This volume is a comprehensive compilation of carefully selected questions at the PhD qualifying exam level, including many actual questions from Columbia University, University of Chicago, MIT, State University of New York at Buffalo, Princeton University, University of Wisconsin and the University of California at Berkeley over a twenty-year period. Featuring a division into the three parts which form the title, topics covered in this book include the crystal structure, superconductivity, general relativity, special relativity, and measurements, among many others.

This latest edition has been updated. New problems and solutions have been added, while the original problems are modernized, excluding outdated questions and emphasizing those that rely on calculations. The problems range from fundamental to advanced in a wide range of topics, easily enhancing the student's knowledge through workable exercises. Simple-to-solve problems play a useful role as a first check of the student's level of knowledge whereas difficult problems will challenge the student's capacity on finding solutions.

Contents:

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  Solid State Physics:

  
  
  
  
  • Crystal Structures and Properties (1001–1027)
  
  
  • Electron Theory, Energy Bands and Semiconductors (1028–1051)
  
  
  • Electromagnetic Properties, Optical Properties and Superconductivity (1052–1076)
  
  
  • Other Topics (1077–1081)
  
  
  
  


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  Relativity:

  
  
  
  
  • Special Relativity (2001–2007)
  
  
  • General Relativity (2008–2023)
  
  
  • Relativistic Cosmology (2024–2028)
  
  
  
  


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  Miscellaneous Topics:

  
  
  
  
  • History of Physics and General Questions (3001–3025)
  
  
  • Measurements, Estimations and Errors (3026–3048)
  
  
  • Mathematical Techniques (3049–3056)
  
  
  
  

Readership: Lecturers, postgraduates and advanced undergraduates in physics, especially in solid state physics, relativity, and general topics in physics.