Physics 6103/6303
Sections 17936/17937
Fall 2012
Methods of Mathematical Physics
Text - Weber and Arfken (any edition is OK, but problems and chapters are
assigned from the 6th edition)
Ed Hungerford
hunger@uh.edu
http://mep.phys.uh.edu
Office: S&R 1, Room 408
Fall 2011
1730 - 2030 MW
S&R, Room 516
Week
Beginning
Lecture Homework Due Date
Aug. 27
Ch 6
Set 1
Sept 5
Sept. 2
Ch 7
Set 2
Sept 12
*****Labor Day Holiday - Sept. 3*****
Sept. 9
Ch 5
Set 3
Sept. 19
Sept. 16
Ch 1
Set 4
Sept. 26
Sept. 23
Ch 2
Set 5
Oct 3
Sept. 30
Ch 9
***
**Mid Term Exam Oct 10 **
Oct. 7
Ch 9,10
Set 6
Oct 10
Oct. 14
Ch 11,12
Set 7
Oct 17
Oct. 21
Ch 12
Set 8
Oct. 24
Oct. 28
Ch 13,14
Set 9
Oct. 31
Nov. 4
Ch 14
Set 10
Nov 7
Nov. 11
Ch 15
Set 11
Nov.14
Nov. 18
Ch 17
Set 12
Nov.19
*****Thanksgiving Holiday - Nov. 22-26*****
Nov. 25
Ch 4
Set 13
Nov. 28
Dec. 2
First Day of Class — Aug. 27
Last Date to Drop — Nov. 2
Last Day of Class — Dec. 8
Final Exam — Dec. 19 5-8pm
Your grade will be determined by:
Midterm
Final
Homework
40%
40%
20%
1
The course will cover the topics of;
1. Complex Variables
(a) Conformal Mapping
(b) Integration in the Complex Plane
(c) Analytic Functions
(d) Dispersion Relations
(e) Method of Steepest Descents
2. Series
(a) Convergence
(b) Asymptotic Series
(c) Elliptic Integrals
3. General Curvilinear Coordinates
(a) Differential Forms
(b) Tensor Algebra
(c) Partial Differential Equations
(d) Special Functions
(e) Sturm Liouville Problem - Eigenfunctions
4. Integral Equations and Transforms
(a) Green Functions
(b) Fourier Transforms
(c) Calculus of Variations
5. Elementary Group Theory and Symmetries
(a) Symmetries and Noether’s Theorem
(b) Lorentz Group
(c) Angular Momentum and Clebsh-Gordan Coefficients
(d) SU(N) - Weight Diagrams - Young’s Tableau
The syllabus and the solutions to the homework problems may be obtained from
the web site above. Homework will be collected and graded each week. It will not
be accepted after the solutions are posted. Exams will be closed book. You may
consult with others on the homework problems, otherwise and for what you turn in
for grading DO YOUR OWN WORK !!
2
Physics 6321 - Homework Problems
Set 1.
Problems: 6.1.7, 6.1.17, 6.2.8, 6.4.6, 6.6.5
Set 2.
Problems: 7.1.1, 7.2.1, 7.2.5, 7.2.19, 7.4.2
Set 3.
Problems: 5.2.7, 5.6.4, 5.6.17, 5.7.15, 5.10.8
Set 4.
Problems: 1.6.4, 1.8.18, 1.9.12, 1.11.8, 1.12.6
Set 5.
Problems: 1.15.14, 2.4.14, 2.5.14, 2.9.1, 2.10.9
Set 6.
Problems: 9.1.14, 9.3.3, 9.4.4, 9.4.10, 9.5.2
Set 7.
Problems: 10.2.14, 10.3.4, 10.5.4, 11.1.5, 11.1.21
Set 8.
Problems: 11.3.5, 11.5.11, 11.6.5, 11.7.9, 11.7.22
Set 9.
Problems: 12.1.7, 12.3.7, 12.4.7, 12.7.5, 12.11.5
Set 10.
Problems: 13.1.10, 13.2.9, 13.4.8, 14.1.5, 14.3.4
Set 11.
Problems: 14.3.9, 14.4.1, 14.6.2, 15.3.9, 15.4.4
Set 12.
Problems: 15.6.3, 15.8.6, 17.1.3, 17.2.5, 17.3.4
Set 13.
Problems: 17.6.5, 17.7.4, 17.8.4, 4.1.3, 4.2.3
Set 14.
Problems:
3