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Last updated 2020-Nov-24
The course was scheduled to meet on MWF from 10-10:50am in Crow 205 but has now officially moved online at the same time using Canvas and Zoom. Class will start on Monday, September 14. The enrollment in this class is such that this will still allow a very interactive and meaningful exposure to the main ideas and techniques of Quantum Mechanics. I look forward to meeting you in the Fall!
It will be important to clarify your ability to be directly involved
during class. I plan to contact students that are preregistered shortly to
identify possible problems. Both audio and video is important to have the
greatest benefit for this class. Additional flexibility will be built in
as I plan to record the lectures in Canvas.
Instructor: |
Willem
Dickhoff Office: Compton 371; Email: wimd@wuphys.wustl.edu Office hours: Thursday 1-3 and by email appointment |
| AI: | Daria Kowsari Office: Crow 106 ; Phone: 5-xxx; Email: dariakowsari@wustl.edu Office hours: Thursday 9-10 and by email appointment |
| Course Textbooks: | Modern Quantum
Mechanics (Addison-Wesley; 2nd edition) (2011) by Sakurai
and Napolitano, ISBN-13: 978-0805382914 (hardcover). We will cover a substantial fraction of the material in this book during the Fall Semester. It may also be used in the Spring Semester. Quantum Mechanics: Fundamentals (Springer; 2nd edition) (2004) by Gottfried and Yan, ISBN-13: 978-0387220239 (softcover). This book is not as friendly but is written at a higher level. Students interested in theory are advised to consider this book in addition to Sakurai. Both are recommended. You are expected to have a copy of one of these books available at all times. . |
| Other useful books: | Additional books that you should consult once in a while in
the library are: Messiah Cohen-Tannoudji et al. Merzbacher Landau & Lifshitz Baym Dirac Weinberg 2nd edition Griffiths (for review of undergraduate material) Dickhoff and Van Neck (for many-fermion and many-boson material) (All are on reserve in the physics library Note: I don't yet know how this works in practice but I have almost all the listed books in my study at home and can identify useful sections in those books with some screen shots perhaps.) |
The course is defined by the material discussed in the lectures and reviewed in the problem sets. A preliminary schedule is given below with references to the Sakurai book. It includes the covered material in the book, the subject, date of class, and the homework schedule.
FORMAT OF COURSE:
COURSE GRADE:
- Three meetings per week online
- Try to read appropriate material for each class (either review or preparatory).
- Class participation and presence is essential.
- Homework assignment approximately every week to be turned in a week later at the beginning of class to be submitted in pdf form. Homework to be graded and returned a week later.
- Most likely 12 homework sets for a total of ~40% of course grade with some computational work included
- Midterm exam for a total of ~25% (cancelled) --> preparation and presentation of about half an hour lecture to the class about quantum material not discussed in class (~30% of course grade)
- Final exam for a total of ~35% (cancelled) --> interview with instructor about the course material (~30% of course grade)
| Homework: | Students are encouraged to form study groups and discuss the homework with each other, but each student must write his or her own solutions. You may be asked to discuss solution strategies of homework problems during class. |
| Homework solutions | Solution |
During the evaluation period you can supply your evaluation of the course at the course evaluation website.