Updates:

• 12/17   Statistics for final exam: av. 63/100, SD=11.6 (Q1: 11/20, Q2 9/20, Q3 14/20, Q4 13/20, Q5 16/20).
  Have a good winter break!
• 12/12   Solution to final posted on daily coverage link.
• 11/7   Solution to midterm posted on "daily coverage" link.
  Midterm stats: Average 29/50, standard deviation 5.6. Qu 1 4.4/13 (SD 3), Qu 2 8.6/12 (SD 3.6); Qu 3 16/25 (SD 4.1).

Index

Office hours and contact information

• Prof. Steve Sharpe   sharpe@phys.washington.edu   B406 PAB  685-2395
• Office hours: M: 1-2, Tue 1:15-2:15
• TA: Kregg Philpott   kreggp@u.washington.edu   B249 PAB  685-7421

Texts

• "Theoretical Mechanics of Particles and Continua," by A.L. Fetter and J.D. Walecka (Dover reprint series)
• "Chaotic Dynamics: An Introduction," by G.L. Baker and J.P. Gollub (Cambridge University Press; 2nd ed. 1996)
• Other useful references that I am aware of are listed here .

Course Structure and Syllabus

• This course is a mix of about two thirds standard classical mechanics (covering material that can appear on the corresponding section of the qualifying exam), and one third chaotic systems. Last year's daily coverage serves as a good, though approximate detailed model for this year's course. I intend to cover Poisson brackets in class this year, which I did not have time for last year.

  A less detailed outline is as follows (FW = Fetter and Walecka, BG = Baker and Gollub):

  • Introduction and review of Newtoninan Mechanics (FW Chs. 1 & 2)
    • Central forces, orbits, scattering
    • Inertial and non-inertial reference frames
  • Lagrangian Dynamics (FW Ch. 3)
  • Small Oscillations and Normal Modes (FW Ch. 4)
  • Rigid Bodies (FW Ch. 5)
  • Hamiltonian Dynamics (FW Ch. 6)
  • Introduction to chaos---phase space flows, attractors (BG Ch. 1)
  • Forced, damped pendulum as the examplar of chaotic behavior---Poincare maps, bifurcation diagrams, period doubling route to chaos (BG Chs. 3 and 4)
  • General characterizations of chaotic systems: self-similarity and fractal dimensions, Lyapunov exponents, intermittency. (BG Chs. 5 and 6)
• Reading ahead and archived handouts.
  • I will note in the daily coverage topics that I expect you to read about before the next lecture. This link also archives any handouts.
• Holidays.
  • There will be no classes on Veteran's day (Monday, November 12th) or on the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 23rd).
• Homework.
  • There will be weekly homework sets, usually due on Wednesdays in class, probably nine sets in all.
  • You are encouraged to discuss the assignments with classmates, but the solutions you turn in must be your own work.
  • Working on assignments in a timely fashion is an important part of the learning process. Late work will be accepted at the class meeting subsequent to the due date, but with a 50% penalty. After that, assignments will not be accepted, unless as prearranged due to exceptional circumstances.
• Exams. There will be two exams in this class:
  • The midterm will be on Wednesday November 7th, in class.
  • The final exam is on Wed, December 12th, 8:30-10:20pm in A114 (our regular lecture hall).
• Solutions to homeworks and exams will be posted on the link above.