Physics 301/Math 355:
Mathematical Methods of Physics

This is the course website for Physics 301/Math 355: Mathematical Methods of Physics. Please visit this site frequently; all homework assignments will be posted here, as well as detailed solutions to all homeworks. These solutions will be made available for public viewing as soon as homework is collected in at the beginning of class. This site will also post a series of classnotes to elucidate issues raised in class, provide greater detail about certain topics, provide tutoring in the use of Mathematica, and also to show how the material done in class can be extended.

You can always view the syllabus here.

Homework Assignments & Solutions

• Homework #1 | HW #1 Solutions| Due 20 Jan. 2017


• Homework #2 | HW #2 Solutions| Due 30 Jan. 2017


• Homework #3 |first problem and HW #3 Solutions| Due 6 Feb. 2017


• Homework #4 | HW #4 Solutions| Due 13 Feb. 2017


• Homework #5 | HW #5 Solutions| Due 22 Feb. 2017


• Homework #6 | HW #6 Solutions| Due 20 March 2017


• Homework #7 | HW #7 Solutions| Due 29 March 2017


• Homework #8 | HW #8 Solutions| Due 5 April 2017


• Homework #9 | HW #9 Solutions| Due 12 April 2017


• Homework #10 | HW #10 Solutions| Due 26 April 2017

Class Notes

• Jan. 9:For the first day of class, read and study this classnote describing orthogonal curvilinear coordinates .


• Jan. 9:For the Mathematica labs (starting the first W of classes), please make sure you read this introduction to Mathematica .


• Jan. 20:For next week's Mathematica lab, please read how to create and use functions in Mathematica.


• Jan. 22Here ia an Introduction to Matrix Operations in Mathematica.


• Jan 30: As we begin our study of Fourier series, read this review of series expansions.


• Jan 30:For this week's lab, read this discussion on loops and control stuctures in Mathematica, and also about If Statements .


• Jan 30 :Review this classnote if you are rust or unfamiliar with hyperbolic functions .


• Feb 6:For lab Wednesday, read these two write-ups on the properties of waves and how to use Mathematica to analyze Fourier series. .


• Beb. 10:As you work on computing Fourier series, it would be helpful to review how symmetry considerations can simplify computing integrals.


• Feb. 13:This week we will begin to learn how to write code to solve problems numerically. Please read the Introduction to discrete methods.


• Feb. 20:For this week's lab, we will go into more depth with Euler's method to solve physics problems. Please read advanced Euler's method techniques and solving trajectory problems with Euler's method.


• Feb. 20:I have posted notes for the first hour exam.


• Feb. 20: Tests for: last year, 2015, and 2014.


• Feb. 27:As we begin our review of vector calculus, read and study these notes on Einstein Summation Notation..


• Feb. 27:: Read more about summation notation including the epsilon-delta relationship.


• Feb. 27: To get a better sense of the utility of summation notation, review this derivation of BAC-CAB using term-by-term expansion.


• Feb. 27: This write-up will show you how to solve some fairly elaboratevector proofs via summation notation.


• Feb. 27: Solutions for the first hour exam..


• March 13:For lab this week, read these two classnotes: about the gradient function and its use in Mathematica and using Mathematica to study vector calculus. These were written with older versions of Mathematica, so some of the details might be different in the most recent version.


• March 21::You can study examples of more elaborate vector proofs..


• March 21:Read this as we begin our study of series solutions of differential equations..


• March 21:As you are beginning to see, Legendre polynomials are an important special function in physics. Read how Legendre polynomials are treated in Mathematica and how how they are used in physics..


• April 11:Notes for the second hour exam are posted.


• April 11:Solutions for past exams: 2016 exam, 2015 exam, 2014 exam, 2013 exam.


• April 19:Solutions to the second hour exam.


• April 21:. Read how we can solve Laplace's equation in spherical coordinates.