Office Hours -Wed 130-330, or please make an appointment. TA: James Kunert kunert@uw.edu office hour Wed 330-430, B157.
This course is concerned with a review of electrostatics and solving complicated problems in that field. The use of complex variable techniques that expand the ability to solve physics problems will also be an important part of this quarter. More generally the aim is to bring your use of math in physics to a professional level. Another goal involves preparation for the qualifying exam which will be the final exam in 514. Modern physics examples will be introduced when relevant.
The content will include Chapt. I of Dennery and Kryzywicki and approximately Chapts 1-4 of Jackson. Approximate first week's reading Chapt. I.1, App. 1,2,3, Chap 1.1-1.7 Approximate second week's reading: Chap 1.8-1.11, 2.1,2.2 Approximate third week's reading: Jackson-2.1-2.6 , Dennery &K pges 1-25. Approximate fourth week's reading Dennery & K pages 22-25,25-33, 65-73. Approximate fifth week's reading Dennery & K pages 25-65. Approximate sixth week's reading D & K 56-65,74-82. Approximate seventh week's reading D & K 87-98, Jackson 96-104
Homework will be assigned every week or so, generally due on Thursday. Doing the assigned problems is probably the most important ingredient in learning the material, and your scores on these represent 40 % of the grade. You may, and should discuss the hw problems with fellow students, but the solutions must be your own. It is necessary to hand in the homework on time in class on the due date. This is because solutions will be posted soon after class. The use of Mathematica, or other electronic tools, is solve homework problems is generally encouraged. But some HW sets will require only calculations by your own hands. Each individual homework problem is worth 10 points. The midterm represents 20 % and the final exam represents 40 % of the grade. Exams are closed book and closed notes, but open minds. A page of notes may be provided to reduce memorization. No Mathematica etc. on exams.
HW 0- Due Thurday Sept. 26: Please send an email to me (miller@uw.edu) and cc James Kunert (kunert@uw.edu). The email should briefly describe your background in physics and complex variables, whether you aim to be an experimentalists or theorist (or if you are not in the Physics Department your interest in taking the course) and anything else that you think would be relevant for to know to help me to teach the class. Please- no more than three sentences. This easy set counts as much as a hard Jackson problem, so make sure to cash in the easy ten points. Grading illustration from 513 in 2011: The average on the final (F) was 137/200. The average on the midterm was 67/100 (M) and the average of the homework HW was 157/200. Your gpa was computed as gpa= 3.35 +.01 (F+M+HW-371). I have rounded the numbers here.
Midterm Exam Thursday Nov. 1, 11:00
Final exam:4:30-6:20 pm Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012