| MWF 11-11:50 AM | OPL 107 | http://www.wfu.edu/~natalie/f07phy711/ |
| Instructor: Natalie Holzwarth | Phone:758-5510 | Office:300 OPL | e-mail:natalie@wfu.edu |
This course is a one semester survey of Classical Mechanics and Mathematical Methods at the graduate level, using the textbook: Theoretical Mechanics of Particles and Continua by Alexander L. Fetter and John Dirk Walecka (McGraw-Hill, 1980) (now published by Dover ) -- F&W.
It is likely that your grade for the course will depend upon the following factors:
|
Problem sets* |
40% |
|
20% |
|
|
Exams |
40% |
*
In general, there will a new assignment after each lecture, so that for optimal learning, it would be best to complete each assignment before the the next scheduled lecture. According to the honor system, all work submitted for grading purposes should represent the student's own best efforts. Students should be confident that there is a contingency plan in place for continuing this class in the unlikely event of a major emergency. This plan includes the distribution of course materials by the web or by mail and the appropriate rescheduling of exams.| Date | F&W Reading | Topic | Assignment |
| Wed, 8/29/07 | Chap. 1 | Review of basic principles;Scattering theory | #1 |
| Fri, 8/31/07 | Chap. 1 | Scattering theory continued | #2 |
| Mon, 9/03/07 | Chap. 1 | Scattering theory continued | #3 | Wed, 9/05/07 | Chap. 3 | Calculus of variation | #4 |
| Fri, 9/06/07 | Chap. 3 | Calculus of variation | #5 |
| Mon, 9/10/07 | Chap. 3 | Calculus of variation | #6 |
| Wed, 9/12/07 | Chap. 3 | Lagrangian mechanics | #7 |
| Fri, 9/14/07 | Chap. 3 | Lagrangian mechanics | |
| Mon, 9/17/06 | Chap. 3 & 6 | Lagrangian for magnetic forces | #8 |
| Wed, 9/19/07 | Chap. 3 & 6 | Lagrangians & Hamiltonians | #9 |
| Fri, 9/21/07 | Chap. 3 & 6 | Hamiltonian formalism | #10 |
| Mon, 9/24/07 | Chap. 6 | Hamiltonian-Jacobi Theory | #11 |
| Wed, 9/26/07 | Chap. 6 | Review of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism | |
| Fri, 9/28/07 | Chap. 4 | Small Oscillations | |
| Mon, 10/01/07 | Chap. 4 | Small Oscillations | |
| Wed, 10/03/07 | Chap. 4 | Normal modes | |
| Fri, 10/05/07 | Chap. 5 | Rigid body motion | |
| Mon, 10/08/07 | Chap. 5 | Rigid body motion | #12 |
| Wed, 10/10/07 | Chap. 5 | Euler Angles | #13 |
| Fri, 10/12/07 | Chap. 7 | Waves on strings | #14 |
| Mon, 10/15/07 | Chap. 7 | Sturm-Liouville equations | #15 |
| Wed, 10/17/07 | Chap. 7 | Sturm-Liouville equations | |
| Fri, 10/19/07 | Fall Break | ||
| Mon, 10/22/07 | Laplace transforms | #16 | |
| Wed, 10/24/07 | Appen. A | Contour integration | #17 |
| Fri, 10/26/07 | Chap. 8 | Membrane oscillations | #18 |
| Mon, 10/29/07 | Chap. 9 | Hydrodynamic equations | #19 |
| Wed, 10/31/07 | Chap. 9 | Bernoulli's equations | #20 |
| Fri, 11/02/07 | Chap. 9 | Sound waves | |
| Mon, 11/05/07 | Chap. 9 | Sound waves | |
| Wed, 11/07/07 | Chap. 9 | Sound waves | |
| Fri, 11/09/07 | No class | Take Home Exam | |
| Mon, 11/12/07 | Chap. 9 | Shock waves | |
| Wed, 11/14/07 | Chap. 10 | Water waves | #21 |
| Fri, 11/16/07 | Chap. 10 | Solitary Waves | |
| Mon, 11/19/07 | Chap. 10 | Solitary Waves | |
| Wed, 11/21/07 | Thanksgiving Holiday | ||
| Fri, 11/23/07 | Thanksgiving Holiday | ||
| Mon, 11/26/07 | Chap. 12 | Viscous fluids | #22 |
| Wed, 11/28/07 | Chap. 12 | Viscous fluids | #23 |
| Fri, 11/30/07 | Chap. 12 | Viscous fluids | #24 |
| Mon, 12/03/07 | Chap. 12 | Sound wave viscocity and review | |
| Wed, 12/05/07 | Presentations | ||
| Fri, 12/07/07 | Presentations |