Product Description

In Introduction to Elementary Particles, Second, Revised Edition, author David Griffiths strikes a balance between quantitative rigor and intuitive understanding, using a lively, informal style. The first chapter provides a detailed historical introduction to the subject, while subsequent chapters offer a quantitative presentation of the Standard Model. A simplified introduction to the Feynman rules, based on a "toy" model, helps readers learn the calculational techniques without the complications of spin. It is followed by accessible treatments of quantum electrodynamics, the strong and weak interactions, and gauge theories. New chapters address neutrino oscillations and prospects for physics beyond the Standard Model. The book contains a number of worked examples and many end–of–chapter problems. A complete solution manual is available for instructors.

• Revised edition of a well–established text on elementary particle physics
• With a number of worked examples and many end–of–chapter problems
• Helps the student to master the Feynman rules
• Solution manual available for instructors

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41026 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 470 pages

Review
A clearly written textbook balancing intuitive understanding and mathematical rigour, emphasizing elementary particle theory. (Reviews, May 2009)

From the Back Cover
In the second, revised edition of a well–established textbook, the author strikes a balance between quantitative rigor and intuitive understanding, using a lively, informal style. The first chapter provides a detailed historical introduction to the subject, while subsequent chapters offer a quantitative presentation of the Standard Model. A simplified introduction to the Feynman rules, based on a "toy" model, helps readers learn the calculational techniques without the complications of spin. It is followed by accessible treatments of quantum electrodynamics, the strong and weak interactions, and gauge theories. New chapters address neutrino oscillations and prospects for physics beyond the Standard Model. The book contains a number of worked examples and many end–of–chapter problems. A complete solution manual is available for instructors.

• Revised edition of a well–established text on elementary particle physics
• With a number of worked examples and many end–of–chapter problems
• Helps the student to master the Feynman rules
• Solution manual available for instructors

About the Author
David Griffiths is Professor of Physics at the Reed College in Portland, Oregon. After obtaining his PhD in elementary particle theory at Harvard, he taught at several colleges and universities before joining the faculty at Reed in 1978. He specializes in classical electrodynamics and quantum mechanics as well as elementary particles, and has written textbooks on all three subjects.

Customer Reviews

You can never go wrong with a Griffiths
I'm a physics student, and own all 3 books written by Griffiths on Electrodynamics, Quantum Mechanics and Particle Physics. Griffiths unique and informal style of writing is very intuïtive, and is great for any introductionary book. The text doesn't just teach you particle physics, but tries to create a deeper understanding for the subject, by addressing questions you may have and presenting insights which other books neglect. The exercises are also very good, and try to give some history along with insight. In general the book tries to make you grasp the subject fully, instead of just explaining it in a correct formal fashion.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in physics, along with Griffiths' other books.

Saved my degree
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!