Best physics lectures for JAM (Complied by toppers) | PAE Blog

Our PAE (Physics After Engineering) community members have contributed to building this nice handy list of video lectures/courses they've done. Many thanks to them all, and here is the list.

Index

1. Quantum Mechanics
2. Classical Mechanics
3. Electromagnetic Theory
4. Mathematical Physics
5. Statistical Mechanics & Thermodynamics
6. Nuclear & Atomic Physics
7. Oscillations, Waves, and Optics
8. Astro & cosmology
9. Relativity
10. Solid State Physics
11. Electronics
12. Others  
13. Google Form to submit reviews

If you are interested in adding to this crowd-sourced knowledge repository, Plesase enter your reviews of the video lectures you've read in this form (https://forms.gle/1WH7982Yye1r7WeN8) or you can directly enter your review in the embedded form at the bottom of the page.

1. Quantum Mechanics

     BSc level

• MIT 8.04 Quantum Physics I, version by Allan Addams: A really good introductory course on quantum mechanics. This course doesn't just run through the equations, but the lecturer focuses on giving intuition about concepts. The lecturer takes 2 lectures to start with an actual equation. ( You can get the idea)( It doesn't mean that he doesn't cover technical aspects in details). - Dhananjay Vijay Kapse
• MIT 8.04 Quantum Physics I, version by Barton Zwiebach: Barton Zweibach is a String Theorist from MIT and he is great at teaching. That is a perfect introduction to QM for someone who hasn't started the subject. If one is following a book like Griffiths, this will supplement it well. Also, attempt the Problem sets and see the lecture notes if possible (for that you have to go to the course website which is probably given in the descriptions of the videos). - Sayan Mondal
• Introduction To Quantum Mechanics by R Shankar: For any subject, Introduction is much needed before getting into tedious mathematics of that subject, and personally I found R. Shankar's videos on 'Introduction to QM' is very useful for BSc as well as IIT-JAM Physics preparation. But these lectures are not that level of JEST/TIFR GS Physics Exam. Videos are not that slow or fast, easy to understand English used in lectures, Explanation is fantastic for a freshman in Quantum Mechanics. - Amit Kumar Jha
• Quantum Mechanics by HC Verma: This lecture series is in Hindi. If you are New to Quantum Mechanics then this lecture series gives u a better understanding. He starts from very basic and covers all graduate-level topics.- Rahul
• Quantum Mechanics and Applications by Prof. Ajoy Ghatak NPTEL: It is a good starting point for QM. There is no bra ket notation so not that appropriate for a post-graduate level course but a nice introduction. I used it as complementary to Griffiths - Kunal Vyas; I have gone through lectures on NPTEL and book on quantum mechanics by Ajoy Ghatak. Content in book and lecture is identical even in order or chronology whatever you want to say. I think video and the book both are a waste of time. The first-time learner of quantum mechanics can't learn from it. This book and lectures are not even ordered in an intuitive way. Even this book is not even good for revision. - Umashankar Pardhi

     MSc level

• Quantum Physics by Prof. V Balakrishnan: Excellent material for Linear Algebra and Advanced Quantum Mechanics - Raj Upadhyay
• Quantum Physics II, MIT OCW 8.05 by Barton Zwiebach: A proper course on Quantum Mechanics for undergraduates. It can be pursued by those who have first-year engineering mathematics under their belt. It's better to study Chapter 1 on Linear algebra from Shankar's book before starting the course. (not mandatory) - Rohan Joshi
• Quantum Physics III, MIT OCW 8.06 by Barton Zweibach: It is complementary to Quantum Physics II (8.05) by Barton Zweibach. It covers all the topics which are not discussed in 8.04 and 8.05 like perturbation theory, other approximation methods, Dirac equation, Klein Gordon equation, etc. Also, it uses easy maths and all the necessary maths are discussed as we go along. - Rishab Kaushik 

     Others

• Quantum Optics by Immanuel Bloch: A very comprehensive introduction to quantum optics. The course starts off with the semiclassical picture where the atom is considered to be quantum while light is taken to be classical. It culminates in the Jaynes Cummings model where light is quantized. The course ends with a teaser for the realization of quantum optics with the help of cavity quantum electrodynamics(QED). The instructor works out the mathematics with you and explains the concepts in a very intuitive way. - Anuvab Nandi
• Mathematical methods of Quantum  Information Theory by Frederic Schuller: This is one of the scratch that, the rigorous treatment of quantum mechanics I know. The man starts from a set and builds up to Hilbert Space just to show why this weird thing called Quantum Mechanics works. Again, definitely overkill for M.Sc. But a must for a theoretical Ph.D. student.
  Side note:- The notes are available on Reddit. Yes, the man is so famous that he has subreddit after him - Ganesh Chandra Lakkaraju

2. Classical Mechanics

      BSc Level

• MIT 8.01 Classical Mechanics by Walter Lewin: Introductory course. Only the Newtonian approach is covered not Lagrangian. One of the most popular lecture series. A complete experimental approach. Experimental demonstrations for every concept discussed. - Dhananjay Vijay Kapse
• Classical Mechanics (Fall 2011) by Leonard Susskind: A really good introduction to the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian approach. The Series is a little slow in pace. - Dhananjay Vijay Kapse; It has everything. Every second this guy throws some vital information. For me best lecture series on CM in India. Very concise and clear. - Yash Chugh
• Classical Mechanics: From Newtonian to Lagrangian Formulation by Prof. Debalmalya Banerjee: If you are good with 12th classical physics with an IIT level and just wanna learn the new topics like divergence, Lagrangians, and Hamiltonians. Good as a first course with high school prerequisites. - Pavan
• Fundamentals of Physics with Ramamurti Shankar taught at Yale University: This series is great to develop an intuitive understanding of Classical mechanics and the brief intro into Special relatively is also to a reasonable level. - Sarmad Rasool
• Lectures from Physicswallah channel: Very simple to understand language and method of teaching. If you're looking to brush up topics of 11th and 12th NCERT then I highly recommend his lectures. - Kevin Mali
• NOC: Engineering Mechanics (Weeks 7,8,9 of this course) Rotational dynamics which is taught to 1st yearites - Mohammad Saad

      MSc Level

• NPTEL Classical Physics by Prof. V Balakrishnan: One of the best online series for classical mechanics. You can get both the intuition for the subject and mathematical rigor. Covers content from introduction to classical mechanics through formulations for statistical mechanics to special relativity. -  Dhananjay Vijay Kapse
• NTNU: TFY 4345 - Classical Mechanics by Jacob Linder: Classical Mechanics intermediate course using Goldstein as a reference -Sushant Rai
• Theoretical Mechanics by Prof. Charudatt Kadolkar 

3. Electromagnetic Theory

      BSc Level

• EMT by Pradeep Kumar: There are many playlists on EMT at NPTEL
  but I found it most useful for exam purposes. If you are preparing for exams like TIFR /JEST/JAM/GATE, All topics are covered in detail. - Rahul
• MIT 8.02: Electricity & Magnetism by Walter Lewin: Introductory course. Experimental approach. Experimental demonstration for each concept discussed. You actually get to feel the subject. Dhananjay Vijay Kapse
• NOC: Introduction to Electromagnetic Theory by Prof. Manoj Harbola NPTEL: Basic Electrodynamics taught to 1st yearites in Engg Colleges. - Mohammad Saad
• Electromagnetism by Prof. Nirmal Ganguli: Aligned with Griffith's Electrodynamics. Good for those who are studying from it.- Yash Tambe
• Fundamentals of Physics II with Ramamurti Shankar Taught at Yale University: This is a follow up on the classical mechanics by the same professor (R.Shankar), the Electromagnetic Theory is really good to develop an intuition for the subject. - Sarmad Rasool
• Electromagnetic Theory by Prof. DK Ghosh: This course is for those who are struggling with the problems of EMT (Especially with Mathematics). The way of explanation and the order of teaching topics is phenomenal. The course instructor doesn't use the board for teaching. I think that can be one of many reasons which differentiate this lecture series from others. - Divyanshu Singh

4. Mathematical Physics

      BSc Level

• Multivariable calculus Khan Academy by Grant Sanderson(aka 3Blue1Brown) [Highly Recommended for anyone in physics or maths]: As we all know Grant Sanderson and his YouTube channel 3Blue1Brown.When he was working for Khan Academy he created this playlist of Multivariable calculus which helps to grow the fundamental idea of the topic rather than mugging up the formulas. - Ranjeet Bhosale
• Linear Algebra by Dr. Aviv Censor: It is a course about Linear Algebra. It includes Complex Numbers, Polynomials, Vectors spaces & subspaces, Matrices. The teacher teaches in a calm and composed manner. You can play these lectures at 1.5x or 2x speed if you are comfortable with English. - Harshul Gupta
• Differential and Integral Calculus by Dr. Aviv Censor: It is about Differential and Integral Calculus. The way the instructor uses his art of drawing is amazing. With his drawings and figures, he can make you interpret the physical meaning and uses of even Double and Triple Integrals. It covers topics like Limits, Derivates, Scalar, and Vector Calculus. You can play these lectures at 2x speed if you are comfortable with the English.- Harshul Gupta
• MIT 18.06SC Linear Algebra by Gilbert Strang: Linear Algebra by Gilbert Strang is like living the topic as you're learning it, granted it takes some time but you'll begin to develop an intuition on various topics, I'd say; to learn the fundamentals of linear algebra at UG level, Gilbert Strang lecture series is the way to go. - Jayesh Pandey
• Gradient, Divergence, and Curl in Hindi by Arijit Daripa: 

      MSc Level

• Linear Algebra and Analytic Functions by Prof. Kumar Shiv Narain, ICTP: For Linear Algebra and Analytic Function, I strongly recommend this series because the topics are quantum mechanics application-oriented. - Sarmad Rasool

      Other

• MIT 6.041SC Probabilistic Systems Analysis and Applied Probability by Qing He - Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Level: Beginner | Tip: I coupled this with Kreyszig's Advanced Engg. Mathematics and it went smoothly. I found the professor to be quite descriptive and intuitive in his own way. - Aadesh

5. Statistical Mechanics & Thermodynamics

     BSc Level

• Thermodynamics - Khan academy by Salman Khan: He explains the basics (like P-V diagrams, entropy, Carnot engine, etc.) really well, I would recommend watching them to build solid basics even if you have learned them once sometime back. There are a bit more topics covered in 'Chemistry thermodynamics' playlist on topics like Gibbs energy do watch them also. - Dushyanth
• NOC Thermodynamics NPTEL By Prof. Anand T N C : THERMODYNAMICS: I enrolled for this course for JAM preparation and I found this quite useful although it exceeds the JAM syllabus requirement in the latter part of the series. Still a Good course for learning a smidgen of what mechies would study in college.- Thevin Arokiaraj L

     MSc level

• Statistical Mechanics Lectures by renowned author Kerson Huang: The video quality is a bit off. But the contents are great. Also, I think there is a shortage of quality Stat mech videos on Youtube. Sayan Mondal
• MIT 8.333 Statistical Mechanics & Thermodynamics I by Mehran Kardar: Kardar is one of the big shots in the field of non-linear dynamics. His explanation might be a bit a tight and rigorous but that is the kind of deeper understanding which is necessary for the mess that Stat Mech. is- Ganesh Chandra 
• Dr. Arnab Sen's Lecture on Quantum Statistical Mechanics: Not a lot of videos on Quantum Stat Mech exists. This is basically 8 lecture series on the very topic. You can start off by having a basic idea of the three types of ensembles. - Sayan Mondal

6. Nuclear & Atomic Physics

• Nuclear and Particle Physics by Prof. Poulose Poulose NPTEL: Good overview for undergraduate level Quantum Electrodynamics basics and Higgs Mechanism basics - Raj Upadhyay

7. Oscillations, Waves, and Optics

• MIT 8.03 Vibrations and Waves: Introductory course. A complete experimental approach. You can see the experimental demonstrations for each concept discussed in the lecture. - Dhananjay Vijay Kapse

8. Astro & cosmology

• Inflationary Cosmology by Alan Guth: This course can be done by anyone, just that you should know basic maths (JEE), Taylor Series, and a little bit of ODE and PDE. Alan Guth himself developed the inflation theory, so you can guess the course would be great. - Akash Gupta
• Cosmology Summer School 2020 by University of Michigan - Sankarshan Sahu
• Cosmic Origin of the Chemical Elements by Prof. Anna Frebe: An extremely elementary introduction towards cosmology and cosmic archeology. 1-hour course. - Pavan

9. Relativity

• Tensor calculus by EIGENCHRIS: Tensor calculus: this series is by a small-time YouTuber yet its pretty understandable. It introduces you to the general notions used in general relativity and the math employed. It was recommended to me by the fellow members of PAE - Thevin Arokiaraj L
• GW@Home with LIGO-India: This is one of the best series for UG-PG students who want to learn and explore GR AND GW and further make a career in GW Astronomy. - Ankit
• Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity by Larry Randles Lagerstrom: This is a very basic course on Special Theory of Relativity which covers all the main aspects of STR. There are many courses or videos on STR available on the internet, but what separates it from others is the prof's approach of teaching. He begins with the history of physics before Einstein came into the picture, and elaborates beautifully what led Einstein to discover Special Theory of Relativity. He used a card model of rockets to explain the relative position of two bodies in various situations. The one thing I loved most is how he explained the concept of simultaneity of time and the relativity in simultaneity. I have tried courses by others also, but most follow the path of deriving the necessary formulas of various consequences in STR without appreciating how it'll look like to live in a high-speed world. But this course never missed this aspect, it made us visualize the physical world along with teaching the basic math & problems. Also, The professor teaches in such a way that almost anyone can learn and feel the beauty of the subject. All we need is high-school level knowledge of math & physics. So it's really a good course to begin with before going for an advanced level book on the subject. I highly recommend this to anyone, especially the beginners. (PS- To convince yourself that the course is really good, you can check the reviews and rating of the course on Coursera) - Priyankush Deka
• Basics of Special Theory of Relativity by HC Verma : 
  

     MSc level

• WE-Heraeus International School on Winter and Light: A self-contained rigorous graduate-level course on General relativity that starts with the basics and goes up to the current research areas. Prerequisites include multivariable calculus, differential equations and some linear algebra (not mandatory). Can be supplemented by Sean Carroll's book on GR - Rohan Joshi
• General Relativity by Thanu Padmanabhan: Its a General Relativity Course for beginners by Prof Thanu Padmanabhan at ICUAA. Rahul
• Advance STR by HC Verma 
• Special relativity by Edu point: The course is delivered by Mr. Arjit Daripa gives us very clear and the idea of Relativity. These lectures are highly recommended for people who are just starting with the course, each topic is being explained with great depth. - Ranjeet Bhosale 
• Compilation of videos from R.Shankar, Suskind, and NPTEL  - This is not a course but is an amalgamation of three video lecture sets(2 of them having a bit of SR and the 3rd one a full course ). The NPTEL lectures were the most helpful, I'll say honestly. - Sayan Mondal

10. Solid State Physics

• Solid State Physics in Hindi - Raystudies - The lecture series is in Hindi. The tutor uses Puri and Babbar's book for teaching the concepts. If you are the one who needs visuals and graphics (drawings and figures onboard) to understand theory then this is the best channel I can suggest. He teaches concepts at a very slow speed keeping in mind the slow learners. But if you are a fast learner then you can speed up these lectures at 1.5x or 2x accordingly. It covers the entire Solid State syllabus that comes in IIT JAM. - Harshul Gupta

11. Electronics

• Playlists on different topics of electronics in Neso Academy YT channel: These videos are excellently made, and have crystal clear explanations. There are playlists on Analog, Digital, and Network theory. Only see the videos in a playlist that are in the curriculum of the exam you're preparing for. If you're having questions about any topic in electronics this is your go-to place - Dushyanth
• All About Electronics Youtube channel: It has stuff like oscillators, vibrators, OpAmp, etc. which are not covered by Neso Academy - Rishab Kaushik

12. Others

• The Character of Physical Law - Richard Feynman (1964) -  An introductory course /general talk by the legend himself. Richard P. Feynman. The link given points to the playlist of the whole 7 lectures given by him at the Cornell University. - Divyanshu Tiwari
• Quantum mechanics and quantum computation by Umesh Vazirani: A gentle introduction to Quantum computing that covers the basics of the field. I believe it can be pursued even with a high school background only. - Rohan Joshi
• Topology, Manifolds & Differential Geometry - Isn't really a course, but nonetheless a precious set of videos for casual viewing and getting an idea of what the subject is. I'm NOT well versed in the subject, so I can't say much. - Sayan Mondal
• Group Theory Methods in Physics by Prof. P. Ramadev: This course is the best one available online to study group theory methods and their applications in Physics and Chemistry. The professor gives a very intuitive picture of these methods with ample practical examples. This is your guide before you can venture onto topics in particle physics. She has covered both discrete and continuous groups in good detail - Nakul Aggarwal
• Mathematical methods of quantum information theory: Reinhard Werner, the fame of Werner states from Quantum Information is one of the founding fathers of quantum information theory. This course clearly depicts the level of mathematical rigor that is required for hardcore quantum information. Yes, it clearly an overkill to do this course for M.Sc level quantum information. But for all my future colleagues who are going to Ph.D. in theoretical quantum computation. I can't recommend this enough. - Ganesh Chandra Lakkaraju
• Stay Home And Revise Physics (SHARP), HC Verma: This will be a 24 hours course spread over a period of 2 months. Each lecture will have 2-4 physics experiments followed by detailed explanations. Most of the experiments can be assembled and performed by even a child of age group 13 years onwards. The explanation part may be at the level of Plus 2 and in some cases above that. The course SHARP can be taken by school students of Std 9 onwards, college students, Physics teachers, and others interested in enjoying Physics. - Sargam Kulkarni

13. Google Form

If you are interested in adding to this crowd-sourced knowledge repository, Plesase enter your reviews of the video lectures you've read in this form (https://forms.gle/1WH7982Yye1r7WeN8) or you can directly enter your review in the embedded form below