Undergraduate Course: Mathematics for Physics 3 (PHYS08037)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Physics and Astronomy |
College |
College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 08 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Credits |
20 |
| Home subject area |
Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy) |
Other subject area |
None |
| Course website |
None |
|
|
| Course description |
This course is designed for pre-honours physics students, to learn linear algebra, multivariate calculus, and the use of simple differential equations to describe basic concepts in physics. The course consists of an equal balance between lectures to present new material, and workshops to develop understanding, familiarity and fluency. |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | 11:10 - 12:00 | | | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | 12:10 - 13:00 | | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | | 11:10 - 12:00 | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | | | 12:10 - 13:00 |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course it is intended that student will be able to
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with real vector spaces, vector products, and expansion in an orthonormal basis, and apply to static problems from classical mechanics.
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with matrices including inverses, determinants, and diagonalization, and apply these in static mechanics (eg stress and strain).
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with complex vectors, hermitian and unitary matrices, and apply these to simple examples in quantum mechanics (eg two state systems)
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with multivariate calculus, the chain rule, Taylor expansions, maxima, minima and saddles, curves and surfaces in 3-d, polar co-ordinates, with usual physics examples (eg stability).
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with ordinary differential equations, homogenous and inhomogeneous, first order and second order, the harmonic oscillator (free, damped and forced), with examples from classical mechanics.
&· Demonstrate understanding of energy, momentum and angular momentum conservation, and apply it to problems involving tops, gyroscopes and orbits with central forces
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with coupled oscillators and expansion in normal modes, with examples from classical mechanics and quantum mechanics
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with the simplest partial differential equations: the vibrating string and one dimensional waves.
|
Assessment Information
20% coursework
80% examination |
| Please see Visiting Student Prospectus website for Visiting Student Assessment information |
Special Arrangements
| Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Dr Brian Pendleton
Tel: (0131 6)50 5241
Email: b.pendleton@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Mrs Linda Grieve
Tel: (0131 6)50 5254
Email: linda.grieve@ed.ac.uk |
|
copyright 2010 The University of Edinburgh -
1 September 2010 6:34 am
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