Syllabus for Physics 373 –Fall 2023

 

[Note that this is the publicly available version of the course syllabus/webpage: for more details (such as homework assigned, solutions posted and other announcements) the students enrolled in this course need to go to the ELMS here. In particular, please keep checking announcements here.]

Official Course Description: Title: Mathematical Methods for Physics II Credits: 3; Grade Method: REG/P-F/AUD;
Prerequisite: PHYS273 and 274 (or equivalent); Topics: This is a second course in mathematical methods for physics. Topics include Fourier Analysis; Power Series Solution of Differential Equations; Partial Differential Equations; Complex Analysis and (time permitting) Green’s Function Method Applied to Ordinary Differential Equations.

 

Instructor:         Professor Kaustubh Agashe                                     Phone:  (301)-405-6018

                             Office (note different building than lecture!): Room 3118 of Physical       Sciences Complex (PSC), e-mail: kagashe_at_umd.edu 

                           Office Hours (note locations and days/times carefully): Monday 11.30 am.-12.30 pm. and Thursday 10.30-11 .30 am., both in Rm. 3118 of PSC. It might be possible to have office hours by instructor at other times by appointment.

                                                                           

Teaching Assistants:

Sagar Airen [email: sairen_at_umd.edu; office: Rm. 31 of PSC; Phone: just send email: Office hours on Tuesday 3-4pm. and Wednesday 4-5 pm., both in Rm. 3260 of PSC.

 

It might be possible to have office hours by the TA’s at other times by appointment.

 
 

Lecture Time: 12.30-1:45 pm. on Tuesday and Thursday

Lecture Room: Room 1410 of Toll Physics Building

Required Textbook: Mathematical Methods in Physical Sciences by Boas

Supplementary material: A Guided Tour of Mathematical Methods by Snieder

 

Homework: The homework assignments (problem sets) will generally be assigned on ELMS here on Tuesdays, and will be due the Friday of

the following week (to be upload onto ELMS here). Late homework will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor (in particular, a valid documented excuse such a medical problem, religious holiday, or serious family crisis is required), but not after solutions have been handed out.

No homework will be dropped for any reason.  For full credit for any written homework or exam problem, in addition to the correct answer, you must show the steps/justify your approach as much as possible.

 

Solutions to homework (and exams) will be posted on ELMS here.

Exams: There will be 2 exams given during the lecture periods (1 hours 15 minutes in length). Both exams will contribute to the final grade for the course. Tentatively, these are scheduled for October 11 (Tuesday) and November 17 (Thursday). The final exam will be given during the standard exam period (1.30-3.30 pm. on Monday, December 19). You must take the final exam to pass the course. There will be no make-up for the exams, unless there is a strong documented excuse (medical problem, religious holiday, or serious family crisis).

Details such as which topics will be covered in each exam, whether crib sheets will be allowed etc. will be posted later.

Grade: The semester grade will be based on the homework, in-class exams and the final exam
with the following tentative weights: 2 in-class midterm exams: 25% each, homework: 15%, final exam: 35%

Attendance: Regular attendance and participation in this class is the best way to grasp the concepts and principles being discussed. Please try to attend every class and to read up the relevant chapter(s) of the textbook before coming to the class.

 

Some class notes will be posted in ELMS here.

 

Academic Honesty: Note that, although you are encouraged to discuss homework with other students, any work you submit must be your own and should reflect your own understanding. In fact, the main way you will understand Physics (and thus do well on the exams) is by doing the homework (that too by yourself).

 

In addition, academic dishonesty, such as cheating on an exam or copying homework, is a serious offense which may result in suspension or expulsion from the University.

 

The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the 
Student Honor Council.  This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate 
students.  As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course.  It is very important for you to 
be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of 
Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit here.
 
To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, please sign the Honor Pledge (which covers all 
examinations and Assignments) and turn it in as “Homework 1”: 
 

"I pledge on my honor that I will not give or receive any unauthorized assistance (including 

from other persons and online sources) on all examinations, quizzes and homework assignments 
in this course."

 

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hold as a student member of our academic community. Your feedback is confidential and

important to the improvement of teaching and learning at the University as well as to the

tenure and promotion process. CourseEvalUM (go here) is open till middle of December for you to complete your

evaluations for Spring semester courses. By completing all of your evaluations each semester, you will

have the privilege of accessing the summary reports for thousands of courses online at Testudo.

 

(TENTATIVE) schedule of Physics 373 topics, exams, and holidays (more detailed schedule, for example, by chapter-sections, might be posted as part of the announcements in ELMS here roughly at the time of the beginning of each topic; the homework assignments will also indicate this.)

 

Week

Dates

Main Topics

Chapter in Boas

1

Aug. 29, Aug. 31

(I) Fourier Analysis

7

2

Sept.. 5, 7

(I) Fourier Analysis; Review of Linear Algebra (as needed)

7, (review from 3)

3

Sept.  12, 14

(II) Ordinary Differential Equations

8

4

Sept.  19, 21

(II) Ordinary Differential Equations, Power Series Solutions of Differential Equations

8, 12

5

Sept. 26, 28

(II) Power Series Solutions of Differential Equations

12

6

Oct. 3, 5

(II) Power Series Solutions of Differential Equations; Review of Special Functions (as needed)

12 (review from 11)

7

Tuesday, Oct. 10

Exam I

7, 8, parts of 12

7

Oct. 12

(III) Partial Differential Equations

13

8

Oct. 17, 19

(III) Partial Differential Equations

13

9

Oct. 24, 26

(III) Partial Differential Equations

13

10

Oct. 1, Nov. 2

(IV) Complex Analysis

14

11

Nov. 7, 9

(IV) Complex Analysis

14

12

Nov. 14

(IV) Complex Analysis

 14

12

Thursday, Nov. 16

Exam II

parts of  12, 13

13

Nov. 21

(IV) Complex Analysis

14

 14.

Nov. 28, Nov. 30

(IV) Complex Analysis

14

15.

Dec. 5

(IV) Complex Analysis

14

15.

Dec. 7

(IV) Complex Analysis

 

16.

Dec. 12 (Reading Day)

Final exam review

All of the above

17.

Dec. 18 (Mon.): 1.30-3.30 pm.

 

All of the above