Physical Properties Of Crystals: Their Representation by Tensors and Matrices Reprint Edition

An editorial review for "Physical Properties of Crystals: Their Representation by Tensors and Matrices" based on customer feedback: "Physical Properties of Crystals: Their Representation by Tensors and Matrices" is a classic book that offers a clear exposition of crystal properties and their representation using tensors and matrices. The book is easy to read and highly informative, assuming a good knowledge of E&M and similar topics. The book is best suited for people who have some idea about space groups and point groups in crystallography. Knowledge of those concepts is not necessary, but it makes it easier for people who have that knowledge. Being from a mechanical background might make it a bit challenging to follow the author's explanation of determining properties of second rank tensors by comparing them to quadrics. The author methodically and somewhat rigorously presents the arguments behind why certain property tensors take on specific characters for different crystalline materials. The author ties things to geometric interpretations rather than algebraic, making it easier to understand. Similarly, if you aren't familiar with the physics related to the property, or it has been a while, the author briefly reviews what is relevant and where in the governing equations the properties fit. The book is more than just the symmetry of the lattice; there are thermodynamic arguments to be made as well, and the author highlights the high points of these as well. The author gives values for the different Constants at room temperature for different materials, and in some cases discusses issues with the measurement of the Constants. Overall, "Physical Properties of Crystals: Their Representation by Tensors and Matrices" is an excellent book for understanding how crystal properties depend on the inherent symmetries present in a crystal and how, by reducing the number of independent Constants, the math can be simplified to a great extent. If you are interested in studying wave propagation in anisotropic media, this book is not ideal, but Hearmon's book "An Introduction to Applied Anisotropic Elasticity" might be more suited once you know the number of independent elastic Constants for a particular crystal lattice. If you are interested in knowing how to determine the independent Constants, Love's book "A Treatise on the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity (Dover Books on Engineering)" has a good account of that.