PHZ3113 Mathematical Method in Physics

Mon. Wed. Fri. 1000-1050 PCA-171 Instructor: Dr. Wang, CP-216, Tel. 73064

Office Hours: 11:00-12:00,13:00-15:00, M,T,W Textbook: Essential Math. Methods, by Riley$Hobson (EM) Reference: Foundation of Math. by Riley$Hobson (FM) Exams: one mid-term exam, 35%, cumulative final, 45%. Homeworks are assigned and maybe collected 20% Canonical Grade Distribution: A(100,95] A-(95,90] B+(90,85] B(85,78] B-(78,70] C+(70,65] C(65,55] D(55,40] F(<40)

Course outline: Mathematical methods for physics and engineering students, concentrate on examples in physics. We'll cover Multivariable calculus, ordinary differential equations, linear algebra; matrices and vector spaces. Use of online computing facility at: elabs.fiu.edu (mathematica) to study multi-variable functions; surfaces and line integral. And numerical techniques such as curve fitting; least-square fitting, runge-kuta method, etc.

Week	Subject	Content
Jan. 8	review of basic concepts	lines, slopes, differential calculus
Jan. 15	polynomials, vector algebra (FM 2&9)	internal coordinates and coordinate transformation
Jan. 22	multi-variable function and partial derivatives (FM 7)	equation of state, implicit functions
Jan. 29	multi-variable functions	thermodynamic functions and potentials
Feb. 5	probability and combinatorics (EM 16)	canonical ensemble and entropy
Feb. 12	curvilinear coordinates and vector calculus (EM 2)	potential fields and vector potentials
Feb. 19	REVIEW and MID-TERM
Feb. 26	fourier series (EM4)	normal modes and harmonics
Mar. 5	simple ordinary differential equations (EM 6&7)	homogeneous solution and particular integral
Mar. 12	SPRING BREAK --- SPRING BREAK
Mar. 19	numerical method (EM 6&7)	Kepler's laws, simple harmonic oscillator, Runge-Kutta method
Mar. 26	Partial differential equations (EM 10)	separation of variables, oscillation of a string
Apr. 2	linear algebra and matrices (EM 1)	moment of inertia tensor, least square fitting
Apr. 9	eigenvalues and eigenvectors (EM 1)	spiner eigenstates
Apr. 16	calculus of variation (EM 12)	minimum surface area, surface contact angle and wire pulling
Apr. 23	FINAL* 22nd, Monday, 0945-1145

^*Please check for changes in schedule on Panthersoft pages.

Examples : rotation in micro-gravity Mathematica file

HOMEWORK and SOLUTIONS(partial)

HW-1,Due Jan. 17	HW-2,Due Jan 29	HW-3, Due Feb 12	HW-4, Due Feb. 19	HW-5, Due Feb. 28
HW-6, Due Mar. 9	HW-7, Due Mar. 30	HW-8, Due Apr. 13	HW-9, Due Apr. 16
Mid-Term
HW-1_solution	HW-2_solution	HW-3_solution	HW-4_solution	HW-5_solution
HW-6_solution	HW-7_solution	HW-8_solution	HW-9_solution
mid-term-solution	final-solution

MATHEMATICA NOTEBOOK EXAMPLES (partial)

Example-1	Example-2	Example-3	Example-4	Example-5
Example-6	Example-7	Example-8

PHZ3113 Mathematical Method in Physics

Week

Subject

Content