本书是“索茉菲理论物理教程”的第三卷，主题是电动力学。“索末菲理论物理教程”包括力学、变形介质力学、电动力学、光学、热力学与统计物理、物理学中的偏微分方程六卷，是作者给Muenchen大学和理工学院物理专业大三、大四学生讲课的手稿整理而成的。索末菲老师教书是物理数学融合在一起的，关键是他还能实验物理和理论物理一起教。索末菲的教学应该是深刻地影响到了不少人。他的教学非同于一般的教书匠，其教科书里融入了自己的理解还有自己对学术的贡献。索末菲对物理学的贡献是多方面的，即便面对爱因斯坦这样的人物，也未必逊色多少。

Preface
Translator's Note
PART I. FUNDAMENTALS AND BASIC PRINCIPLES OF MAXWELL'S ELECTRODYNAMICS
§1. Historical Review. Action at a Distance and Action by a Field Biographical Notes
Michael Faraday, 1791
James Clerk Maxwell, 1831
André Marie Ampère, 1775-1836
Heinrich Hertz, 1857-1894
§2. Introduction to the Basic Concepts of the Electromagnetic Field
§3. Maxwell's Equations in Integral Form
§4. The Maxwell Equations in Differential Form and the Material Constants of the Theory
1. Conductivity and Ohm's Law
2. Dielectric Constant
3. Permeability
§5. Law of Conservation of Energy and Poynting Vector
§6. The Role of the Velocity of Light in Electrodynamics
§7. The Coulomb Field and the Fundamental Constants of Vacuum. Rational and Conventional Units
A. Electrostatics
B. Magnetostatics
C. Rational and Conventional Units
D. Final Determination of the Fundamental Constants eo, uo in the MKSQ System
§8. Four, Five, or Three Fundamental Units
A. Supplementary Note on Our System of Four Units
B. The Five Units MKSQP
C. The Gaussian System of Only Three Units
D. Supplement Regarding Other Systems of Units
PART II. DERIVATION OF THE PHENOMENA FROM THE MAXWELL EQUATION
§9. The Simplest Boundary-Value Problems of Electrostatics
A. Charging Problemg
B. Induction Problems and Method of Reciprocal Radii
C. Conducting Sphere in a Uniform Field
D. Dielectric Sphere in a Uniform Field
E. Reflection and Refraction of Lines of Force at the Boundary of a Semi-infinite Dielectric
§10. Capacity and Its Connection with Field Energy
A. The Plate Condenser
B. Spherical Condenser
C. Capacity of an Ellipsoid of Revolution and of a Straight Piece of Wire
D. Energetic Definition of Capacity
E. The Capacities in an Arbitrary System of Conductors
§11. General Considerations on the Electric Field
A. The Law of Refraction for the Lines of Force
B. On the Definition of the Vectors E and D
C. The Concept of Electric Polarization; the Clausius-Mossotti Formula
D. Supplement to the Calculation of the Polarization
E. Permanent Polarization
§12. The Field of the Permanent Bar Magnet
§13. General Considerations on Magnetostatics and Corresponding Boundary- Value Problems
A. The Law of Refraction of the Lines of Magnetic Excitation
B. Definition of the Vectors H and B, Particularly in Solid Bodies
C. The Magnetization M in Any Non-Ferromagnetic Substance
D. Dia- and Paramagnetism
E. Soft Iron as Analog to the Electric Conductor
F. Spccific Boundary-Value Problems
G. The Uniform Field within an Ellipsoid of Revolution
H. The So-Called Demagnetization Factor
§14. Some Remarks on Ferromagnetism
A. The Weiss Domains
B. The Electron Spin as Elementary Magnet
C. Hysteresis Loop and Reversible Magnetization
D. Thermodvnamics
§15. Stationary Currents and Their Magnetic Field. Method of the Vector Po-tential
A. The Law of Biot-Savart
B. The Magnetic Energy of the Field of Two Conductors
C. Neumann's Potential as Coefficient of Mutual Induction
D. The Coefficient of Selfinduction
E. Selfinductance of the Two-Wire Line
F. General Theorem Regarding Energy Transmission by Stationary Cur- rents
§16. Ampère's Method of the Magnetic Double Layer
A. The Magnetic Shell for Linear Conductors
B. Magnetic Energy and Magnetic Flux
C. Application to the Selfinductance of a Two-Wire Line
D. Application to the Electromagnetic Current Measurement of Wilhelm Weber
§17. Detailed Treatment of the Field of a Straight Wire and of a Coil
§18. Quasi-Stationary Currents
A. Energetic Interpretation of the Wave Equation
a. Free Vibrations
b. Forced Vibrations
B. The Wheatstone Bridge
C. Coupled Cireuits
D. The Telegraph Equation
§19.