Mathematical Methods of Physics I
PHYS 6124
Fall Semester 2014
- Course schedule
- ChaosBook.org/~predrag/courses/PHYS-6124-14/schedule.html
- Place and times
-
Howey N210, T Th 9:35-10:55 am
- Start
-
Tuesday Aug 21 2014, Howey N210, 9:35-10:55 am
- Instructor
- Predrag Cvitanović
Office: Howey W501 (office hours: Tuesday 1:30-2:30pm)
Phone: 404 487 8469
E-mail: predrag dot cvitanovic snail physics dot gatech dot edu
- TA
-
Kimberly Y. Short
Office: Howey W508 (office hours: Wednesday, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
Phone: 404 819 5304
E-mail: kyshort snail gatech dot edu
- Course description
-
The course provides an overview of complex variables, matrix theory, perturbation theory, integral transformations, ordinary and partial differential equations with applications to various physics problems.
-
Prerequisites
- Teaching method
-
Two lectures
and a homework problem set per week.
- Grading
-
Homework assignments will be posted on the web every Tuesday and will be due
next Tuesday at 3pm, Academic Office Howey W111, c/o Kevin Carter.
Solutions will be posted on t-square resources. You can discuss problems
with each other, but the solutions have to be executed and submitted individually.
There will
be no exams, your performance (pass/fail) will be assessed based on the homeworks, so
day-to-day participation is very important.
-
If you need a letter grade,
arrange that through your graduate coordinator and let me know.
- Resources
-
There is no assigned textbook for the course. A few references we have
consulted:
-
M. Stone and P. Goldbart, Mathematics for Physics
(Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2004) offers a very engaging, physics focused
approach. Get this book:)
-
G. B. Arfken and H. J. Weber, Mathematical Methods for Physicists, 6th Edition:
A Comprehensive Guide
(Academic Press, San Diego 2005), ISBN: 9780120598762.
-
Roger Penrose,
The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe
(Knopf 2005), is an amazing and wonderfully engaging attempt to teach you the meaning
of all mathematical methods you will ever need.
-
Paul Goldbart's list of mathematical methods references
- Questions
-
I have to skip next lecture?
Dog ate my homework?
Where are the solution sets?
What help aids can I take along?
How much programming needed?
Should I submit my code along with the
computational exercises?
- Discussion site (experimental)
- groups.google.com/group/gt-chaos-course/topics
-
suggestions by students and faculty
(feel free to add your comments at any time).