Prof. Todd B. Krause's Phys 310 Home Page: Spring 2009

Lecture Room:	CWSC 136
Lecture Time:	TTH 10:00–11:50a
Lecturer:	Todd B. Krause
Office:	CWSC 129
Phone:	(740) 368-3771
Email:
Office Hours:	MW 10–12, TTH 1–2, or by appointment.

The syllabus in pdf format.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisites for this course are minimal:

• differential & integral calculus;
• vector calculus;
• introductory physics.

That is, you should be comfortable with taking derivatives and calculating integrals in various dimensions, and you should already have some acquaintance with Newton's laws and some of the more standard topics in introductory mechanics, such as the analysis of simple harmonic motion and motion in a gravitational field.

The other crucial ingredient is the ever-elusive

• mathematical maturity,

a slippery quantity which is as difficult to define as it is to acquire. In essence this means that the student should look beyond mere mechanical calculation to the fundamental underpinnings of a problem, with a view toward its logical structure, its dependence on clear principles, and the distinction between those elements specific to the problem at hand and those which may generalize to other areas.

Course Outline

This is meant to be a rather advanced course on classical mechanics. Most students finish their undergraduate careers with the mistaken impression that classical mechanics is a branch of physics which is "finished", for lack of a better word; that nothing new remains to be discovered in classical mechanics, and that it has little relevance other than as a formal prerequisite for "modern" physics. However, nothing could be farther from the truth! This class aims to provide the student with a sophisticated understanding of classical mechanics, with a view toward results that were only clearly understood in the latter half of the 20th century.

In particular I would like to provide the student with an appreciation of the following topics:

• what Newton really achieved in the Principia;
• how we may reformulate classical mechanics with geometric techniques that pervade modern physics from General Relativity, to satellite capture, to String Theory;
• what Bohr and Heisenberg originally did to quantize classical mechanics;
• how deterministic — even conservative — systems can still exhibit chaotic dynamics.

The degree to which we can achieve these goals, of course, depends on student dedication and interest. Classical mechanics is a subject of nearly unparalleled beauty; with hard work on your part, matched by hard work on mine, we will all come out with a deeper appreciation for arguably the single most fundamental branch of physical science.

The following chart outlines the format of the course, week by week. Please check here periodically to find assignments, as well as any adjustments to adapt the course better to student interests. See the Homework & Solutions page to download assignments and their solutions.

Exams

There will be midterm exams and a cumulative final exam at the end of the semester.

Project

The final project is an open-ended project of your own design, with the intent that you do something that makes classical mechanics relevant to you. That is, do any project that relates classical mechanics to your own interests. The format is completely up to you; some ideas are

• an in-depth, historical survey paper;
• directed calculations on a specific topic;
• computer simulations in
  • a standard programming language such as C++, Fortran, Python, etc.; or
  • a standard programming environment such as Matlab or Mathematica;
• a presentation for the class (please arrange this with me well in advance, so that we can fit you into the lecture schedule);
• a video;
• an interpretive dance; or
• whatever else you can think of!

The only limits are the boundaries of your own imagination. Please follow, however, a few guidelines:

• Don't give me a Wiki-rehash; that is, don't use "da Web" as a primary resource. Be creative!
• Please provide me with an electronic copy. For example, in the case of a
  • presentation: please provide me with a copy of slides;
  • performance: record the performance on video, etc.
• Have fun!

In the end, all I am asking is that you show me that you put serious effort into the project. I reward effort — big time! The final project is only meant to help your overall grade by giving you the chance to study in-depth a topic that has piqued your interest.

Extra Credit

Feel free to earn extra credit by taking on extra projects. There are several ways the student can earn extra credit in the course. Here I provide a few suggestions, but I welcome student input concerning other ideas for extra credit.

I have created a page on Computational Methods pertinent to the topics we are discussing in class. The student may follow the templates there to simulate systems in a variety of possible programming languages. Feel free to pursue numerical explorations for extra credit.

I would also welcome student assistance as I flesh out the notes I am writing for the course. I would be happy to give extra credit to students willing to read my notes closely and provide useful and thoughtful criticism. I welcome simple proofreading, ideas for new content, revised explanations of existing content, new problems with solutions, fleshed-out examples, illustrative diagrams, or whatever else might come to mind. I would enjoy the assistance, and I will reward concerted effort in kind!

Course Policy & Grading

The factors contributing to your grade break down as follows.

I will assign letter grades for the final cumulative score according to the following system.

Textbook

The textbook for the class is Classical Mechanics, by John R. Taylor. This appears to be a very well-written text, and will no doubt provide an excellent reference for a broad range of topics. It does not, however, cover all of the topics which I plan to treat during the semester. I will treat some topics in greater depth than the text and others which the text may not even touch upon at all. It is therefore very important that you attend class and take detailed notes.

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How to do Well in this Course

Please do not let math be a stumbling point. Ask fellow students for guidance, and see me if this does not solve the issue. Moreover, the following guidelines, together with a measure of common sense, provide a recipe for success:

During lectures

• Show up! Attend every class, if at all possible. How can you learn if you aren't there?
• Take detailed notes (students who are talking, reading newspapers or magazines, or playing with cellphones, laptops, iPods, etc. will be asked to leave the classroom);
• Ask questions, especially if something I say or write is unclear.

Outside lectures

• Read! Read! READ! Read the textbook and any other suggested materials;
• Work out homework problems as well as additional problems;
• Work in groups (but make sure to do your own work independently before checking with others);
• Come to office hours whenever necessary.