PH461/PH561

CAPSTONES IN PHYSICS: MATHEMATICAL METHODS

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

Syllabus for Fall 2008

General Information			announcements	Ph505 R&C	Last update 09/12/08
Week	Date	Topic				Reading (RHB 3rd Ed.)	Homework
1	M Sept. 29	Complex Numbers H1 complex algebra; polar representation				§3.1 - §3.3
	W Oct. 1	de Moivre’s theorem; logarithms and powers				§3.4, §3.5	PS1 SolnPS1
	F Oct. 3	hyperbolic functions H2				§3.7
2	M Oct. 6	Vector Calculus differentiation and integration; lines and surfaces H3				§10.1 - §10.3 §10.5
	W Oct. 8	scalar and vector fields; vector operators; cylindrical and spherical polar coordinates H4				§10.6 - §10.9	PS2 SolnPS2
	F Oct. 10	Line, Surface and Volume Integrals line and surface integrals				§11.1, §11.5
3	M Oct. 13	volume integrals; divergence theorem; Stoke’s theorem				§11.6, §11.8, §11.9
	W Oct. 15	Series and Approximations H5 arithmetic, geometric, Taylor and MacLaurin power series, Fourier series				§4.1, §4.2, §4.5, §4.6	PS3 SolnPS3
	F Oct. 17	using series to make approximations
4	M Oct. 20	Series solutions of O.D.E. H6 classification of differential equations; ordinary and singular points				§16.1
	W Oct. 22	series solutions about an ordinary point series solutions about a regular singular point				§16.2, §16.3	PS4 SolnPS4
	F Oct. 24
5	M Oct. 27	obtaining a second solution H7 polynomial solutions				§16.4, §16.5
	W Oct. 29	Eigenfunction Methods for Differential Equations orthonormal functions H8				§17.1	PS5 SolnPS5
	F Oct. 31	Hermitian operators H9				§17.2 - §17.3
6	M Nov. 3	Sturm-Liouville equations				§17.4
	W Nov. 5	superposition of eigenfunctions: Green’s functions				§17.5	PS6 SolnPS6
	F Nov. 7	MIDTERM EXAM midterm info
7	M Nov. 10	Special Functions H10 Legendre’s equation; Legendre polynomials				§18.1
	W Nov. 12	Associated Legendre functions; spherical harmonics				§18.2, §18.3	PS7 SolnPS7
	F Nov. 14	Bessel’s equation; Bessel functions				§18.5
8	M Nov. 17	Partial Differential Equations I the partial differential equations of physics H11				§20.1
	W Nov. 19	general and particular solutions				§20.3	PS8 SolnPS8
	F Nov. 21	the wave equation				§20.4
9	M Nov. 24	the diffusion equation				§20.5
	W Nov. 26	Partial Differential Equations II separation of variables H12				§21.1, §21.2	PS9 SolnPS9
	F Nov. 28	HOLIDAY - NO CLASS
10	M Dec. 1	separation of variables in polar coordinates; spherical harmonics				§21.3
	W Dec. 3	Calculus of Variations Euler-Lagrange Equation				§22.1, §22.2	PS10 SolnPS10
	F Dec. 5	Review
	Wednesday, Dec 10 12:00 - 13:50	FINAL EXAM final exam info