Sunday, 31 July 2016

Lecture 06 - Topological Manifolds and Manifold Bundles (Schuller's Geometric Anatomy of Theoretical Physics)

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Summary of contents: topological manifolds; manifold dimension; submanifolds; product manifold; bundles of topological manifolds; Möbius strip; total space, base space, projection map and fibres; product bundles; fibre bundles; examples; (cross-) section of a bundle; subbundles and restricted bundles; bundle morphisms and isomorphisms; local bundle isomorphisms; trivial and locally trivial bundles; pull-back of a bundle; sections on a bundle pull back to the pull-back bundle; charts, component and coordinate functions; atlases and C^0-compatibility; chart transition maps; maximal atlases.

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Frederic Schuller's Lectures on Quantum Theory with Lecture Notes

Lecture videos
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List of lectures
Lecture 01 - Axioms of Quantum Mechanics
Lecture 02 - Banach Spaces
Lecture 03 - Separable Hilbert spaces
Lecture 04 - Projectors, bras and kets
Lecture 05 - Measure Theory
Lecture 06 - Integration of measurable functions
Lecture 07 - Self adjoint and essentially self-adjoint operators
Lecture 08 - Spectra and perturbation theory
Lecture 09 - Case study: momentum operator
Lecture 10 - Inverse Spectral Theorem
Lecture 11 - Spectral Theorem
Lecture 12 - Stone's theorem & construction of observables
Lecture 13 - Spin
Lecture 14 - Composite systems
Lecture 15 - Total spin of composite system
Lecture 16 - Quantum Harmonic Oscillator I
Lecture 17 - Quantum Harmonic Oscillator II
Lecture 18 - The Fourier Operator
Lecture 19 - The Schrodinger Operator
Lecture 20 - Periodic potentials I
Lecture 21 - Periodic potentials II

Lecture notes for lectures 1-21 (full!)
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Summary of contents by lecture
  1. Axioms of Quantum Mechanis
    brief comparison of classical and quantum mechanics; discrete and continuous spectrum; impact of measurement on the observation; Stern-Gerlach experiment; probabilistic nature of quantum mechanical predictions; axioms of quantum mechanics; quantum systems and states; pure and mixed states; complex Hilbert space; sesqui-linear inner product; completeness; operators: domain, densely defined, positive, trace-class; observables; adjoint operators and self-adjoint operators; measurement; projection-valued measure; unitary dynamics; evolution operator; projective dynamics.
  2. Banach Spaces
    metric spaces; converges of sequences; Cauchy sequences; completeness; norms and normed spaces; metric induced by a norm; detailed example: C^0[0,1], the continuous complex-valued functions on [0,1] form a Banach space; bounded operators; equivalent conditions for boundedness; operator norm; example: C^1[0,1], first derivative operator is unbounded; proof of continuity of addition, complex scalar multiplication and norm; proof that the bounded linear operators form a Banach space; dual space and functionals; weak convergence; proof that strong convergence implies weak convergence; sequential characterisation of dense subsets; extensions of a linear operator; proof of the BLT theorem  (bounded linear transformation).
  3. Separable Hilbert spaces
    Hilbert spaces; norm induced by an inner product; proof of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality; proof that the induced norm is a norm; detailed proof, step by step, of the Jordan - von Neumann theorem: a norm is induced by an inner product if and only if it satisfies the parallelogram identity, and the inner product is determined by the polarisation identity, adapting hints from Friedberg, Insel, Spence's Linear algebra; proof that the dual of a Hilbert space is a Hilbert space; proof that inner products are sequentially continuous; Hamel basis and dimension of a vector space; Schauder basis and properties; orthonormal Schauder basis and separable Hilbert spaces; coefficients with respect to a Schauder basis; Pythagoras' theorem; structure-preserving maps and classification of structures; unitary map (or unitary operator); proof that a surjective map which preserves the inner product is a unitary map; square-summable complex sequences; classification of separable Hilbert spaces: proof that every separable Hilbert space is unitarily equivalent to l^2(N).
  4. Projectors, bras and kets
    projection and orthogonal complement; infinite-dimensional Pythagoras' theorem; open and closed sets; proof that a closed subset of a complete metric space is complete; a closed linear subspace of a Hilbert space is a sub-Hilbert space; proof that the orthogonal complement of a linear subspace is a closed linear subspace; orthogonal projector; proof of properties of orthogonal projectors; Riesz representation theorem with proof; Riesz map; critical discussion of Dirac's bra-ket notation.
  5. Measure Theory
    sigma-algebras; De Morgan's Laws; measurable spaces and measurable subsets; extended real line; measures and measure spaces; example: N and the counting measure; proof of basic properties of measures; proof that measures are continuous from above and from below; proof that measures are countably sub-additive; finite measures; sigma-algebras generated by a collection of subsets; Borel sigma-algebra on a topological space; example: the Borel sigma-algebra of R; null sets and almost everywhere; complete and translation-invariant measures; Lebesgue measure on R^d; proof that the Lebesgue measure is finite; measurable maps; composition of measurable maps; pointwise converging sequences of measurable maps; push-forward of a measure.
  6. Integration of measurable functions
    characteristic and simple functions; integration of non-negative, measurable, simple functions; example: integration with respect to the counting measure; basic properties of integrals of simple functions; proof that the integral against a fixed simple function defines a measure; sigma-algebra on the extended real line; real measurable functions; integration of non-negative, measurable functions; notation for integrals; Markov inequality; Monotone converge theorem and applications; proof that the integral of a non-negative measurable function is zero if and only if the function is almost everywhere zero; integral of the Dirichlet function; Lebesgue integrable functions;  f^+ and f^-; integration of complex integrable functions; proof that L^1 is a vector space; Dominated convergence theorem; L^p spaces, with p in [0,infinity]; essential supremum; proof that L^2 is a complex vector space; equivalence relations, equivalence classes and quotient sets; proof that "almost everywhere equal" is an equivalence relation; Höolder's inequality; inner product on L^2.
  7. Self-adjoint and essentially self-adjoint operators
    densely defined and adjoint operators, proof of well-definedness; adjoint of sum; kernel and range (or image) of an operator; injective, surjective, and invertible operators; ker(A^*) = ran(A)^perp; extension of an operator; relation between extensions and adjoints; symmetric operators; remark on Hermitian operators; self-adjoint operators and self-adjoint extensions; closable operators; closure of an operator; closed operators; a symmetric operator is necessarily closable; essentially self-adjoint operators; unique self-adjoint extension; defect indices; criteria for self-adjointness and essential self-adjointness without calculating the adjoint; proofs and examples.
  8. Spectra and perturbation theory
    resolvent map and resolvent set of an operator; spectrum of an operator; eigenvalues and eigenvectors; difference between spectrum and eigenvalues; pure point spectrum, point embedded in continuum spectrum, purely continuous spectrum; point and continuous spectrum; proof that the eigenvalues of a self-adjoint operator are real; proof that the point spectrum coincides with the eigenvalues; proof by contrapositive; eigenspace and degenerate eigenvalues; proof that the eigenvectors of a self-adjoint operator corresponding to distinct eigenvalues are orthogonal; perturbation theory for the point spectrum; formal power series ansatz; Big O notation; fixing phase and normalisation of perturbed eigenvectors; order-by-order decomposition of the perturbed eigenvalue problem: explicit calculation of first and second-order corrections. 

Saturday, 30 July 2016

List of Companion Books on Mathematics and Mathematical Physics



Arfken, Weber, Harris - Mathematical Methods for Physicists, A Comprehensive Guide
Now in its 7th edition, Mathematical Methods for Physicists continues to provide all the mathematical methods that aspiring scientists and engineers are likely to encounter as students and beginning researchers. This bestselling text provides mathematical relations and their proofs essential to the study of physics and related fields. While retaining the key features of the 6th edition, the new edition provides a more careful balance of explanation, theory, and examples. Taking a problem-solving-skills approach to incorporating theorems with applications, the book's improved focus will help students succeed throughout their academic careers and well into their professions. Some notable enhancements include more refined and focused content in important topics, improved organization, updated notations, extensive explanations and intuitive exercise sets, a wider range of problem solutions, improvement in the placement, and a wider range of difficulty of exercises.


Arnold - Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics
In this text, the author constructs the mathematical apparatus of classical mechanics from the beginning, examining all the basic problems in dynamics, including the theory of oscillations, the theory of rigid body motion, and the Hamiltonian formalism. This modern approch, based on the theory of the geometry of manifolds, distinguishes iteself from the traditional approach of standard textbooks. Geometrical considerations are emphasized throughout and include phase spaces and flows, vector fields, and Lie groups. The work includes a detailed discussion of qualitative methods of the theory of dynamical systems and of asymptotic methods like perturbation techniques, averaging, and adiabatic invariance.


Bender, Orszag - Advanced Mathematical Methods for Scientists and Engineers, Asymptotic Methods and Perturbation Theory
The main purpose of our book is to present and explain mathematical methods for obtaining approximate analytical solutions to differential and difference equations that cannot be solved exactly. Our objective is to help young and also establiShed scientists and engineers to build the skills necessary to analyze equations that they encounter in their work. Our presentation is aimed at developing the insights and techniques that are most useful for attacking new problems. We do not emphasize special methods and tricks which work only for the classical transcendental functions; we do not dwell on equations whose exact solutions are known. The mathematical methods discussed in this book are known collectively as­ asymptotic and perturbative analysis. These are the most useful and powerful methods for finding approximate solutions to equations, but they are difficult to justify rigorously. Thus, we concentrate on the most fruitful aspect of applied analysis; namely, obtaining the answer. We stress care but not rigor. To explain our approach, we compare our goals with those of a freshman calculus course. A beginning calculus course is considered successful if the students have learned how to solve problems using calculus.


Blanchard, Brüning - Mathematical Methods in Physics
The second edition of this textbook presents the basic mathematical knowledge and skills that are needed for courses on modern theoretical physics, such as those on quantum mechanics, classical and quantum field theory, and related areas.  The authors stress that learning mathematical physics is not a passive process and include numerous detailed proofs, examples, and over 200 exercises, as well as hints linking mathematical concepts and results to the relevant physical concepts and theories.  All of the material from the first edition has been updated, and five new chapters have been added on such topics as distributions, Hilbert space operators, and variational methods.


Boas - Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences
Now in its third edition, Mathematical Concepts in the Physical Sciences, 3rd Edition provides a comprehensive introduction to the areas of mathematical physics. It combines all the essential math concepts into one compact, clearly written reference.
This book is intended for students who have had a two-semester or three-semester introductory calculus course.  Its purpose is to help students develop, in a short time, a basic competence in each of the many areas of mathematics needed in advanced courses in physics, chemistry, and engineering.  Students are given sufficient depth to gain a solid foundation (this is not a recipe book).  At the same time, they are not overwhelmed with detailed proofs that are more appropriate for students of mathematics.  The emphasis is on mathematical methods rather than applications, but students are given some idea of how the methods will be used along with some simple applications.


Cahill - Physical Mathematics
Unique in its clarity, examples and range, Physical Mathematics explains as simply as possible the mathematics that graduate students and professional physicists need in their courses and research. The author illustrates the mathematics with numerous physical examples drawn from contemporary research. In addition to basic subjects such as linear algebra, Fourier analysis, complex variables, differential equations and Bessel functions, this textbook covers topics such as the singular-value decomposition, Lie algebras, the tensors and forms of general relativity, the central limit theorem and Kolmogorov test of statistics, the Monte Carlo methods of experimental and theoretical physics, the renormalization group of condensed-matter physics and the functional derivatives and Feynman path integrals of quantum field theory.


Choquet-Bruhat, Dewitt-Morette - Analysis, Manifolds and Physics, Part I-II
This reference book, which has found wide use as a text, provides an answer to the needs of graduate physical mathematics students and their teachers. The present edition is a thorough revision of the first, including a new chapter entitled ``Connections on Principle Fibre Bundles'' which includes sections on holonomy, characteristic classes, invariant curvature integrals and problems on the geometry of gauge fields, monopoles, instantons, spin structure and spin connections. Many paragraphs have been rewritten, and examples and exercises added to ease the study of several chapters. The index includes over 130 entries.


Courant, Hilbert - Methods of Mathematical Physics, Vol. 1-2
Since the first volume of this work came out in Germany in 1924, this book, together with its second volume, has remained standard in the field. Courant and Hilbert's treatment restores the historically deep connections between physical intuition and mathematical development, providing the reader with a unified approach to mathematical physics. The present volume represents Richard Courant's second and final revision of 1953.


Garrity - All the Mathematics You Missed [But Need to Know for Graduate School]
Few beginning graduate students in mathematics and other quantitative subjects possess the daunting breadth of mathematical knowledge expected of them when they begin their studies. This book will offer students a broad outline of essential mathematics and will help to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. The author explains the basic points and a few key results of all the most important undergraduate topics in mathematics, emphasizing the intuitions behind the subject. The topics include linear algebra, vector calculus, differential and analytical geometry, real analysis, point-set topology, probability, complex analysis, set theory, algorithms, and more. An annotated bibliography offers a guide to further reading and to more rigorous foundations.


Gowers (Ed.) - The Princeton Companion to Mathematics
This is a one-of-a-kind reference for anyone with a serious interest in mathematics. Edited by Timothy Gowers, a recipient of the Fields Medal, it presents nearly two hundred entries, written especially for this book by some of the world's leading mathematicians, that introduce basic mathematical tools and vocabulary; trace the development of modern mathematics; explain essential terms and concepts; examine core ideas in major areas of mathematics; describe the achievements of scores of famous mathematicians; explore the impact of mathematics on other disciplines such as biology, finance, and music--and much, much more.
Unparalleled in its depth of coverage, The Princeton Companion to Mathematics surveys the most active and exciting branches of pure mathematics, providing the context and broad perspective that are vital at a time of increasing specialization in the field. Packed with information and presented in an accessible style, this is an indispensable resource for undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics as well as for researchers and scholars seeking to understand areas outside their specialties.


Grinfeld - Mathematical Tools for Physicists
This unique collection of review articles, ranging from fundamental concepts up to latest applications, contains individual contributions written by renowned experts in the relevant fields. Much attention is paid to ensuring fast access to the information, with each carefully reviewed article featuring cross-referencing, references to the most relevant publications in the field, and suggestions for further reading, both introductory as well as more specialized.
While the chapters on group theory, integral transforms, Monte Carlo methods, numerical analysis, perturbation theory, and special functions are thoroughly rewritten, completely new content includes sections on commutative algebra, computational algebraic topology, differential geometry, dynamical systems, functional analysis, graph and network theory, PDEs of mathematical physics, probability theory, stochastic differential equations, and variational methods.


Hassani - Mathematical Methods Using Mathematica, For Students of Physics and Related Fields
Intended as a companion for textbooks in mathematical methods for science and engineering, this book presents a large number of numerical topics and exercises together with discussions of methods for solving such problems using Mathematica(R). Although it is primarily designed for use with the author's "Mathematical Methods: For Students of Physics and Related Fields," the discussions in the book sufficiently self-contained that the book can be used as a supplement to any of the standard textbooks in mathematical methods for undergraduate students of physical sciences or engineering.


Hassani - Mathematical Methods, For Students of Physics and Related Fields
Intended to follow the usual introductory physics courses, this book has the unique feature of addressing the mathematical needs of sophomores and juniors in physics, engineering and other related fields. Many original, lucid, and relevant examples from the physical sciences, problems at the ends of chapters, and boxes to emphasize important concepts help guide the student through the material.
Beginning with reviews of vector algebra and differential and integral calculus, the book continues with infinite series, vector analysis, complex algebra and analysis, ordinary and partial differential equations. Discussions of numerical analysis, nonlinear dynamics and chaos, and the Dirac delta function provide an introduction to modern topics in mathematical physics.


Hassani - Mathematical Physics, A Modern Introduction to Its Foundations
The goal of this book is to expose the reader to the indispensable role that mathematics---often very abstract---plays in modern physics. Starting with the notion of vector spaces, the first half of the book develops topics as diverse as algebras, classical orthogonal polynomials, Fourier analysis, complex analysis, differential and integral equations, operator theory, and multi-dimensional Green's functions. The second half of the book introduces groups, manifolds, Lie groups and their representations, Clifford algebras and their representations, and fiber bundles and their applications to differential geometry and gauge theories.
This second edition is a substantial revision of the first one with a complete rewriting of many chapters and the addition of new ones, including chapters on algebras, representation of Clifford algebras and spinors, fiber bundles, and gauge theories. The spirit of the first edition, namely the balance between rigor and physical application, has been maintained, as is the abundance of historical notes and worked out examples that demonstrate the "unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics" in modern physics.


Higham (Ed.) - The Princeton Companion to Applied Mathematics
This is the most authoritative and accessible single-volume reference book on applied mathematics. Featuring numerous entries by leading experts and organized thematically, it introduces readers to applied mathematics and its uses; explains key concepts; describes important equations, laws, and functions; looks at exciting areas of research; covers modeling and simulation; explores areas of application; and more.
Modeled on the popular Princeton Companion to Mathematics, this volume is an indispensable resource for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and practitioners in other disciplines seeking a user-friendly reference book on applied mathematics.


Holmes - Introduction to the Foundations of Applied Mathematics
The objective of this textbook is the construction, analysis, and interpretation of mathematical models to help us understand the world we live in. Rather than follow a case study approach it develops the mathematical and physical ideas that are fundamental in understanding contemporary problems in science and engineering. Science evolves, and this means that the problems of current interest continually change.
What does not change as quickly is the approach used to derive the relevant mathematical models, and the methods used to analyze the models. Consequently, this book is written in such a way as to establish the mathematical ideas underlying model development independently of a specific application. This does not mean applications are not considered, they are, and connections with experiment are a staple of this book.
The book, as well as the individual chapters, is written in such a way that the material becomes more sophisticated as you progress. This provides some flexibility in how the book is used, allowing consideration for the breadth and depth of the material covered.


Jeffreys, Jeffreys - Methods of Mathematical Physics
This well-known text and reference contains an account of those mathematical methods that have applications in at least two branches of physics. The authors give examples of the practical use of the methods taken from a wide range of physics, including dynamics, hydrodynamics, elasticity, electromagnetism, heat conduction, wave motion and quantum theory. They pay particular attention to the conditions under which theorems hold. Helpful exercises accompany each chapter.


Kelly - Graduate Mathematical Physics
This up-to-date textbook on mathematical methods of physics is designed for a one-semester graduate or two-semester advanced undergraduate course. The formal methods are supplemented by applications that use MATHEMATICA to perform both symbolic and numerical calculations.
The book is written by a physicist lecturer who knows the difficulties involved in applying mathematics to real problems. As many as 40 exercises are included at the end of each chapter.


Kreyszig - Advanced Engineering Mathematics
This book introduces students of engineering, physics, mathematics, and computer science to those areas of mathematics which, from a modern point of view, are most important in connection with practical problems. The content and character of mathematics needed in applications are changing rapidly. Linear algebra-especially matrices-and numerical methods for computers are of increasing importance. Statistics and graph theory play more prominent roles. Real analysis (ordinary and partial differential equations) and complex analysis remain indispensable.


Logan - Applied Mathematics
Applied Mathematics is a thoroughly updated and revised edition on the applications of modeling and analyzing natural, social, and technological processes. The book covers a wide range of key topics in mathematical methods and modeling and highlights the connections between mathematics and the applied and natural sciences. It covers both standard and modern topics, including scaling and dimensional analysis; regular and singular perturbation; calculus of variations; Green’s functions and integral equations; nonlinear wave propagation; and stability and bifurcation. The book provides extended coverage of mathematical biology, including biochemical kinetics, epidemiology, viral dynamics, and parasitic disease.


Marathe - Topics in Physical Mathematics
The roots of ’physical mathematics’ can be traced back to the very beginning of man's attempts to understand nature. Indeed, mathematics and physics were part of what was called natural philosophy. Rapid growth of the physical sciences, aided by technological progress and increasing abstraction in mathematical research, caused a separation of the sciences and mathematics in the 20th century. Physicists’ methods were often rejected by mathematicians as imprecise, and mathematicians’ approach to physical theories was not understood by the physicists. However, two fundamental physical theories, relativity and quantum theory, influenced new developments in geometry, functional analysis and group theory. The relation of Yang-Mills theory to the theory of connections in a fiber bundle discovered in the early 1980s has paid rich dividends to the geometric topology of low dimensional manifolds. Aimed at a wide audience, this self-contained book includes a detailed background from both mathematics and theoretical physics to enable a deeper understanding of the role that physical theories play in mathematics. Whilst the field continues to expand rapidly, it is not the intention of this book to cover its enormity. Instead, it seeks to lead the reader to their next point of exploration in this vast and exciting landscape.


Nakahara - Geometry, Topology and Physics
Differential geometry and topology have become essential tools for many theoretical physicists. In particular, they are indispensable in theoretical studies of condensed matter physics, gravity, and particle physics. Geometry, Topology and Physics, Second Edition introduces the ideas and techniques of differential geometry and topology at a level suitable for postgraduate students and researchers in these fields.


Prosperetti - Advanced Mathematics for Applications
The partial differential equations that govern scalar and vector fields are the very language used to model a variety of phenomena in solid mechanics, fluid flow, acoustics, heat transfer, electromagnetism and many others. A knowledge of the main equations and of the methods for analyzing them is therefore essential to every working physical scientist and engineer. Andrea Prosperetti draws on many years' research experience to produce a guide to a wide variety of methods, ranging from classical Fourier-type series through to the theory of distributions and basic functional analysis. Theorems are stated precisely and their meaning explained, though proofs are mostly only sketched, with comments and examples being given more prominence. The book structure does not require sequential reading: each chapter is self-contained and users can fashion their own path through the material. Topics are first introduced in the context of applications, and later complemented by a more thorough presentation.


Reed, Simon - Methods of Modern Mathematical Physics I-IV
This book is the first of a multivolume series devoted to an exposition of functional analysis methods in modern mathematical physics. It describes the fundamental principles of functional analysis and is essentially self-contained, although there are occasional references to later volumes. We have included a few applications when we thought that they would provide motivation for the reader. Later volumes describe various advanced topics in functional analysis and give numerous applications in classical physics, modern physics, and partial differential equations.


Riley, Hobson, Bence - Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering, A Comprehensive Guide
The third edition of this highly acclaimed undergraduate textbook is suitable for teaching all the mathematics for an undergraduate course in any of the physical sciences. As well as lucid descriptions of all the topics and many worked examples, it contains over 800 exercises. New stand-alone chapters give a systematic account of the 'special functions' of physical science, cover an extended range of practical applications of complex variables, and give an introduction to quantum operators. Further tabulations, of relevance in statistics and numerical integration, have been added. In this edition, half of the exercises are provided with hints and answers and, in a separate manual available to both students and their teachers, complete worked solutions.


Rudolph, Schmidt - Differential Geometry and Mathematical Physics
Starting from an undergraduate level, this book systematically develops the basics of:
• Calculus on manifolds, vector bundles, vector fields and differential forms,
• Lie groups and Lie group actions,
• Linear symplectic algebra and symplectic geometry,
• Hamiltonian systems, symmetries and reduction, integrable systems and Hamilton-Jacobi theory.
The topics listed under the first item are relevant for virtually all areas of mathematical physics. The second and third items constitute the link between abstract calculus and the theory of Hamiltonian systems. The last item provides an introduction to various aspects of this theory, including Morse families, the Maslov class and caustics.
The book guides the reader from elementary differential geometry to advanced topics in the theory of Hamiltonian systems with the aim of making current research literature accessible. The style is that of a mathematical textbook,with full proofs given in the text or as exercises. The material is illustrated by numerous detailed examples, some of which are taken up several times for demonstrating how the methods evolve and interact.


Schutz - Geometrical Methods of Mathematical Physics
In recent years the methods of modern differential geometry have become of considerable importance in theoretical physics and have found application in relativity and cosmology, high-energy physics and field theory, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and mechanics. This textbook provides an introduction to these methods - in particular Lie derivatives, Lie groups and differential forms - and covers their extensive applications to theoretical physics. The reader is assumed to have some familiarity with advanced calculus, linear algebra and a little elementary operator theory. The advanced physics undergraduate should therefore find the presentation quite accessible. This account will prove valuable for those with backgrounds in physics and applied mathematics who desire an introduction to the subject. Having studied the book, the reader will be able to comprehend research papers that use this mathematics and follow more advanced pure-mathematical expositions.


Szekeres - A Course in Modern Mathematical Physics, Groups, Hilbert Space and Differential Geometry
This book, first published in 2004, provides an introduction to the major mathematical structures used in physics today. It covers the concepts and techniques needed for topics such as group theory, Lie algebras, topology, Hilbert space and differential geometry. Important theories of physics such as classical and quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and special and general relativity are also developed in detail, and presented in the appropriate mathematical language. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in mathematical and theoretical physics, as well as applied mathematics. It includes numerous exercises and worked examples, to test the reader's understanding of the various concepts, as well as extending the themes covered in the main text. The only prerequisites are elementary calculus and linear algebra. No prior knowledge of group theory, abstract vector spaces or topology is required.



Whelan - A First Course in Mathematical Physics
This book assumes next to no prior knowledge of the topic. The first part introduces the core mathematics, always in conjunction with the physical context. In the second part of the book, a series of examples showcases some of the more conceptually advanced areas of physics, the presentation of which draws on the developments in the first part. A large number of problems helps students to hone their skills in using the presented mathematical methods.


Thursday, 28 July 2016

Lecture 05 - Topological Spaces: Some Heavily Used Invariants (Schuller's Geometric Anatomy of Theoretical Physics)

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Summary of contents: Separations properties: T1, T2 (Hausdorff), T2 an a half; covers and open covers, subcovers and finite subcovers; compact spaces; Heine-Borel theorem (compact if and only if closed and bounded); open and locally finite refinements; paracompactness; metrisable spaces and Stone's theorem; long line (or Alexandroff line); partition of unity subordinate to an open cover; examples; connectedness and proof that M is connected if and only if M and the empty set are the only subsets which are both open and closed; path-connectedness and proof that path-connectedness implies connectedness; homotopic curves on a topological space; concatenation of curves; fundamental group; group isomorphism; topological invariants and classification of topological spaces; examples: 2-sphere, cylinder, 2-torus.

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Saturday, 23 July 2016

Lecture 04 - Topological Spaces: Construction and Purpose (Schuller's Geometric Anatomy of Theoretical Physics)

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Summary of contents: topologies and topological spaces; examples; chaotic and discrete topologies; coarser (or weaker) and finer (or stronger) topologies; open subsets; open balls; standard topology on R^d with proof; induced (or subset) topology with proof; product topology; sequences, converge and limit points; open neighbourhoods; definitely constant sequences; continuity of maps between topological spaces; examples; homeomorphisms and homeomorphic spaces.

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Thursday, 21 July 2016

Lecture 03 - Classification of Sets (Schuller's Geometric Anatomy of Theoretical Physics)

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Summary of contents: definition of maps (or functions) between sets; structure-preserving maps; identity map; domain, target and image; injective, surjective and bijective maps; isomorphic sets; classification of sets: finite and countably and uncountably infinite; cardinality of a set; composition of maps; commutative diagrams; proof of associativity of composition; inverse map; definition of pre-image and properties of pre-images (with proof); equivalence relations: reflexivity,  symmetry, transitivity; examples; equivalence classes and quotient set; well-defined maps; construction of N, Z, Q, R (natural, integer, rational and real numbers); successor and predecessor maps; nth power set; addition and multiplication of numbers; canonical embeddings.

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Friday, 15 July 2016

Lecture 02 - Axioms of Set Theory (Schuller's Geometric Anatomy of Theoretical Physics)

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Summary of contents: epsilon-relation (member relation); Zermelo-Fraenkel axioms of set theory; Russel's paradox; existence and uniqueness of the empty set (standard textbook proof and formal proof); axioms on the existence of pair sets and union sets; examples; finite unions; functional relation and image; principle of restricted and universal comprehension; axiom of replacement; intersection and relative complement; power sets; infinity; the sets of natural and real numbers; axiom of choice; axiom of foundation.

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Thursday, 14 July 2016

Lecture 01 - Logic of Propositions and Predicates (Schuller's Geometric Anatomy of Theoretical Physics)


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Summary of contents: Introduction to logic; propositions and predicates; truth tables; tautologies and contradictions; negation, and, or, implication, nand connectives; existential and universal quantifiers, logical equivalence of propositions; negation of quantifiers; order of quantifiers; axiomatic systems; formal proofs; consistency and completeness.

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Monday, 11 July 2016

Frederic Schuller's Lectures on the Geometric Anatomy of Theoretical Physics

Lecture videos
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List of lectures
Lecture 01 - Introduction/Logic of Propositions and Predicates
Lecture 02 - Axioms of Set Theory
Lecture 03 - Classification of Sets
Lecture 04 - Topological Spaces - Construction and Purpose
Lecture 05 - Topological Spaces - Some Heavily Used Invariants
Lecture 06 - Topological Manifolds and Manifold Bundles
Lecture 07 - Differential Structures: Definition and Classification
Lecture 08 - Tensor Space Theory I: Over a Field
Lecture 09 - Differential Structures: the Pivotal Concept of Tangent Vector Spaces
Lecture 10 - Construction of the Tangent Bundle
Lecture 11 - Tensor Space Theory II: Over a Ring
Lecture 12 - Grassmann Algebra and deRham Cohomology
Lecture 13 - Lie Groups and Their Lie Algebras
Lecture 14 - Classification of Lie Algebras and Dynkin Diagrams
Lecture 15 - The Lie Group SL(2,C) and its Lie Algebra sl(2,C)
Lecture 16 - Dynkin Diagrams from Lie Algebras, and Vice Versa
Lecture 17 - Representation Theory of Lie Groups and Lie Algebras
Lecture 18 - Reconstruction of a Lie Group from its Algebra
Lecture 19 - Principal Fibre Bundles
Lecture 20 - Associated Fibre Bundles
Lecture 21 - Connections and Connection 1-Forms
Lecture 22 - Local Representations of a Connection on the Base Manifold: Yang-Mills Fields
Lecture 23 - Parallel Transport
Lecture 24 - Curvature and Torsion on Principal Bundles
Lecture 25 - Covariant Derivatives
Lecture 26 - Application: Quantum Mechanics on Curved Spaces
Lecture 27 - Application: Spin Structures
Lecture 28 - Application: Kinematical and Dynamical Symmetries

Lecture notes, up to lecture 25
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Summary of contents by lecture:
  1. Introduction/Logic of Propositions and Predicates
    Introduction to logic; propositions and predicates; truth tables; tautologies and contradictions; negation, and, or, implication, nand connectives; existential and universal quantifiers, logical equivalence of propositions; negation of quantifiers; order of quantifiers; axiomatic systems; formal proofs; consistency and completeness.
  2. Axioms of Set Theory
    epsilon-relation (member relation); Zermelo-Fraenkel axioms of set theory; Russel's paradox; existence and uniqueness of the empty set (standard textbook proof and formal proof); axioms on the existence of pair sets and union sets; examples; finite unions; functional relation and image; principle of restricted and universal comprehension; axiom of replacement; intersection and relative complement; power sets; infinity; the sets of natural and real numbers; axiom of choice; axiom of foundation.
  3. Classification of Sets
     definition of maps (or functions) between sets; structure-preserving maps; identity map; domain, target and image; injective, surjective and bijective maps; isomorphic sets; classification of sets: finite and countably and uncountably infinite; cardinality of a set; composition of maps; commutative diagrams; proof of associativity of composition; inverse map; definition of pre-image and properties of pre-images (with proof); equivalence relations: reflexivity,  symmetry, transitivity; examples; equivalence classes and quotient set; well-defined maps; construction of N, Z, Q, R (natural, integer, rational and real numbers); successor and predecessor maps; nth power set; addition and multiplication of numbers; canonical embeddings.
  4. Topological Spaces - Construction and Purpose
    topologies and topological spaces; examples; chaotic and discrete topologies; coarser (or weaker) and finer (or stronger) topologies; open subsets; open balls; standard topology on R^d with proof; induced (or subset) topology with proof; product topology; sequences, converge and limit points; open neighbourhoods; definitely constant sequences; continuity of maps between topological spaces; examples; homeomorphisms and homeomorphic spaces.
  5. Topological Spaces - Some Heavily Used Invariants
    Separations properties: T1, T2 (Hausdorff), T2 an a half; covers and open covers, subcovers and finite subcovers; compact spaces; Heine-Borel theorem (compact if and only if closed and bounded); open and locally finite refinements; paracompactness; metrisable spaces and Stone's theorem; long line (or Alexandroff line); partition of unity subordinate to an open cover; examples; connectedness and proof that M is connected if and only if M and the empty set are the only subsets which are both open and closed; path-connectedness and proof that path-connectedness implies connectedness; homotopic curves on a topological space; concatenation of curves; fundamental group; group isomorphism; topological invariants and classification of topological spaces; examples: 2-sphere, cylinder, 2-torus.
  6. Topological Manifolds and Manifold Bundles
    topological manifolds; manifold dimension; submanifolds; product manifold; bundles of topological manifolds; Möbius strip; total space, base space, projection map and fibres; product bundles; fibre bundles; examples; (cross-) section of a bundle; subbundles and restricted bundles; bundle morphisms and isomorphisms; local bundle isomorphisms; trivial and locally trivial bundles; pull-back of a bundle; sections on a bundle pull back to the pull-back bundle; charts, component and coordinate functions; atlases and C^0-compatibility; chart transition maps; maximal atlases.
  7. Differential Structures: Definition and Classification
    refining a maximal atlas; C^k and smooth compatibility of charts; Cauchy-Riemann equations; differentiable atlas; compatibility of differentiable atlases; examples; proof of well-definedness of the definition of differentiability of maps; smooth maps and diffeomorphisms; diffeomorphic manifolds; classification of smooth structure on manifolds; Betti numbers.
  8. Tensor Space Theory I: Over a Field
     algebraic fields; vector spaces over an arbitrary field; vector (or linear) subspaces; linear maps; linear isomorphisms and isomorphic vector spaces; Hom-spaces; endomorphisms and automorphisms; dual vector space and linear functionals (covectors/one-forms); bilinear and multilinear maps; tensors and tensor product; examples; equivalence of endomorphisms and (1,1)-tensors; Hamel bases; linear independence and spanning set; dimension; double dual; dual bases and isomorphism of a vector space and its dual in finite dimensions; components of vectors and tensors; change of basis formulas; Einstein's summation convention and examples; column and row vectors and matrices; change of components under a change of basis; bilinear forms; permutations, symmetric group, transpositions, and signature of a transposition; totally anti-symmetric tensor; n-forms; volume-form and volume; determinant of an endomorphism.
  9. Differential Structures: the Pivotal Concept of Tangent Vector Spaces
    the space of smooth maps on a manifold; smooth curves on a manifold; directional derivative operator; tangent vectors at a point and tangent space at a point; proof that the sum of tangent vectors is a tangent vector; alternative definitions of tangent space (via equivalence classes of smooth curves, derivations at a point on germs of functions, and physical tangent vectors); algebras over an algebraic field; associative, unital and commutative algebras; Lie algebras, Lie bracket and Jacobi identity; commutator; derivations on an algebra; detailed examples; proof that derivations on a algebra constitute a Lie algebra; proof of equality of manifold dimension and tangent space dimension: dim M = dim TpM; coordinate-induced basis of tangent spaces; change of coordinates under a change of coordinate-induced bases.
  10. Construction of the Tangent Bundle
    cotangent space and tensor space at a point of a manifold; differential of a smooth map; gradient of a real function on a manifold; dual coordinate-induced basis and gradients of coordinate functions; push-forward and pull-back of smooth maps at a point; push-forward of tangent vectors and pull-back of covectors; immersions and immersed submanifolds; embedding and embedded submanifolds; Whitney's theorem; definition of tangent bundle; proof that the tangent bundle is a smooth manifold.
  11. Tensor Space Theory II: Over a Ring
    vector fields as smooth sections of the tangent bundle; vector fields as linear maps on the space of smooth maps; push-forward of a smooth map as a map between tangent bundles; push-forward of a vector field; structure of the set of vector fields; rings: commutative, unital and division (or skew) rings; examples; modules of a unital ring; examples of modules admitting and not admitting a basis; Zorn's lemma; partial orders and partially ordered sets (posets); total order and totally ordered sets; upper bounds; proof that every module over a division ring (and hence every vector space) admits a Hamel basis; direct sum of modules; finitely generated, free and projective modules; homomorphism of modules (or linear maps); Serre-Swan-et al.'s theorem; pull-back of forms; tensor fields as multilinear maps; tensor product of tensor fields.
  12. Grassmann Algebra and deRham Cohomology
    differential n-forms; orientable manifolds; degree of a differential form; pull-back of a differential form; wedge (or exterior) product of differential forms; local expression of a differential form; proof that the pull-back distributes over the wedge product; Grassmann algebra; Grassmann numbers; proof that the wedge product is graded commutative; exterior derivative; Lie bracket (or commutator) of vector fields; example: exterior derivative of a differential one-form; proof that the exterior derivative is graded additive; commutation of the exterior derivative with the pull-back; Maxwell's electrodynamics and Maxwell's equations expressed using differential forms; symplectic forms and classical mechanics; closed and exact forms; proof that d^2=0; symmetrisation and anti-symmetrisation of indices with examples; every exact form is closed; kernel and image of a linear map; Z^n and B^n; Poincaré lemma; cohomology groups.
  13. Lie Groups and Their Lie Algebras
    Lie groups; dimension of a Lie group; examples of Lie groups: n-dimensional translation group, unitary group U(1), general linear GL(n,R), orthogonal group O(p,q); pseudo-inner products on a vector space; Lie group homomorphism and isomorphism; proof that the left translation map is a diffeomorphism; push-forward of the left translation map; left-invariant vector fields; proof that the space of left-invariant vector fields is isomorphic to the tangent space at the identity; proof that the left-invariant vector fields form a Lie algebra, the Lie algebra of the Lie group. Lie algebra homomorphisms and isomorphic Lie algebras.
  14. Classification of Lie Algebras and Dynkin Diagrams
    complex Lie algebras; abelian Lie algebras; the trivial Lie algebra; ideal of a Lie algebra; trivial ideals; simple and semi-simple Lie algebras; derived subalgebra; solvability; direct and semi-direct sum of Lie algebras; Levi's theorem on the decomposition of finite-dimensional complex Lie algebras; adjoint map and ad; proof that ad is a Lie algebra homomorphism; Killing form; proof of the invariance (or associativity, or anti-symmetry) of the Killing form; a Lie algebra is semi-simple if and only if the Killing is non-degenerate; structure constants; components of adjoint maps and the Killing form in terms of the structure constants; Cartan subalgebra, rank of a Lie algebra and Cartan-Weyl basis; roots and fundamental roots; proof that the restriction of the Killing form on a Cartan subalgebra is a pseudo inner product; real inner product; length and angle between roots; Weyl transformations and Weyl group; Cartan matrix; bond number; Dynkin diagrams and classification of finite-dimensional semi-simple complex Lie algebras.
  15. The Lie Group SL(2,C) and its Lie Algebra sl(2,C)
    the complex special linear group SL(2,C): as a set, as a group, as a topological space, as a topological manifold, as a complex differentiable manifold, as a Lie group; the Lie algebra sl(2,C) of the Lie group SL(2,C); detailed calculation of the structure constants of sl(2,C); determination of the Lie bracket between left-invariant vector fields on SL(2,C).
  16. Dynkin Diagrams from Lie Algebras, and Vice Versa
    proof that sl(2,C) is simple; Cartan subalgebra of sl(2,C); roots and fundamental roots of sl(2,C); the Dynkin diagram of sl(2,C); the A2 Dynkin diagram; detailed reconstruction of A2 from its Dynkin diagram.
  17. Representation Theory of Lie Groups and Lie Algebras
    representations of a Lie algebras; representation spaces and dimension of a representation; examples of representations; homomorphism and isomorphism of representations; trivial and adjoint representations; faithful representations; direct sum and tensor product representations; invariant subspaces, reducible and irreducible representations; highest weights; Killing form associated to a representation; Casimir operator; proof that the Casimir operator commutes with the representation; Schur's lemma; worked examples; automorphism group; representation of Lie groups; Adjoint representation.
  18. Reconstruction of a Lie Group from its Algebra
    integral curves to a vector field; maximal integral curves; complete vector fields; every vector field on a compact manifold is complete; exponential map; the image of exp is the connected component of the Lie group containing the identity; examples: orthogonal group, special orthogonal group; (restricted) Lorentz group: proper/improper orthochronous/non-orthochronous transformations; Lorentz algebra; one-parameter subgroups; flow of a vector field; the exponential map commutes with smooth maps.
  19. Principal Fibre Bundles
    left and right Lie group actions; example: actions from representations; proof: right actions from left actions; equivariance of smooth maps; orbits, orbit space and stabilisers; free and transitive actions; examples; smooth and principal bundles; detailed example: the frame bundle; principal bundle morphisms and isomorphisms (or diffeomorphisms); trivial bundles; proof that a bundle is trivial if and only if it admits a global section.
  20. Associated Fibre Bundles
    associated fibre bundle to a principal bundle; detailed example: the frame bundle; scalar and tensor densities on a manifold; associated bundle maps and isomorphisms; trivial associated bundles; restrictions and extensions of a principal bundle; examples.
  21. Connections and Connection 1-Forms
    vertical and horizontal subspaces at a point; decomposition in vertical and horizontal parts; connection on a principal bundle; connection one-form; properties of connection one-forms with proof. 
  22. Local Representations of a Connection on the Base Manifold: Yang-Mills Fields
    Yang-Mills field as pull-back of a connection one form along a local section; local trivialisations of a principal bundle; local representation of a connection one-form; Maurer-Cartan form; example: the Yang-Mills fields on the frame bundle, Christoffel symbol; example: calculation of the Maurer-Cartan form of the general linear group GL(n,R); patching Yang-Mills fields on different domains; the gauge map; example: the gauge map on the frame bundle.
  23. Parallel Transport
    horizontal lifts of a curve to the principal bundle; ODE characterising horizontal lifts; explicit solution in the case of a matrix Lie group; path-ordered exponential; parallel transport map; loops and holonomy groups; horizontal lifts to the associated bundle; parallel transport map on the associated bundle; covariant derivative of a section.
  24. Curvature and Torsion on Principal Bundles
    exterior covariant derivative; curvature two-form; characterisation of the curvature two-form with proof; Yang-Mills field strength; First Bianchi identity; solder (ing) form; torsion two-form; Second Bianchi identity
  25. Covariant derivatives
    proof of the equivalence of local sections and G-equivariant functions; linear actions on associated vector fibre bundles; matrix Lie group; construction of the covariant derivative for local sections on the base manifold.

Tuesday, 5 July 2016

The WE-Heraeus International Winter School on Gravity and Light, Lectures, Tutorials and Solutions



Lecture notes: https://github.com/lazierthanthou/Lecture_Notes_GR/blob/master/main.pdf

Lecture notes for a similar course by Dr Schuller
All spacetimes beyond Einstein (Obergurgl Lectures)
https://arxiv.org/abs/1111.4824

List of Lecture Videos
Lecture 1: Topology
Lecture 2: Topological Manifolds
Lecture 3: Multilinear Algebra
Lecture 4: Differentiable Manifolds
Lecture 5: Tangent Spaces
Lecture 6: Fields
Lecture 7: Connections
Lecture 8: Parallel Transport & Curvature
Lecture 9: Newtonian spacetime is curved!
Lecture 10: Metric Manifolds
Lecture 11: Symmetry
Lecture 12: Integration on manifolds
Lecture 13: Spacetime
Lecture 14: Matter
Lecture 15: Einstein Gravity 
Lecture 16: Optical Geometry I
Lecture 17: Optical Geometry II 
Lecture 18: Canonical Formulation of GR I
Lecture 19: Canonical Formulation of GR II 
Lecture 20: Cosmology - The early epoch    
Lecture 21: Cosmology - The late epoch
Lecture 22: Black Holes
Lecture 23: Penrose Diagrams 
Lecture 24: Perturbation Theory I 
Lecture 25: Perturbation Theory II 
Lecture 26: How quantizable matter gravitates
Lecture 27: Sources of gravitational waves
Lecture 28: How to detect gravitational waves

Click here for the Lecture Videos

List of Tutorials
Tutorial 1: Topology
Tutorial 2: Topological Manifolds
Tutorial 3: Multilinear Algebra
Tutorial 4: Differentiable Manifolds
Tutorial 5: Tangent Spaces
Tutorial 6: Fields
Tutorial 7: Connections
Tutorial 8: Parallel Transport & Curvature
Tutorial 9: Metric Manifolds
Tutorial 11: Symmetry
Tutorial 12: Integration
Tutorial 13: Schwarzschild Spacetime
Tutorial 14: Relativistic Spacetime, Matter & Gravitation
Tutorial 15: Cosmology
Tutorial 16: Diagrams
Tutorial 17: Perturbation Theory

Click here for the Tutrial Problems
Click here for the Tutorial Solutions