Mathematics and physics are like the game of chess (or, for that matter, like 
any game)—you will learn only by “playing” them. No amount of reading 
about the game will make you a master. In this book you will find a large 
number of examples and problems. Go through as many examples as pos- 
sible, and try to reproduce them. Pay particular attention to sentences like 
“The reader may check ...” or “It is straightforward to show ...”. These 
are red flags warning you that for a good understanding of the material 
at hand, you need to provide the missing steps. The problems often fill in 
missing steps as well; and in this respect they are essential for a thorough 
understanding of the book. Do not get discouraged if you cannot get to the 
solution of a problem at your first attempt. If you start from the beginning 
and think about each problem hard enough, you will get to the solution, and 
you will see that the subsequent problems will not be as difficult. 
The extensive index makes the specific topics about which you may be 
interested to learn easily accessible. Often the marginal notes will help you 
easily locate the index entry you are after. 
I have included a large collection of biographical sketches of mathemat- 
ical physicists of the past. These are truly inspiring stories, and I encourage 
you to read them. They let you see that even under excruciating circum- 
stances, the human mind can work miracles. You will discover how these 
remarkable individuals overcame the political, social, and economic condi- 
tions of their time to let us get a faint glimpse of the truth. They are our true 
heroes.

A Modern Introduction to Its Foundations PDF

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