Course: Methods of Mathematical Physics -- emphasizes the mathematical methods employed by the core graduate curriculum, including the theory of functions of complex variables, eigenfunction expansion of Green's functions, and integral transforms. Applications include boundary value problems in electrodynamics and diffusion, eigenvalue problems in quantum mechanics, and Green's function methods for scattering.
Prerequisites: advanced calculus, Phys 410 and Phys 411 or equivalent.
Instructor: James J. Kelly Phone: 405-6110 e-mail: jjkelly@physics.umd.edu
Lectures: TuTh 11:00 - 12:15 Room 1402
Office hours: W 10-12 Room 2215 C
Although I prefer that you use the scheduled office hours, I am often available at other times also. Please come frequently.
Grader: Prof. H.H. Chen Phone: 405-6088 e-mail: hsinghenchen@yahoo.com
Office hours: F 9-12 Room 3102
Required text: Mathematics for Physicists, by S.M. Lea (Brooks/Cole, 2004)
Useful supplements:
Lecture notes: as I have never found a textbook that matches my preferences for organization and emphasis of the major topics in this course, I rely heavily on lecture notes that I wrote using Mathematica and have made available online. These are not yet as complete as a traditional textbook, but represent the course material better than the required text or supplements. I recommend that you print and read the notes for each topic before that lecture and make notes on your copy in class. Hopefully this will reduce your note-taking burden. Please inform me of any errors you find or clarifications that you feel would improve these notes, which may eventually be prepared for publication.
Homework: homework will be assigned at 1-2 week intervals and collected in class. Homework is perhaps the most important component of the course and we strongly urge you to complete it as close to the due date as possible; it will be difficult to master the subject without keeping up with the homework. Late homework must be submitted directly to the grader's campus mailbox and will be accepted, with a penalty of 25%, until grading of the current assignment has been completed.
Mathematica: a powerful symbolic manipulator which provides very useful tools for the solving problems and exploring the results. You should not rely upon Mathematica for proofs or for evaluation of integrals or other results for which the purpose of the problem is to practice the evaluation, but can use the program for routine algebraic or graphical tasks once the problem has been reduced by hand to an appropriate degree. An extensive collection of Mathematica tutorials is available.
Exams: there will be a midterm exam given during a class period (75 minutes) and a two-hour comprehensive final exam. The date and time of the final exam will be announced when available. Make-up exams will be given only when pre-arranged with the instructor or for unavoidable absences, such as documented illnesses or emergencies.
Grading: graded work will be weighted 30% for the midterm exam, 30% for homework, and 40% for the final exam. Letter grades are based upon the distribution of numerical scores.