither. Instead, it settles for mediocrity, as it lacks sufficient scope to be authoritative, while simultaneously lacking the simplicity to be introductory.

Do not recommend.

[Fritz]

difficulty of problems is beyond level of treatment in the chapters

[Bradley Gram-hansen]

This book is good, but it is not of the same level as Goldstien.

[gregormadarsko]

Batshit

[Justin Gurvitch]

Algebra soup throughout; stodgy presentation of material.