PHZ3113: Mathematical Physics - Spring 2009

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PHZ3113-01
Mathematical Physics
Society of Physics Students
Syllabus
Credits 3
Semester Spring 2009
Course Ref# 03752
Instructor Per Arne Rikvold
Room KEN413
(850) 644-6814
prikvold @ fsu.edu
Classroom HCB317
Time 11:15AM - 12:05PM
M W F
Office Hours 5:00 - 6:00PM
Thursday
Room KEN413
Tutorial Sess. 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Monday
Room KEN707
Prerequisite PHY 2049
PHY-2049C
PHY 2054C
Corequisite MAP 2302
MAP 3305.
Textbook H.J. Weber and G.B. Arfken, Essential Mathematical Methods for Physicists (Elsevier Academic Press, Amsterdam, 2004)
Grades
Homework 25%
Weekly
Due Wednesdays
2 Midterms 20% each
Mon, 2/2/2009
Mon, 3/30/2009
Final Exam 35%
Thur, 4/30/2009
12:30 - 2:30PM
Room HCB317
Grading A- / B+: 90%
B- / C+: 70%
C- / D: 50%
D / F: 40%

Mathematics is the language of physics, and in this course we will practice and extend our skills in this language. The emphasis will be on developing intuition by paper-and-pencil analytical work. Working problems is absolutely essential to developing a true understanding of the material. Starting with a brief review of differentiation and integration and the Taylor expansion in one dimension, we go on to study

Vector calculus

Differential equations

Curvilinear coordinate systems

Linear algebra (matrices and determinants)

Series expansions

Complex analysis

Other Integration Techniques

specialized techniques of integration, integral transforms, special functions, boundary-value problems, numerical methods.