PH2420 Electromagnetism

Prof. B Cowan

Book List

This course is part of the physics essential core so you are bound to encounter it sooner or later. An extensive set of notes is available which is closely tailored to the course; this covers all material of the course at an introductory level. However it is almost certain that you will find some topics difficult to understand at first exposure and you will need to take some topics further than the notes. Here reference to text books will pay dividends. But beware of older books which might use the cgs system of units; this will cause an unnecessary distraction from the Physics you are studying.

Key reading for this course

  1. Electromagnetism by G. L. Pollack and D. R. Stump, Addison Wesley, 2002. Library class: 537.6 POL
    This is a very student-oriented book. The material is developed at a gentle pace and there are plentiful examples along the way, even if sometimes their relevance might not be fully apparent.  Although electromagnetism is a classical subject, this book does have a modern feel about it. There is, however, a lot of material in this book; it contains much more than that required for this course. I would advise you to look at this book before any others.

  2. Introduction to Electrodynamics by D. J. Griffiths, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall, 1989. Library class: 537.6 GRI (a 3rd edition also is now available)
    There is a lot of material in this book; it covers much more than that required for this course. The author has taken great care in the presentation of the material, with new concepts and ideas developed logically and convincingly. I found the book to be interesting and enjoyable on a first reading, but that is probably a subjective judgement.

  3. Electricity and Magnetism by W. J. Duffin, 3rd edition, McGraw-Hill, 1980. Library class: 537. DUF
    This is a thorough, gently-paced introduction to the subject. It starts out making very few assumptions about the students’ knowledge and it proceeds by simple steps through to the more advanced material. Along the way there are plentiful examples and applications. This book has proved a popular text with students, but it can hardly be described as an exciting or stimulating book. No way is it a laugh-a-minute! If you make use of this book I implore you to look at other texts as well, to see that electromagnetism can actually be quite interesting.

Further reading

  1. Feynman Lectures on Physics vol II by R. P. Feynman, Addison-Wesley 1964. Library class: 530.08 FEY
    This is an exceptional book. As you read through its pages you will be caught up with the thrill of electromagnetism and you will appreciate that this is not a dry or stuffy subject. You probably should not expect to learn the course from this book; apart from anything else the logical presentation is different from the lecture course. However when you have completed the course, or at least when you have encountered Maxwell’s equations, you should look at this book to see how a genius thinks about electromagnetism, and how its ideas relate to many other areas of physics.

  2. Electromagnetic Fields and Waves by D. Lorrain, D. R. Corson and F. Lorrain, 3rd edition, Freeman 1988. Library class: 530.141 LOR
    This book is pitched at a slightly higher level than Duffin. It is written in a clear and logical manner and the diagrams are a particular feature of the book. The book also covers material appropriate for more advanced courses. Topics in the book are frequently covered with an eye to further or more advanced topics, so much of what you read tempts you to delve further.
  3. Electricity and Magnetism by B. Bleaney and B. I. Bleaney, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press, 19976. Library class: 537 BLE
    This is a very traditional book, written by authors who have thorough understanding of the subject. You might well find that some topics are treated in a way that appeals to you because applications are covered within the arguments developing the basic ideas. The sections on electrical measurement and on ac circuit theory are particularly clear and un-laboured.

The above list of books is not exhaustive. You will find many books on electromagnetism in the library under the 537 and 530 classifications. Have a look when you are studying in the library; you might be pleasantly surprised.