This book aims to
give students the best possible understanding of the physical implications of quantum
mechanics by explaining how quantum systems evolve in time, and showing the
close parallels between quantum and classical dynamics.
The text starts by introducing
probability amplitudes and stresses that the use of amplitudes rather
than probabilities is what makes quantum mechanics unique. The physical
significance of operators is more clearly explained than in conventional
texts, and Dirac notation is used from the outset, so students learn early on
that they are free to choose the most convenient representation for a
particular problem. The mathematical development of the subject is more
self-contained and rigorous than in traditional texts because most
eigenvalue problems are solved by operator methods.
This edition is designed to
accompany a course of lectures at Oxford University.