PHY 711 Classical Mechanics

MWF 9-9:50 AM OPL 107 http://www.wfu.edu/~natalie/s98phy711/

Instructor: Natalie Holzwarth Phone:758-5510Office:300 OPL e-mail:natalie@wfu.edu


General Information

This course is a one semester survey of Classical Mechanics at the graduate level, using the textbook: Theoretical Mechanics of Particles and Continua by Alexander L. Fetter and John Dirk Walecka (McGraw-Hill, 1980) -- F&W. In addition to this textbook the following books have been placed in the Physics Library for your use in the library (that is, please do not remove the books from the physics library):

QA845
B53
1987

Edward Beltrami, Mathematics for dynamic modeling (Academic, 1987)

QA 805
G6
1980

Herbert Goldstein, Classical Mechanics (Addison-Wesley, 1980)

QA845
M38
1970

Jerry B. Marion, Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems (Academic, 1970)

QC125.2
S94
1971

Keith R. Symon, Mechanics (Addison-Wesley, 1971)


It is likely that your grade for the course will depend upon the following factors:

Problem sets*

40%

Computational project

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.




Course schedule

(Preliminary schedule -- subject to frequent adjustment.)
  1. Wed. Aug. 26, 1998 -- Chap. 1 F&W -- Review of basic principles; scattering theory.
  2. Fri. Aug. 28, 1998 -- Chap. 1 F&W -- Scattering theory continued.
  3. Mon. Aug. 31, 1998 -- Chap. 2 F&W -- Lagrangian dynamics.
  4. Wed. Sept. 2, 1998 -- Chap. 2 F&W -- Lagrangain dyanmics continued.
  5. Fri. Sept. 4, 1998 -- Chap. 2 F&W -- Lagrangain dyanmics continued.

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