"Construct the four spinors $u^(1), u^(2), v^(1), v^(2)$ for a particle at rest. Then boost them to momentum $p$ along the $z$-axis."
Yes, absolutely. But with a caveat.
If you are taking a formal course in particle physics, do not rely on the manual as a crutch. Your professor will design exams where you cannot look up the answer. Use the manual to check your work after you have done the heavy lifting. "Construct the four spinors $u^(1), u^(2), v^(1), v^(2)$
If you are a self-learner (a working engineer, a hobbyist, or a high school physics olympiad student), the manual is indispensable. Without a professor to grade your work, the manual is your only feedback loop. Work every problem in Chapters 2 through 8 (Historical Intro to Hadrons). Then attempt two problems from Chapter 10 (QED). The manual will show you if you truly understand Wick’s theorem.
Search for "Griffiths elementary particles problem 7.34" and you will find threads with detailed answers. The community votes errors up or down. Often, the solutions are better than the manual because they show multiple methods (e.g., helicity method vs. trace method). The problem sets at the end of each
Before discussing the solutions manual, one must appreciate the beast it tames. Unlike classical mechanics or electrodynamics, particle physics is non-intuitive. Griffiths’ book is divided into four distinct parts:
The problem sets at the end of each chapter are not simple plug-and-chug. Griffiths asks you to "fill in the missing steps." For example, a typical problem might state: "Starting from the Dirac equation, show that the probability current satisfies the continuity equation." The gap between the starting line and the finish line can be 10 lines of algebra involving adjoint spinors. the manual demonstrates:
Without a solutions manual, a student can spend three hours on a single problem, only to realize they dropped a minus sign on line two.
Officially, the Instructor’s Solutions Manual for Griffiths’ text (often published by Wiley) is a restricted document. It contains step-by-step solutions to all the end-of-chapter problems, from basic Dirac delta function normalizations in Chapter 2 to full-fledged Feynman calculus calculations for quantum electrodynamics (QED) in later chapters.
Unlike a simple answer key, the manual demonstrates: