David Griffiths (physicist)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David J. Griffiths is a U.S. physicist and educator. He has worked at Reed College since 1978, where he is currently the Howard Vollum Professor of Science.
Griffiths was trained at Harvard University (B.A., 1964; M.A., 1966; Ph.D., 1970). His doctoral work ("Covariant Approach to Massless Field Theory in the Radiation Gauge") on theoretical particle physics was supervised by Sidney Coleman. He is principally known as the author of three highly regarded textbooks for undergraduate physics students: Introduction to Elementary Particles (published in 1987), Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (published in 1995, second edition published 2004), and Introduction to Electrodynamics (third edition published in 1999). He was also the recipient of the Robert A. Millikan award for notable and creative contributions to the teaching of physics in 1997.
As a teacher, Griffiths is very approachable and informal, and known among his students for being available to answer questions at any time - even when teaching large introductory classes with over 100 students. He is also a prompt responder to e-mail inquiries. A combination of a deep and broad understanding of physics and a talent for communication, either verbal or written, has given him a reputation for making non-intuitive and complex fields seem simple and intuitive.
[edit] Books
- Griffiths, David J. (1987). Introduction to Elementary Particles. Wiley, John & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-60386-4.
- Griffiths, David J. (1998). Introduction to Electrodynamics (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-805326-X.
- Griffiths, David J. (2004). Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-805326-X.
These books are now standard undergraduate texts.
