Note: *The three volumes are not sequential but rather independent of each other and largely self-contained.

Basic Matters is a first introduction to quantum mechanics that does not assume any prior knowledge of the subject. The emphasis is on the general structure as the necessary foundation of any understanding. Starting from the simplest quantum phenomenon, the Stern–Gerlach experiment with its choice between two discrete outcomes, and ending with one-dimensional continuous systems, the physical concepts and notions as well as the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics are developed in successive, manageable steps. The presentation is modern inasmuch as the natural language of the trade — Dirac's kets and bras and so on — is introduced early, and the temporal evolution is dealt with in a picture-free manner, with Schrödinger's and Heisenberg's equations of motion side by side and on equal footing.

Contents:

• Preface


• Glossary


• A Brutal Fact of Life


• Kinematics: How Quantum Systems are Described


• Dynamics: How Quantum Systems Evolve


• Motion along the x Axis


• Elementary Examples


• Exercises with Hints


• Index

Readership: Undergraduates in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering; physics lecturers; Perturbed Evolution for graduate students in physics as well.

Key Features:

• Offers a modern point of view and a nonstandard approach by a renowned researcher and teacher


• Ideal for the self-studying reader, as intermediate steps are not skipped over in the detailed presentation


• Based on battle-tested lecture notes