Waves

Abstract

THIS book, intended for honours students of mathematics or physics in the final year of their degree course, gives an elementary account of many different types of wave motion. The first chapter contains the fundamental differential equation and its most important types of solution. Chapters ii-v deal with waves in strings, membranes, bars and liquids. Chapter vi is concerned with sound waves, and Chapter vii with electric waves. Finally, Chapter vii returns to general considerations, including the Doppler effect, beats, group velocity, wave packets, Fresnel's principle, and the theory of retarded potential. Each chapter contains a set of important and interesting problems, to which the answers are given. Lack of space is responsible for the omission of elastic waves in continuous media and of radiation from aerials, and some of the work is unduly condensed, in particular the solution of the fundamental equation on p. 7. The book as a whole is very good, and supplies a surprisingly large amount of information in a small compass and at a low price.