21 Best Books on Computational Physics

We have compiled a list of the Best Reference Books on Computational Physics, which are used by students of top universities, and colleges. This will help you choose the right book depending on if you are a beginner or an expert. Here is the complete list of Computational Physics Books with their authors, publishers, and an unbiased review of them as well as links to the Amazon website to directly purchase them. If permissible, you can also download the free PDF books on Computational Physics below.

1. Computational Physics

 
1."Understanding Molecular Simulation" by D Frenkel and B Smit
“Understanding Molecular Simulation” Book Review: This book offers a concise overview of molecular simulation physics in the field of materials science. The text examines a range of simulation techniques, including their practical applications and pseudocode implementations. The topics covered include transition path sampling and diffusive barrier crossing for simulating rare events, as well as dissipative particle dynamics and innovative approaches for computing long-range forces. Additionally, the book delves into both hamiltonian and non-hamiltonian dynamics, multiple time step algorithms, and pruned enriched Rosenbluth sampling, as well as recoil-growth and concrete rotations for complex molecules. The book also includes examples of parallel tempering for glassy hamiltonians, as well as new practice questions and examples.

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2."Introduction to Percolation Theory" by D Stauffer
“Introduction to Percolation Theory” Book Review: This book provides a concise overview of percolation theory, including its concepts on clustering, criticality, and diffusion. It also delves into related subjects like fractals and phase transitions. The book is a valuable resource for understanding the fundamental principles of disordered systems and renormalization groups. Additionally, it presents a quantitative model that serves as a theoretical and statistical foundation. The book elucidates a system that approaches the critical point of phase transition, making it useful for individuals dealing with such systems exhibiting critical point and phase transition behavior.

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3."Equilibrium Statistical Physics" by M Plischke and B Bergersen
“Equilibrium Statistical Physics ” Book Review: This book provides an overview of equilibrium statistical physics and is aimed at graduate students in physics, chemistry, and materials science. It covers topics such as mean field and Landau theories of phase transitions, the virial expansion, and integral equations. The book has been updated to include topics such as perturbation theory and density functional theories, as well as the renormalization group approach to critical phenomena. Additionally, there are chapters on computer simulations, quantum fluids (including Bose condensation and superfluidity), and the Landau-Ginzburg theory of superconductivity. Each chapter is accompanied by exercises and worked examples for students to practice.

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4."Computational Physics: An Introduction" by R C Verma
“Computational Physics: An Introduction” Book Review: This book is a comprehensive resource on computational physics that caters to undergraduate and postgraduate students of physical sciences, engineering, and mathematics. It is an extensively classroom-tested material that is designed to provide high-quality resources to students and practitioners alike. The book is particularly useful for advanced students, engineers, and researchers in computational and applied mathematics or mechanics. It covers a wide range of topics on computational techniques, including physical problems, and adopts a pedagogic approach to help readers understand complex concepts easily. The book also includes diagrams and graphic outputs to aid visual learning. With Python as the programming language, the book provides an in-depth introduction to the field of computational physics, emphasizing how computers play a critical role in every major physics discovery, from biophysics to astrophysics. The book explains the fundamentals of computational physics in simple terms and describes techniques such as finite difference methods, numerical quadrature, and fast Fourier transform that every physicist should know. The book also comes with a CD-ROM that contains source codes for selected problems.

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5."A First Course In Computational Physics" by Javier Hasbun and Paul Devries
“A First Course in Computational Physics” Book Review: This introductory book is ideal for students and researchers seeking to understand the basics of computational physics. It covers a wide range of topics, including root finding, Newton-Cotes integration, and ordinary differential equations, all presented in the context of physics problems. The book includes MATLAB exercises that cover physical problems and computational problems. It also covers the topic of computerized tomography. The book is designed for physics and engineering students and is an excellent resource for those looking to train themselves with simple numerical approaches to elementary problems.

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6."Computational Physics" by J M Thijssen
“Computational Physics” Book Review: The focus of this book is on the application of computational methods in theoretical physics, with an emphasis on their use in condensed matter. The methods discussed in the book include computer calculations and simulations, covering a range of topics such as quantum scattering with a spherically symmetric potential, electronic structure calculations using Hartree-Fock and density functional formalisms, band structure methods, as well as molecular dynamics simulations and Monte Carlo methods. Additionally, the book includes appendices on numerical methods, including random number generators.

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7."Computational Physics" by Mark Newman
“Computational Physics” Book Review: The book on computational physics aims to provide foundational knowledge for advanced students and researchers interested in this field. It covers fundamental concepts and techniques and is suitable for both undergraduate students and those with more experience. The text includes numerous examples and exercises in Python programming language, and explores topics such as astrophysics, particle physics, biophysics, and condensed matter. The book focuses on techniques such as finite difference methods, numerical quadrature, and fast Fourier transform. Moreover, it is a valuable resource for researchers who wish to delve deeper into the subject matter of computational physics.

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8."Computational Physics: Problem Solving with Python" by Rubin H Landau and Manuel J Páez
“Computational Physics: Problem Solving with Python” Book Review: This book offers a comprehensive guide on the application of computing and simulation in the field of physics. It outlines the process of transforming theoretical concepts into mathematical algorithms, with a focus on modern computational physics from a computational science perspective. Python programming language is used throughout the book. The target audience is upper-level undergraduate and beginning graduate students seeking to understand computational tools and mathematical methods. Each chapter includes workout problems to aid in writing, debugging, and running programs. Furthermore, the book explores a broad range of modern computational physics topics from various multidisciplinary and computational science domains. With exercises and problems at the end of each chapter, this book is an invaluable resource for upper-level undergraduate or beginning graduate students.

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9."Computational Physics" by D K Jha
“Computational Physics” Book Review: This book is intended for both advanced students and researchers who aim to acquire foundational knowledge in the field. It offers detailed explanations of various computational approaches and is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The book covers a broad range of theoretical and computational methods in a concise manner, as well as information on the calculation of experimentally observed properties. Detailed information on experimentally accessible computational approaches based on atomic models is provided to the readers. The book is organized to cater to both non-specialists and advanced users. A comprehensive compilation has been made to provide the necessary information for interpreting experimentally observed properties through the results generated by center simulations. This book serves as an excellent reference for non-specialists and researchers alike, as well as providing an introduction to computational sciences.

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10."Computational Physics: A Guide For Beginners Looking To Speed Up Their Computation" by Muhammad Bilal Alli
“Computational Physics: A Guide for Beginners Looking to Speed Up Their Computation” Book Review: The book is intended for both undergraduate and graduate students and covers computational speed techniques, including the use of parallel processing with the CPU and GPU. It provides an overview of the fundamentals of computational physics and includes topics such as parallel processing. Additionally, the book serves as a valuable resource for students who are new to MATLAB, and it also presents the best practices used in industries.

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11."An Introduction to Computational Physics" by T Pang
Book Review: The book provides an introduction to fundamental methodologies in computational physics and covers a broad range of topics in scientific computing. It offers practical, step-by-step solutions to numerous examples of numerical methods employed in contemporary physics and related fields. The material is highly suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses in computational physics and scientific computation. Moreover, it serves as an excellent reference for those engaged in computational research.

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2. Advance Computational Physics

 
1."The Physics of Wall Street: A Brief History of Predicting the Unpredictable" by James Owen Weatherall
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2."Computational Statistical Physics: Lecture Notes, Guwahati SERC School (Texts and Readings in Physical Sciences)" by Sitangshu Bikas Santra and Purusattam Ray
“Computational Statistical Physics: Lecture Notes, Guwahati SERC School (Texts and Readings in Physical Sciences)” Book Review: This book is intended for beginner students and early-career researchers working in statistical physics, and it is also a valuable resource for those in other scientific and engineering fields. The book is composed of nine chapters that span from fundamental concepts to cutting-edge research topics. It is designed to equip graduate students with essential and advanced computational statistical physics skills. The book begins with an introduction to statistical mechanics and critical phenomena and then proceeds to discuss various Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. The chapters also provide an overview of different applications, such as coarsening phenomena and diffusion in zeolites.

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3."Computational Methods for Physics" by Joel Franklin
“Computational Methods for Physics” Book Review: This book is an ideal introduction to computational physics for undergraduate and graduate students. The book covers essential topics such as root finding, interpolation, numerical differentiation and integration, and ordinary differential equations. Additionally, it includes chapters on Monte Carlo simulations, molecular dynamics, and quantum mechanics. The book emphasizes the use of the Python programming language and provides numerous examples and exercises to help students learn the material. This book is a useful resource for anyone looking to learn computational physics.

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4."Computational Physics: Selected Methods Simple Exercises Serious Applications" by Karl H Hoffmann and Michael Schreiber
“Computational Physics: Selected Methods Simple Exercises Serious Applications” Book Review: This book is designed for advanced students and researchers who aim to acquire a fundamental understanding of this significant field. It acquaints the reader with the latest developments in molecular dynamics, hybrid Monte-Carlo algorithms, and neural networks. The book provides practical exercises that offer valuable tips for designing efficient program solutions, ranging from short code snippets to comprehensive programs with intricate graphics. It also offers insights into how various tools can be used to address issues related to aging, many-minima optimization, and phase transitions.

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5."Computational Earthquake Physics: Simulations, Analysis and Infrastructure" by imusti
“Computational Earthquake Physics: Simulations, Analysis and Infrastructure” Book Review: This book is intended for those seeking to grasp the foundational elements of computational earthquake physics and is tailored to advanced students and researchers. As the second installment of a two-volume set, it comprises 22 research articles that delve into diverse aspects of the field. Topics covered include the Load-Unload Response Ratio (LURR) model, which holds much promise in earthquake forecasting; pattern informatics and phase dynamics, and their practical applications; computational algorithms such as continuum damage models; as well as visualization and analysis of geophysical data sets. The book also delves into the assimilation of data.

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6."Computational Physics: Simulation of Classical and Quantum Systems" by Philipp Scherer
“Computational Physics: Simulation of Classical and Quantum Systems” Book Review: This book is designed for new graduate students and budding researchers in the field of statistical physics. In addition, it serves as a valuable resource for scholars and students in other scientific and engineering disciplines. The book comprises nine chapters that address fundamental and cutting-edge issues in the field. Its goal is to equip graduate students with fundamental and advanced skills in computational statistical physics. The book commences with a general overview of statistical mechanics and critical phenomena, followed by chapters that explore Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation techniques, alongside various applications. These applications include the investigation of coarsening phenomena and diffusion in zeolites.

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3. Computational Physics and Programming

 
1."Computational Methods in Physics and Engineering" by Wong
“Computational Methods in Physics and Engineering” Book Review: This book covers various computational methods used in physics and engineering. The book covers topics on numerical methods, data analysis, Monte Carlo methods, optimization, and differential equations. It also discusses the use of computational methods for solving problems in classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and statistical physics. The book is designed for undergraduate and graduate students in physics and engineering. It provides exercises and MATLAB programs to help students learn and apply the computational methods discussed in the book.

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2."Computational Physics (Essentials of Physics Series)" by Darren Walker
“Computational Physics (Essentials of Physics Series)” Book Review: This introductory book on computational physics presents numerous physics-based exercises and examples. It covers a range of topics, including interpolation, integration, and the numerical solutions of ordinary and partial differential equations. The book delves into fundamental principles, including linear interpolation and bisection-based root discovery. Overall, it provides a solid foundation in computational physics.

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3."Computational Physics: An Introduction" by Franz J Vesely
“Computational Physics: An Introduction” Book Review: This book serves as a comprehensive guide to computational mathematics, covering diverse subjects such as finite differences, linear algebra, and stochastics. Additionally, it delves into the fields of statistical physics, quantum mechanics, and hydrodynamics. With its thorough explanations and detailed examples, this book is an invaluable resource for upper-level undergraduate students and beginning graduate students.

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4."A First Course in Computational Physics and Object-Oriented Programming with C++ Hardback" by David Yevick
“A First Course in Computational Physics and Object-Oriented Programming with C++ Hardback” Book Review: The presented book offers a thorough examination of various object-based methodologies encompassing diverse subjects, including object-oriented analysis, software design, and numerical analysis, as well as science graphics, software engineering, performance issues, and the repurposing of outdated software. This resource is highly recommended for graduate students seeking a comprehensive guide on object-based approaches.

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We have put a lot of effort into researching the best books on Computational Physics and came out with a recommended list and their reviews. If any more book needs to be added to this list, please email us. We are working on free pdf downloads for books on Computational Physics and will publish the download link here. Fill out this Computational Physics books pdf download" request form for download notification.

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