Phys 227, Fall 2009 and Phys 228, Winter 2010

Elementary Mathematical Physics

Instructor:            Aurel Bulgac 
E-mail:                 bulgac@phys.washington.edu  
Class:                   MTWTh,  11:30 am - 12:20 pm, PAA A110
                         
Office:                  PAB B478 
Phone:                 (206)685-2988 
Office Hours:       On Thursdays, in or around my office 2:30-4:00 pm.


TA:                      Ahmet Keles
Email:                  keles@u.washington.edu


Textbook 

                   Mary L. Boas,  Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences, 3rd edition
                   John Wiley & Sons Press, Third Edition, 2006.

Homework

There will be weekly homework assignments (sent by email), but they will not be graded. These will be only minimal suggestions and you are strongly urged to work on as many as you can problems.  Some solutions will be provided, and some problems will be discussed in class.  It is extremely important for each student to realize that without extensive practice it will be essentially impossible to get a passing grade in this course.  This course covers Elementary Mathematical Methods and you can think of it as the equivalent of learning how to read for you to be able to read real books, in this case read and master real physics later on.

Tentative syllabus

             In 227and 228 we will cover chapters 1-14. The material in some chapters will be covered however only partially or will be briefly reviewed (e.g. chpater 4, etc.). The pace of the course will be rather brisk and each student will have to do lots of reading, as some material will be touched upon only tangentially in class for the lack of time. The fact that the instructor diod not cover, either in detail or at all certain topics, could not be used as an excuse for not learning that topic. Ideally each student should master the material covered in the entire book in order to be able to master subsequent physics courses. 

             We will have to spend less time on chapters 1, 2 and 4, 5, and the emphasis in Phys 227 will be on the material in chapters 3, 6, and 8.  In Phys 228 we will go rather fast through chapters 10, 11 and 12, and we spend considerable amount of time on the material covered in chapters 7, 9 and 13.  That will mean that each student will have to individually study the material in chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12, as lack of time prevents us from lingering on that material.

Computers

             Basic use of a computer mathematics program such as Mathematica is now an integral part of this course (the computational part) and its discussion will be included in the lectures.

Quizzes

             Each Monday there will be a quiz, which will be graded and the results will count towards the final grade.
             As January 18th and February 15th, which fall on Mondays are holidays, the quizzes will be instead on 1/19 and 2/16.

All exams are in  PAA  A110

Phys 227

            First midterm:         Thursday,     October 22nd,       11:30 am - 12:20 pm
            Second midterm:     Thursday,     November  12th,   11:30 am - 12:20 pm
            Final  exam:            Wednesday,  December 16th,      2:30 pm -   4:20 pm

Phys 228

            First midterm:         Thursday,     January 28nd,       11:30 am - 12:20 pm
            Second midterm:     Thursday,     February  25th,     11:30 am - 12:20 pm
            Final  exam:            Wednesday,  March 17th,            2:30 pm -  4:20 pm



            There will be no make-up exams and you need to take at least one midterm and the final exam in order to pass this course.
           

All exams and quizzes are closed book and notes, the use of computers, graphic calculators, iPhones or any digital device is prohibited. Handwritten (no photocopies or printouts) notes will however be allowed. Complete and correct solutions of the problems will be heavily favored in grading, and partial credit will be given very reluctantly. 
You would not buy or drive a car with three wheels, or a computer with missing keys on its keyboard, so do not expect me to treat you differently.  (AB)

Grading

            Each midterm and the quizzes will count for 25% of the grade, and the final exam will count for 50%. When added up all this makes 125%.  However, the lowest grade will be dropped. If the final exam is the lowest then only half of the grade for the final exam will count.



Gradebook for Phys 227     GoPost for Phys 227

Gradebook for Phys 228     GoPost for Phys 228