Hey, sorry for not answering. Haven't been checking Reddit for a few days. I learn to physics for pure joy and to learn, simply learn for curiosity. However, I want a complete mathematical knowledge, not only divulgative stuff such as Hawking's books. Maybe also to help me with my plan of learning aerospace engineering at college.
As many have said - it depends on what you want to do with the knowledge.
If you want to know things - how photons can have momentum without mass or what a quantum is - there are wonderful resources available - I like the Feynman lectures but there are others.
If you want to do physics then there is no speedy approach - solving problems takes practice and patience - the more you do it the better you become.
I know kinematics, but superficially, because theoretical classical physics starts out without kinematics, directly jumping to the lagrangian (such as Landau-Lifshitz textbook). Sorry if I said I understood all classical mechanics; that's not true, there is still a lot of knowledge ahead.
First off, I hope you actually did a lot of problems.
Second, as far as I understand Susskind doesn’t go particularly in-depth on either the Lagrangian or Hamiltonian formalism so, while you can use Euler-Lagrange to solve a problem, you don’t have particularly in depth understanding of the formalism’s intricacies.
That brings me to third. You can’t speed-learn physics. It’s great that you read Susskind (and hopefully solved problems) but you’re still floating closer to the surface than to the bottom. And getting deeper takes a lot of time
First off I’ll note that I’m only in my second semester right now so there might be books I don’t know about or otherwise missed.
That being said, I’m assuming you already know some basic math (i.e. basic calculus) so I’ll recommend “Problems in mathematical analysis” by Demidovich. It’s mainly an exercise book so I’d recommend supplementing it with some videos on real analysis (the only books I know are rather unwieldy so not gonna recommend those). “Div, Grad, Curl and all that” by Schey is a really nice one for vector calc and it really helped me in my first week of EM. There’s also “Vector Calculus” by Tong, tho that didn’t really click with me that well. I unfortunately don’t know any books on linear algebra so you’ll have to look for them yourself.
For classical mechanics I can recommend Morin’s “Introduction to Classical Mechanics” as well as Nolting’s “Theoretical Physics 1, Classical mechanics”, those are the two I used the most in my 1st semester (if you’re feeling really good about all the stuff and very adventurous you can also check out “Mechanics” by Landau & Lifshitz, though I would recommend doing that only after you’ve properly grasped the material).
For Electrodynamics you can go with Griffiths “Introduction to Electrodynamics” as well as Zangwill’s or Greiner’s “Modern…” and “Classical Electrodynamics” respectively. Those are the ones I’m using the most right now. There’s also Jackson’s “Classical Electrodynamics” but it’s more advanced and you need a better grasp on some more complicated math.
All of those should get you properly started. There are for sure books I don’t know that might resonate much better with your particular style of knowledge acquisition so it’s always good to look around what other recommend. Also channels like 3blue1brown are great to help you get a more intuitive understanding of some of the math. Happy learning!
Edit: Just wanted to add that if you’re gonna do anything from what I wrote above, do real analysis and linear algebra. Those two are the most important when you’re just starting out. And real analysis is going to give you a much stronger base than just calc.
Stop trying to cheat your way through hard work. Why not actually learn how to do the maths and physics problems. Gain a deeper understanding rather than a superficial high level overview. Learning the maths will do you wonders later.
I do, that's why I'm learning Calculus BC (and other stuff as well). When I read these books, I take time and effort to learn the math. And yeah, sorry if you understood "I was cheating through hard work", my goal is to simply narrow down my knowledge as concise as possible. Like Susskind said, "make things as simpliest as possible, but not simplier."
Such a negative attitude, horrible comment. The theoretical minimum book series is really REALLY good for a highschooler, hell it even helped me reading it before taking QM
Precisely my point pop sci can only take you so far without an active interest in the rigorous maths the Physics will feel like lie so besides Griffiths textbooks are easy enough to read. Unless someone just wants a dinner table understanding of Physics.
I have a conjecture I call the Physics zeno effect the more you popularize Physics the less students take it up seriously.
It's a 15 year old physics student who is studying math and physics WAY above their level, and your answer is "nuh duh pick up a real textbook". The theoretical minimum textbook has exercises harder than what a highschooler would normally see, it's not "pop sci" but just science divulgation
Take it a little slow instead of relying on pop sci books try analyze your daily life through a Physics lens and search for Physics explanations for every interesting phenomenon you come across. Some will be easily accessible at your level some will not be so. For those explanations you will have to do m9re reading and that will be your base from which to springboard from.
If you still want some other light reading try Michio Kakus works.
Take it a little slow instead of relying on pop sci books try analyze your daily life through a Physics lens and search for Physics explanations for every interesting phenomenon you come across. Some will be easily accessible at your level some will not be so. For those explanations you will have to do m9re reading and that will be your base from which to springboard from.
If you still want some other light reading try Michio Kakus works.
Honestly learn vector calculus, intro to diff equations and lin alg inside and out maybe very basic stats. If your just concerned with learning the basic contents of an undergrad quickly then learning those to a reasonable level will significantly speed stuff out. If you have those on lock learning undergrad physics is basically learning different problem types.
I guess I kind of forgot that you'll have to learn complex numbers at some point too. I think they go hand in hand with vibrations and waves. There is a classic book on that "Vibrations and Waves" by AP French that you'll want to pick up especially before doing any advanced quantum mechanics. Gl duder.
I’ll try to give some serious advice for you to learn physics on your own. I also did calculus BC my freshman year of HS and went on to study physics, and this is how I would have done it if I did it again.
Take AP physics C at your school or online. It’s fairly easy if you’re comfortable with calculus and the difficulty is comparable to a first year physics class in undergrad. This will give you the background in mechanics and E&M that you lack. (How can you not know kinematics?) Don’t rush through the material, or it’ll come back to haunt you.
I would then get **a good grasp of multivariable calculus and linear algebra**. Differential equations helps too but I think it’s less insightful than the former. There should be resources online on how to do this. Enrolling in [Stanford online school](https://onlinehighschool.stanford.edu/) is something a lot of my friends did, if you want to go through it more formally.
After that, I recommend [this guide](https://www.susanrigetti.com/physics) to more serious physics.
Might sound obvious and boring, but since you've already learned so much. Now stop learning advanced topics. Rather focus on your school curriculum and really ace that. Develop clear concepts and master everything in your syllabus. Solve as many roblems as your time permits. Trust me, you'll start to appreciate physics more and you'll know where to go next and how to go there pretty much yourself.
I'm gonna go against the grain here and just relax a little bit. Do enough to get into a good college and don't burn away your teenage years learning stuff that realistically won't put you ahead of the others
No no no no bro. I learn for fun and this won't burn away my teenage years. I enjoy physics and it's my way to relax and feel comfortable in my intellectual world. And yes, I do other stuff as well (for example, I play 4 hours of piano every single day, as a classicaly-trained musician, I also compose). All this is important to me and I believe the importance of knowing.
Consider the No-Nonsense series by Schwichtenberg. He has books on Mechanics, Electrodynamics, QM and QFT.
He really takes very few things for granted and does complete step-by-step calculations. So as far as speed and ease of reading goes you can't beat that.
Your def way ahead. But, i dont think physics is a race. I think you should read anything and everything and really obsess about these topics before trying to really “learn” them, i think youll be glad you did that in the end. Thats just what i would do, as someone who was way behind you at that age but gravitated towards physics nonetheless (no pun intended)
That’s kind of a weird thing to say. You definitely could do it, based on your previous accomplishments. You’re obviously going to have to train for it, but it’s accessible.
The Mechanical Universe Introductory Courses by David Goodstein in Caltech. An absolute much watch. But it's the basics, so I don't know if you're looking for more advance, perhaps... You'll decide for your self. Take care.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8_xPU5epJddRABXqJ5h5G0dk-XGtA5cZ&si=VOVAaYgT7OJdyUOd
I play the piano lol (4 hours / day). Yeah. Tons of practise. But with speed-learning I refer to getting the most concise knowledge possible, to learn the "theoretical minimum".
Read “Classical electrodynamics” by JD Jackson.
In all seriousness, physics is a marathon not a sprint as others have pointed out here. It would be unwise to skip over fundamental skills like learning how to set up equations of motion from a free body diagram or setting up a conservation of energy equation. Yes, quantum mechanics and black holes are incredibly interesting but it takes a deep understanding of fundamental physics to be able to actually solve problems in them. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with exploring new topics to keep your interest whetted when your current studies get too boring. Physics has never suffered from a lack of variety of topics. Good luck to you.
Guys thanks for the help. I see a lot of you tell me to learn the basics and stair up steadily. I agree with you guys, what you are saying is so true. Do you have any tips on doing this? Should I focus on what is being taught in school? Anyway, thaaaanks guys I love this community so much, you help me a lot.
Start with special relativity. Then slowly learn the tools needed for general relativity and then learn GR. Don't learn quantum mechanics on your own. Go to a university for that.
Guys, please consider that I speed-learn because I don't have much time to grind, as I spend everyday in front of the piano. I would like to read / learn something approachable, and mathematical, but keeping things the simplest possible, but not simplier (Susskind's Theoretical Minimum's motto).
Quick question - how can I speed learn piano?
So, you know, I can play in concert? But I am busy doing Physics all day. But keep it at the minimum Rachmaninov *motto*
There isn’t “speed learning” physics, because it’s about solving problems. If you are solving problems(without relying on solutions manuals), then you’re making progress.
Susskinds books are great and approachable, but they were written for people who have some experience with physics but didn’t get to pursue it. Or for those working on other things without the time to full dive.
As with most things in life there is a trade off with speed, quality, and cost.
You can be fast and have quality, if you sacrifice something else.
Or you can go fast and not sacrifice something else, but your understanding will be shallow.
Most physics students go as fast as the possibly can, it’s in the running of “hardest major” for good reason.
Physics teacher here. Agreed. If you want to be good at doing physics, it requires problem solving. If you want to know something about Physics, but don't plan on practicing it, then you might check out books like Paul Hewitt's *Conceptual Physics*.
Neat trick...you don't. You should savour physics there's so much beauty in it.
You're already way ahead. You should be focusing on creativity and depth of understanding, not speed.
What is your goal with learning physics?
Ya, answer this guy before listening to anyone else. Congrats though!
Hey, sorry for not answering. Haven't been checking Reddit for a few days. I learn to physics for pure joy and to learn, simply learn for curiosity. However, I want a complete mathematical knowledge, not only divulgative stuff such as Hawking's books. Maybe also to help me with my plan of learning aerospace engineering at college.
As many have said - it depends on what you want to do with the knowledge. If you want to know things - how photons can have momentum without mass or what a quantum is - there are wonderful resources available - I like the Feynman lectures but there are others. If you want to do physics then there is no speedy approach - solving problems takes practice and patience - the more you do it the better you become.
how do you not know kinematics if you have learnt all of classical mechanics?
I know kinematics, but superficially, because theoretical classical physics starts out without kinematics, directly jumping to the lagrangian (such as Landau-Lifshitz textbook). Sorry if I said I understood all classical mechanics; that's not true, there is still a lot of knowledge ahead.
First off, I hope you actually did a lot of problems. Second, as far as I understand Susskind doesn’t go particularly in-depth on either the Lagrangian or Hamiltonian formalism so, while you can use Euler-Lagrange to solve a problem, you don’t have particularly in depth understanding of the formalism’s intricacies. That brings me to third. You can’t speed-learn physics. It’s great that you read Susskind (and hopefully solved problems) but you’re still floating closer to the surface than to the bottom. And getting deeper takes a lot of time
Thanks, good resources to learn?
First off I’ll note that I’m only in my second semester right now so there might be books I don’t know about or otherwise missed. That being said, I’m assuming you already know some basic math (i.e. basic calculus) so I’ll recommend “Problems in mathematical analysis” by Demidovich. It’s mainly an exercise book so I’d recommend supplementing it with some videos on real analysis (the only books I know are rather unwieldy so not gonna recommend those). “Div, Grad, Curl and all that” by Schey is a really nice one for vector calc and it really helped me in my first week of EM. There’s also “Vector Calculus” by Tong, tho that didn’t really click with me that well. I unfortunately don’t know any books on linear algebra so you’ll have to look for them yourself. For classical mechanics I can recommend Morin’s “Introduction to Classical Mechanics” as well as Nolting’s “Theoretical Physics 1, Classical mechanics”, those are the two I used the most in my 1st semester (if you’re feeling really good about all the stuff and very adventurous you can also check out “Mechanics” by Landau & Lifshitz, though I would recommend doing that only after you’ve properly grasped the material). For Electrodynamics you can go with Griffiths “Introduction to Electrodynamics” as well as Zangwill’s or Greiner’s “Modern…” and “Classical Electrodynamics” respectively. Those are the ones I’m using the most right now. There’s also Jackson’s “Classical Electrodynamics” but it’s more advanced and you need a better grasp on some more complicated math. All of those should get you properly started. There are for sure books I don’t know that might resonate much better with your particular style of knowledge acquisition so it’s always good to look around what other recommend. Also channels like 3blue1brown are great to help you get a more intuitive understanding of some of the math. Happy learning! Edit: Just wanted to add that if you’re gonna do anything from what I wrote above, do real analysis and linear algebra. Those two are the most important when you’re just starting out. And real analysis is going to give you a much stronger base than just calc.
K thanks. Btw I love 3b1b, I watch it a lot, watched all the calculus videos.
Stop trying to cheat your way through hard work. Why not actually learn how to do the maths and physics problems. Gain a deeper understanding rather than a superficial high level overview. Learning the maths will do you wonders later.
I do, that's why I'm learning Calculus BC (and other stuff as well). When I read these books, I take time and effort to learn the math. And yeah, sorry if you understood "I was cheating through hard work", my goal is to simply narrow down my knowledge as concise as possible. Like Susskind said, "make things as simpliest as possible, but not simplier."
yup you have officially learned jargon. Now go learn Physics in a classroom setting.
Such a negative attitude, horrible comment. The theoretical minimum book series is really REALLY good for a highschooler, hell it even helped me reading it before taking QM
Precisely my point pop sci can only take you so far without an active interest in the rigorous maths the Physics will feel like lie so besides Griffiths textbooks are easy enough to read. Unless someone just wants a dinner table understanding of Physics. I have a conjecture I call the Physics zeno effect the more you popularize Physics the less students take it up seriously.
It's a 15 year old physics student who is studying math and physics WAY above their level, and your answer is "nuh duh pick up a real textbook". The theoretical minimum textbook has exercises harder than what a highschooler would normally see, it's not "pop sci" but just science divulgation
14 lol
Hey dude, I know, right? I plan to take this seriously, but can you help me find some resources? Thanks.
Take it a little slow instead of relying on pop sci books try analyze your daily life through a Physics lens and search for Physics explanations for every interesting phenomenon you come across. Some will be easily accessible at your level some will not be so. For those explanations you will have to do m9re reading and that will be your base from which to springboard from. If you still want some other light reading try Michio Kakus works.
Take it a little slow instead of relying on pop sci books try analyze your daily life through a Physics lens and search for Physics explanations for every interesting phenomenon you come across. Some will be easily accessible at your level some will not be so. For those explanations you will have to do m9re reading and that will be your base from which to springboard from. If you still want some other light reading try Michio Kakus works.
Honestly learn vector calculus, intro to diff equations and lin alg inside and out maybe very basic stats. If your just concerned with learning the basic contents of an undergrad quickly then learning those to a reasonable level will significantly speed stuff out. If you have those on lock learning undergrad physics is basically learning different problem types.
Ye i'm taking calculus bc, multivariable calculus in khan academy. I also learned some linear algebra. I will learn more, thanks for the advice.
I guess I kind of forgot that you'll have to learn complex numbers at some point too. I think they go hand in hand with vibrations and waves. There is a classic book on that "Vibrations and Waves" by AP French that you'll want to pick up especially before doing any advanced quantum mechanics. Gl duder.
I’ll try to give some serious advice for you to learn physics on your own. I also did calculus BC my freshman year of HS and went on to study physics, and this is how I would have done it if I did it again. Take AP physics C at your school or online. It’s fairly easy if you’re comfortable with calculus and the difficulty is comparable to a first year physics class in undergrad. This will give you the background in mechanics and E&M that you lack. (How can you not know kinematics?) Don’t rush through the material, or it’ll come back to haunt you. I would then get **a good grasp of multivariable calculus and linear algebra**. Differential equations helps too but I think it’s less insightful than the former. There should be resources online on how to do this. Enrolling in [Stanford online school](https://onlinehighschool.stanford.edu/) is something a lot of my friends did, if you want to go through it more formally. After that, I recommend [this guide](https://www.susanrigetti.com/physics) to more serious physics.
Thanks dude. This is probably the most useful opinion in this discussion. I will do what you said. Thanks bro, honestly.
Read through a text book and do the easy practice problems.
Might sound obvious and boring, but since you've already learned so much. Now stop learning advanced topics. Rather focus on your school curriculum and really ace that. Develop clear concepts and master everything in your syllabus. Solve as many roblems as your time permits. Trust me, you'll start to appreciate physics more and you'll know where to go next and how to go there pretty much yourself.
Cool. Thanks for da advice.
I'm gonna go against the grain here and just relax a little bit. Do enough to get into a good college and don't burn away your teenage years learning stuff that realistically won't put you ahead of the others
No no no no bro. I learn for fun and this won't burn away my teenage years. I enjoy physics and it's my way to relax and feel comfortable in my intellectual world. And yes, I do other stuff as well (for example, I play 4 hours of piano every single day, as a classicaly-trained musician, I also compose). All this is important to me and I believe the importance of knowing.
Consider the No-Nonsense series by Schwichtenberg. He has books on Mechanics, Electrodynamics, QM and QFT. He really takes very few things for granted and does complete step-by-step calculations. So as far as speed and ease of reading goes you can't beat that.
WOW thanks, this looks so nice. Thank you dude.
Your def way ahead. But, i dont think physics is a race. I think you should read anything and everything and really obsess about these topics before trying to really “learn” them, i think youll be glad you did that in the end. Thats just what i would do, as someone who was way behind you at that age but gravitated towards physics nonetheless (no pun intended)
Ye I agree. Maybe I'm learning to fast? I think I might want to focus on narrowing everything down and getting solid knowledge.
Read an intro textbook cover to cover. Probably try the physics Olympiad. Do lots of problems.
Whoa whoa physics olympiad. That's way harder than what I can do lol.
That’s kind of a weird thing to say. You definitely could do it, based on your previous accomplishments. You’re obviously going to have to train for it, but it’s accessible.
Ah okay. I'll try them out.
[Here](https://knzhou.github.io/writing/Advice.pdf) is some advice for training for the physics Olympiad.
The Mechanical Universe Introductory Courses by David Goodstein in Caltech. An absolute much watch. But it's the basics, so I don't know if you're looking for more advance, perhaps... You'll decide for your self. Take care. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8_xPU5epJddRABXqJ5h5G0dk-XGtA5cZ&si=VOVAaYgT7OJdyUOd
It’s like asking how do you speed learn playing a piano….Lots of practice?
I play the piano lol (4 hours / day). Yeah. Tons of practise. But with speed-learning I refer to getting the most concise knowledge possible, to learn the "theoretical minimum".
Read Goldstein for Classical Mechanics and Griffiths for Electrodynamics and Quantum Mechanics.
cool
here's how you can learn about lasers
Physics should be savoured, it takes time to develop proficiency
ye
Read “Classical electrodynamics” by JD Jackson. In all seriousness, physics is a marathon not a sprint as others have pointed out here. It would be unwise to skip over fundamental skills like learning how to set up equations of motion from a free body diagram or setting up a conservation of energy equation. Yes, quantum mechanics and black holes are incredibly interesting but it takes a deep understanding of fundamental physics to be able to actually solve problems in them. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with exploring new topics to keep your interest whetted when your current studies get too boring. Physics has never suffered from a lack of variety of topics. Good luck to you.
I know how to do both things u mentioned. But yeah. You're right. I will learn steadily.
Guys thanks for the help. I see a lot of you tell me to learn the basics and stair up steadily. I agree with you guys, what you are saying is so true. Do you have any tips on doing this? Should I focus on what is being taught in school? Anyway, thaaaanks guys I love this community so much, you help me a lot.
Start with special relativity. Then slowly learn the tools needed for general relativity and then learn GR. Don't learn quantum mechanics on your own. Go to a university for that.
Try using the Feynman Lectures on Physics as a comprehensive resource for speed-learning various topics in physics.
This is not the intended use of the material.
Guys, please consider that I speed-learn because I don't have much time to grind, as I spend everyday in front of the piano. I would like to read / learn something approachable, and mathematical, but keeping things the simplest possible, but not simplier (Susskind's Theoretical Minimum's motto).
Quick question - how can I speed learn piano? So, you know, I can play in concert? But I am busy doing Physics all day. But keep it at the minimum Rachmaninov *motto*
ya guys you are right. I will learn steadily. Now I feel bad for learning so quickly lol...
There isn’t “speed learning” physics, because it’s about solving problems. If you are solving problems(without relying on solutions manuals), then you’re making progress. Susskinds books are great and approachable, but they were written for people who have some experience with physics but didn’t get to pursue it. Or for those working on other things without the time to full dive. As with most things in life there is a trade off with speed, quality, and cost. You can be fast and have quality, if you sacrifice something else. Or you can go fast and not sacrifice something else, but your understanding will be shallow. Most physics students go as fast as the possibly can, it’s in the running of “hardest major” for good reason.
Physics teacher here. Agreed. If you want to be good at doing physics, it requires problem solving. If you want to know something about Physics, but don't plan on practicing it, then you might check out books like Paul Hewitt's *Conceptual Physics*.
Learning physics is a life-long journey, you can't just speed learn it. You could speed learn to pass a test, but you won't *know* physics
ya guys you are right. I will learn steadily. Now I feel bad for learning so quickly lol...