PH461/PH561

CAPSTONES IN PHYSICS: MATHEMATICAL METHODS

http://physics.oregonstate.edu/~wwarren/COURSES/ph461

Syllabus for Fall 2007

General Information			announcements	Ph505 R&C	Last update 9/25/07
Week	Date	Topic				Reading (RHB 3rd Ed.)	Homework
1	M Sept. 24	Complex Numbers H1 complex algebra; polar representation				§3.1 - §3.3
	W Sept. 26	de Moivre’s theorem; logarithms and powers				§3.4, §3.5	PS1 SolnPS1
	F Sept. 28	hyperbolic functions H1a				§3.7
2	M Oct. 1	Vector Calculus differentiation and integration; lines and surfaces H2a				§10.1 - §10.3 §10.5
	W Oct. 3	scalar and vector fields; vector operators; cylindrical and spherical polar coordinates H2				§10.6 - §10.9	PS2 SolnPS2
	F Oct. 5	Line, Surface and Volume Integrals line and surface integrals				§11.1, §11.5
3	M Oct. 8	volume integrals; divergence theorem; Stoke’s theorem				§11.6, §11.8, §11.9
	W Oct. 10	Series and Approximations H3 arithmetic, geometric, Taylor and MacLaurin power series, Fourier series				§4.1, §4.2, §4.5, §4.6	PS3 SolnPS3
	F Oct. 12	using series to make approximations
4	M Oct. 15	Series solutions of O.D.E. H4 classification of differential equations; ordinary and singular points				§16.1
	W Oct. 17	series solutions about an ordinary point series solutions about a regular singular point				§16.2, §16.3	PS4 SolnPS4
	F Oct. 19
5	M Oct. 22	obtaining a second solution H5 polynomial solutions				§16.4, §16.5
	W Oct. 24	Eigenfunction Methods for Differential Equations orthonormal functions				§17.1	PS5 SolnPS5
	F Oct. 26	Hermitian operators H6				§17.2 - §17.3
6	M Oct. 29	Sturm-Liouville equations				§17.4
	W Oct. 31	superposition of eigenfunctions: Green’s functions				§17.5	PS6 SolnPS6
	F Nov. 2	MIDTERM EXAM midterm info
7	M Nov. 5	Special Functions H7 Legendre’s equation; Legendre polynomials				§18.1
	W Nov. 7	Associated Legendre functions; spherical harmonics				§18.2, §18.3	PS7 SolnPS7
	F Nov. 9	Bessel’s equation; Bessel functions				§18.5
8	M Nov. 12	Partial Differential Equations I H8 the partial differential equations of physics				§20.1
	W Nov. 14	general and particular solutions				§20.3	PS8 SolnPS8
	F Nov. 16	the wave equation				§20.4
9	M Nov. 19	the diffusion equation				§20.5
	W Nov. 21	Partial Differential Equations II separation of variables H9				§21.1, §21.2	PS9 SolnPS9
	F Nov. 23	HOLIDAY - NO CLASS
10	M Nov. 26	separation of variables in polar coordinates; spherical harmonics				§21.3
	W Nov. 28	Calculus of Variations Euler-Lagrange Equation				§22.1, §22.2	PS10 SolnPS10
	F Nov. 30	Review
	Tuesday, Dec 4: 12:00 -13:50	FINAL EXAM final exam info