本书主要揭示了古典力学、狭义相对论、电磁学和量子理论等这一系列学科及其相互依赖的更为复杂的知识和理论，目标是通过简明的分析，引导学生深入研究理论物理的一些棘手的领域，同时揭示每个学科的关键性理论。
本书为经典理论。

尼克·埃文斯(Nick Evans)英国人，南安普顿大学对撞机现象学博十学位，现在是南安普顿大学的教授和物理科学与工程研究生院的主任。

Preface
Acknowledgments
Author biographies
1 Least action
1.1 Optics
1.1.1 Snell's law
1.1.2 Complicated problems
1.1.3 Light in vacuum
1.1.4 Light in the atmosphere
1.2 Newtonian dynamics
1.2.1 Multiple coordinates
1.2.2 Example: projectile motion
1.2.3 Example 2: double pendulum
1.3 Conservation laws
1.3.1 Ignorable coordinates
1.3.2 Energy conservation
1.3.3 Example: central forces
1.3.4 Hamiltonian and energy
A Calculus of variation
B Mathematics of conservation laws
2 Special relativity
2.1 The postulates
2.2 Lorentz transformations
2.2.1 Time dilation
2.2.2 Lorentz contraction
2.3 An analogy to rotations
2.4 Four-vectors
2.4.1 Index convention
2.5 The laws of dynamics
2.5.1 Four-velocity
2.5.2 Four-acceleration
2.5.3 Four-momentum
2.5.4 Hypothesis for dynamical law
2.6 Physics with four-momentum
2.6.1 The Doppler effect
2.6.2 The Compton effect
2.6.3 Fixed target experiments
2.6.4 The GZK bound
2.7 Tensors
2.8 Relativistic action
2.9 Lorentz transformations and rotations II
3 Relativistic electromagnetism
3.1 Integral form of Maxwell's equations
3.1.1 Gauss' law
3.1.2 No magnetic charges
3.1.3 Faraday's law
3.1.4 Ampere's law
3.2 Differential form of Maxwell's equations
3.2.1 Maxwell's equations in differential form
3.2.2 Conservation of charge
3.2.3 The displacement current
3.3 Potentials
3.3.1 Electrostatic potential
3.3.2 The magnetic vector potential
3.3.3 A new electric potential
3.3.4 Gauge transformations
3.3.5 Maxwell's equations in Lorenz gauge
3.4 Relativistic formulation of electromagnetism
3.4.1 Four-vector current
3.4.2 Conservation of charge
3.4.3 The four-vector
3.4.4 Four vector potential
3.4.5 The electromagnetic field strength tensor
3.4.6 Lorentz transformations of electric and magnetic fields
3.4.7 The relativistic force law
3.5 The Lagrangian for a charged particle
C Gauss' and Stokes' theorems
C.1 Gauss' theorem
C.2 Stokes' theorem
D Vector identities
编辑手记