PHYS 610; Mathematical Methods; Fall 2023
PHYS 622; Electromagnetism; Winter 2024
This page and its links contain
all of the general information you need for the course, and they will be updated
frequently. Please check this page regularly, and make sure you hit your browser's
`Reload' button so you get the latest version.
Overview, and Expected Learning Outcome
PHYS 610 is designed to teach mathematical
concepts and methods that are useful in physics in general, and in the theory of
classical electromagnetism in particular. Successful
completion of the first quarter will result in knowledge of simple algebraic
structures that frequently appear in physics, and of basic concepts and methods
in analysis. PHYS 622 covers
basic notions and simple applications of classical electrodynamics.
Successful completion of the second quarter will result
in knowledge of Maxwell's equations as well as their static and simple dynamic solutions.
The two quarters will be taught as one contiguous course; if you contemplate taking
622 without having taken 610 please talk to me first.
Time and Location:
- MW 14:00 - 15:50 in 147 WIL
- Speaking of time, here is the official time from NIST
Lecture Notes :
- The table of contents for 610 may be updated as the
course proceeds. The links are to a (not quite up to date) scanned version of my handwritten notes that
you may find hard to read. I will write everything I say on the
board, so if you take good notes then by the end of the term you'll
have your own set of my lecture notes. An incomplete set of typeset notes
is here .
These notes are still a work in progress and will be updated as we go along.
- The tentative table of contents for 622 is here, with
links to a version of my handwritten notes. Typeset notes for an earlier version of the
course are here .
- Please keep in mind that anybody else's lecture notes, including the
lecturer's, are next to useless unless you have your own set taken by YOU. This goes
for textbooks as well. My notes are only meant as a record of my blackboard art to check against.
Instructor:
-
Dietrich Belitz
- email:
- phone: upon request
- office: 459 Willamette
- office hours:
- real: I'll try to keep an open office policy. Catch me after class if possible;
otherwise, just stop by my office. If I'm really busy I'll kick you
out, but usually I'll be able to accommodate you if I'm in. If your schedule
and mine turn out to never overlap, send email and make an appointment.
- virtual: Anytime. My e-mail response time is rarely longer than a few
hours, and usually it is much shorter. If desirable, we can set up a zoom session.
TAs:
- Haidar Esseili (1st half of Quarter)
- office: 441 WIL
- email: hesseili@you-know-where
- office hours: H 2-3pm
- Aria Radick (2nd half of Quarter)
- office: 473 WIL
- email: aradick@you-know-where
- office hours: M 1-2pm
Textbooks and other helpful material:
- Recommended texts:
These are books that I used heavily in preparing the lecture notes. They are NOT required, and my lectures are designed to be
self-contained. They all are excellent reference texts, but make sure you really like a book before you buy it. If you find
some other books more useful for background reading or reference, by all means use those.
Recommended books for 610:
Recommended books for 622:
- Other useful books:
-
C.M. Bender and S.A. Orszag ,
Advanced Mathematical Methods for Scientists and Engineers
- R. Courant and D. Hilbert , Methods
of Mathematical Physics
- P. Dennery and A. Krzywicki ,
Mathematics for Physicists
- L.E. Elsgolc , Calculus of Variations
- J.D. Jackson , Classical Electrodynamics
- C. Lanzcos , in
Handbook of Physics , E.U. Condon and H. Odishaw (eds.), McGraw-Hill (New York 1958), p. 1-111 through 1-122.
-
F.E. Low ,
Classical Field Theory
- P.M. Morse and H. Feshbach ,
Methods of Theoretical Physics
- F.W.J. Olver et al, ,
NIST Handbook of Mathematical Functions
-
D.E Soper ,
Classical Field Theory
Exams and Grading
Midterm 610: Homework #5 doubles as the Mideterm
Final 610: tba
The Final for 610 is a limited-time take-home exam that is due on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 5:00pm.
Please read the instructions first.
Once you are ready, you will find the exam here .
Midterm 622: tba
Final 622: tba
Homework will count for 20% of the grade.
Your grade will thus be mostly based on the exams, but it will be next to
impossible to do well on the exams
unless you have spent a lot of time and effort on the homework problems.
If your performance on the final is better than on the midterm, the
midterm will not count and the final will count 80%. If your performance
on the midterm is better than
on the final, the midterm will count for 30% of the grade and the final for 50%.
Homework:
Homework problems will be posted on this page in pdf format (see below). They will be assigned
weekly on Wednesday and will be due the following Wednesday in class.
I will post scans of my solutions, also in pdf format.
Don't be fooled by the 20% weight given to the homework.
The homework problems are an integral part of the course, and spending
substantial time on the homework will be essential for understanding the
material discussed in class. One can learn very little physics by just reading
a book, or listening to lectures, so make sure you allow adequate time for
doing the homework problems. Also, doing well on the exam will be next to
impossible without a thorough understanding of the homework problems.
Note:
Of course I know that the solutions to most of my homework problems can be found on the
web. Find and look at them at your own peril.
Collaborating on the homework is okay, and even
encouraged. You should make sure, however, that you really understand the
material yourself rather than just tagging along.
Problem Sets for PHYS 610
Problem Assignment #1: 09/27/2023, due 10/04/2023
Solutions
Problem Assignment #2: 10/04/2023, due 10/11/2023
Solutions
Problem Assignment #3: 10/11/2023, due 10/18/2023
Solutions
Problem Assignment #4: 10/18/2023, due 10/25/2023
Solutions
Problem Assignment #5: 10/25/2022, due 11/01/2023
Problem Assignment #6: 11/01/2022, due 11/08/2023
Solutions
Problem Assignment #7: 11/08/2022, due 11/15/2023
Solutions
Problem Assignment #8: 11/15/2023, due 11/22/2023
Solutions
Problem Assignment #9: 11/22/2023, due 11/29/2023
Solutions
610 Final Instructions Please read this before opening the Final
610 Final: due 12/06/2023 5pm
last update 11/29/2023
Dietrich Belitz
Department of Physics
University of
Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
USA