Physics 374

Prof. E. F. Redish

Topics

  1. The Kinds of "Things" -- Mathematical Structures
    • Numbers -- integers, rational, real, complex
    • Measurement -- dimensional analysis
    • Relationships -- functions and functional dependence
    • More complex objects
      • Vectors
      • Operators
      • Fields

  2. Expansions, Approximations, and Estimations
    • Scales
    • The Taylor series

  3. Particles (Ordinary Differential Equations)
    • Linear Motion
      • Viscous Damping -- Interpreting exact solutions
      • Drag Damping -- Interpreting numerical solutions
      • Conservation Laws and Symmetries -- Momentum and energy
      • Galilean Relativity
    • Rotational Motion
      • Coordinate Systems
      • Conservation Laws and Symmetries -- Angular momentum and energy

  4. Fields (Partial Differential Equations)
    • Temperature -- A scalar field
    • Fluid Flow -- A vector field
    • Electromagnetic Waves -- Polarization and Dirac notation

  5. Oscillations and Waves (Matrices and transforms)
    • Coupled Oscillators -- normal modes and eigenvectors
    • Modeling the Continuous Elastic string -- Fourier transforms
    • Gaussian Optics -- Operators

  6. Probability (Random Variables)

    RETURNS

    University of Maryland Physics Department Physics 374 Home

    This page prepared by

    Edward F. Redish
    Department of Physics
    University of Maryland
    College Park, MD 20742
    Phone: (301) 405-6120
    Email: redish@umd.edu

    Last revision 2. September, 2004.