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The Classical Theory of Fields: Volume 2 4th Edition

by L D Landau (Author), E.M. Lifshitz (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 106
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The fourth edition contains seven new sections with chapters on General Relativity, Gravitational Waves and Relativistic Cosmology. The text has been thoroughly revised and additional problems inserted.The Complete course of Theoretical Physics by Landau and Lifshitz, recognized as two of the world's outstanding physicists, is published in full by Butterworth-Heinemann. It comprises nine volumes, covering all branches of the subject; translations from the Russian are by leading scientists.
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0750627689
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0750627689
  3. Edition
    4th
  4. Publisher
    Butterworth-Heinemann
  5. Publication date
    January 15, 1980
  6. Book 2 of 9
    Course of Theoretical Physics
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    6.69 x 1 x 9.61 inches
  9. Print length
    444 pages
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

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"The clarity of style, the conciseness of treatment and the originality and variety of illustrative problems make this a book which can be highly recommended." --Proceedings of the Physical Society

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Butterworth-Heinemann; 4th edition (January 15, 1980)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 444 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0750627689
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0750627689
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.09 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.69 x 1 x 9.61 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 106

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
106 global ratings
not very good printing quality
3 Stars
not very good printing quality
The printing quality is not very good, especially when this book contains so many formulas. Some subscripts are not recognizable.
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Top reviews from the United States

Least Action Hero
5.0 out of 5 stars The work of a master
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2006
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Landau's approach to Classical Field Theory demonstrates his ability to be clear, concise, and elegant without drowning out the physics with math. I will say, however, that Landau requires a certain maturity to appreciate his style (same goes for Rudin's books of analysis). I would recommend this title to those with a working knowledge of classical E & M, vector/tensor analysis, and of special relativity. It is also wise to work through the author's Theoretical Mechanics to get a taste of their style. I believe, contrary to many, that this book is appropriate for self study if one is willing to do the work (not only the exercises but following along pencil in hand). I suggest reading a passage and then covering it up and then trying to do the derivations by hand. My only complaint is the quality of print, which has is not the fault of the authors. It is especially annoying at first.
15 people found this helpful
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Kaveh K.
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece by a master
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2019
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The author builds up a whole theory from almost nothing but common sense. You soon find yourself on page 150 as if you are reading Jane Austin. Landau's exposition is detailed but not boring, he gets to the fundamental facts right away. They define the electromagnetic field as derivatives of a potential. Great insight for people with background in mathematics. I always heard 'The electromagnetic field is the curvature of the connection.' but I didn't quite understand what they meant by that. Now I know.
One person found this helpful
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Gary Steven Sammelmann
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent physics book
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2023
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In depth description of classical field theory by landau and lifschitz.
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b1y
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2011
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It's so simple to read and just to the point. I honestly had to use the Jackson book, which was not that great, but made a great grade because of the Landau-Lifshitz classic. Then there was the advanced MIT EM book which made so much more sense, but it was all math. Those 3 books alone will give you a pretty adequate understanding of EM, enough to make over 95 out of 100 on every assignment. The Landau, MIT book together are well pretty cool themselves.
3 people found this helpful
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Yicheng
3.0 out of 5 stars not very good printing quality
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2019
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The printing quality is not very good, especially when this book contains so many formulas. Some subscripts are not recognizable.
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Yicheng
3.0 out of 5 stars not very good printing quality
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2019
The printing quality is not very good, especially when this book contains so many formulas. Some subscripts are not recognizable.
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Customer image
Customer image
5 people found this helpful
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kino
5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, concise, brilliant.
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2018
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One of the greatest physics texts ever written. Landau immediately jumps into the water with clear descriptions of Einstein's principle of relativity and proceeds from there into momentum, plane waves, diffraction and the rest of modern theory. You cannot find a clearer, easier to read or more principle-driven elaboration of modern physics and fields.
7 people found this helpful
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Adam
1.0 out of 5 stars Shameful print quality
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2019
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This classic text deserves a place on every physicist's bookshelf, but the wary buyer will steer clear of the paperback edition listed for sale here. I have attached a few photos which I feel are an accurate representation of the print quality you should expect when purchasing.

In some cases, as in the Bianchi identity, you will likely already know which tensor indices should go where. In this case, you may benefit from this book if you already are comfortable with all of the mathematical tools employed, and can fill in the literal gaps.
Customer image
Adam
1.0 out of 5 stars Shameful print quality
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2019
This classic text deserves a place on every physicist's bookshelf, but the wary buyer will steer clear of the paperback edition listed for sale here. I have attached a few photos which I feel are an accurate representation of the print quality you should expect when purchasing.

In some cases, as in the Bianchi identity, you will likely already know which tensor indices should go where. In this case, you may benefit from this book if you already are comfortable with all of the mathematical tools employed, and can fill in the literal gaps.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image Customer image
Customer imageCustomer imageCustomer image
22 people found this helpful
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Midhersand
4.0 out of 5 stars Highest recommendation
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2015
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Landau was a master: Concise, insightful, and capable of prodding the student's intellect to solve problems for oneself.
As this text elucidates, Electrodynamics cannot be properly understood without the uber-principle of Relativity as foundation; and that is just the beginning.

I am still fascinated and a little exhilarated every time I am reminded of the Gauge Invariance associated with the Electrodynamic field. Landau broaches this subject near the very beginning of the text (Paragraph 18) in an elegant way. Because the definitions of the Magnetic field (B) and Electric field (E) contain only the DERIVATIVES of the corresponding potentials rather than the potentials themselves (A, and phi, respectively), it's easily proven that adding constants to the potentials will not affect the field intensities (remember the derivative of a constant = zero!).

Here's the Math
Example: E Field only:

E = -1/c (dA/dt) - grad(phi)

But if we change A and phi by adding constants to them, i.e.:
A' = A + grad(f)
phi' = phi - 1/c(df/dt)

Thus, the new field E' = -1/c (dA'/dt) - grad (phi')
or, expanding:
E' = -1/c (dA/dt) - 1/c (d/dt grad(f)) - grad (phi) + 1/c grad (df/dt)

The second and fourth terms on the right cancel, so E' = -1/c (dA/dt) - grad (phi) = E.
The field intensity is unchanged despite changing the potentials.

Same result obtains when considering the Magnetic field B = curl A

Another bombshell is that no matter how one is moving, the total Electrodynamic field does not change. Relative motion will change the measured intensity of the magnetic component B, or perhaps the electric component E depending on how one is moving, but there will always be a resultant compensating change in the one component when there is a change in the other, such that the full field remains unchanged. This represents the essential truth that the Electrodynamic field is a TENSOR, whose physical character is not affected by relative motion; it is invariant in any reference frame.

Consider the profound ramifications bound in that concept: A light wave whose existence begins on the surface of some star, potentially traverses 6 or 7 reference frames before it is absorbed in some planets' atmosphere, or perhaps within a leaf. If a measurement is performed on that light wave within any of those reference frames, that measurement will betray the character of said reference frame; so in a sense, perhaps the electromagnetic (electrodynamic!) wave serves as a UNIVERSAL FRAME OF REFERENCE: TRULY INERTIAL.

Mirror image of that statement is that if one could rather travel with the wave, as Einstein envisioned, one would "see" the rest of the universe without time, and thus without the effect of MOTION as one traversed these many different reference frames (galaxy, solar system, planetary orbit, rotating planet, etc).

An analogous result obtains when considering even mechanical motion and time: Motion through space (x,y,z, or r, theta, phi, or x1, x2, x3) sacrifices motion through time (ct, or x4) such that the interval through space-time (x1, x2, x3, x4) is always unchanged; invariant. This is how the measurement of time becomes relative. Motion through time is contracted to compensate for the motion through space, keeping the interval invariant.
Both the Electrodynamic Field and the Gravitational Field are Gauge Fields.

Another principle that bent my brain Landau covers in paragraph 95: The equations of the gravitational field also contain the equations for the matter which produces said field.
From which the central conclusions may be deduced.

Matter is Field
Field and matter do not really fill space, like we all intuitively think. Rather, empty space has no objective measurable reality.

As Einstein put it: "There is no space empty of field"

Thus: Field..... is..... Space
4 people found this helpful
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Lukas F
1.0 out of 5 stars printed by Amazon Fullfilment = bad print quality
Reviewed in the Netherlands on November 22, 2023
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In the back of the book it says that it's printed by Amazon Fulfillment in Poland. Which would be fine, if the quality of the print was good. That's not the case though. I was able to compare it with the very same book (i.e. same ISBN) from Bol. In the book from Bol it doesn't say "printed by Amazon Fulfillment" in the back. I didn't find infos where that book was printed, but the print quality is significantly better. Once you have seen the difference you cannot unsee it. So yes, get the book, but not from Amazon.
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Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Curso fundamental de física teórica para posgrado
Reviewed in Mexico on September 26, 2017
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Excelente curso de física teórica que presenta los conceptos de teoría de campos a un nivel de posgrado, recomendable también para investigadores que deseen profundizar los aspectos descritos en este curso.
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Sanjay
5.0 out of 5 stars Every one who wants to be a physicist should read this.
Reviewed in Japan on September 2, 2018
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This is a masterpiece no words can describe the originality and profoundness in every chapter of this text. It is an upper-level graduate text for electromagnetism. The relativity sections are full of new ideas and insights. A very original take on a classic subject area. A must read if you are serious about physics.
One person found this helpful
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Luis
5.0 out of 5 stars A good fundamental physics book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2013
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It is a fundamental physics book written by a genius physicist, that all physics students should have.
I recommend it.
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Leonel Bixano
1.0 out of 5 stars La peor impresión que he visto.
Reviewed in Mexico on March 12, 2020
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Es una impresión muy pobre y demasiado mala, el contenido del libro es de lo mejor en física teórica.
Varias páginas están tan mal impresas que es imposible ver el texto y fórmulas.
Es mejor gastar un poco más con otra impresión a pagar tirar a la basura el dinero con esta editorial.

En cuestión al contenido del libro, es muy buena, los L. D. Landau son de los mejores libros para física, un poco avanzado pero muy buen contenido.
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