Classical Mechanics 29:205
Classical Mechanics
29:205
Fall 2013
Class Information
- Room: 618, Van Allen Hall
- Time: 9:30AM - 10:45AM
- Days: Tuesday, Thursday
- Texts:
Mechanics,
L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz,
Lectures on Quantum Mechanics, Paul A. M. Dirac
Lecture Notes.
Instructor Information
- Instructor: Wayne Polyzou
- Office: 306 Van Allen Hall
- Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 10:45-12:00
- e-mail: polyzou@uiowa.edu
- Phone: 319-335-1856
- Grader: Bai, Weidong
- Grader office: 213 Van
- Grader phone:335-0683
- Grader e-mail:weidong-bai@uiowa.edu
Grading Policy
Possible final grades are A+,A,B,C,D,F. The grade of A+ is for
performance that is a full grade above an A. Grades are based on
homework scores (20%), mid term exam score (35%), and the final exam
(45%). Homework assignments will appear on the web version of this
syllabus (http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/~wpolyzou/phys205/). Homework
solutions will be posted on links to the electronic syllabus.
The mid-term exam will be given after we complete the discussion of
Lagrangian mechanics.
General Information
My goal is to cover the following topics in roughly the order:
- Newton's laws (Newtonian determinacy, inertial coordinate systems,
inertial mass, non-inertial coordinate systems, gravity)
- Galilean relativity (Galilean group, constraints on interactions,
free particles, special relativity)
- Lagrangian dynamics (virtual work, constraints, generalized coordinates
conservative forces)
- Variational calculus (principle of stationary action,
other applications, second variation)
- Conservation laws and Noether's theorem
- Lagrange multipliers and constraints (forces of constraint,
second variation)
- Oscillators (coupled oscillators, normal modes, driven oscillators,
resonance, parametric oscillations)
- Rigid body motion (fundamental theorem on rigid body motion,
inertia tensor, Euler equations, Euler angles, Cayley Klein parameters (SU(2)),
dynamics, rotating coordinate systems.
- Hamiltonian dynamics (convexity and Legendre transformations,
Hamilton's equations, symplectic eigenvalue theorem, canonical transformations,
Poisson brackets, canonical quantization, symplectic invariants,
scattering, integrable systems, Liouville's theorem,
Poincare recurrence theorem)
- Generalized Hamiltonian dynamics (first and second class constraints,
gauge transformations)
- The classical three body problem,
perturbation theory (Small denominators, KAM theorem)
The material will follow my lecture notes. Most, but not all of
this material appears in the text "Mechanics".
Dirac's book is not really about quantum mechanics. It
is about how to make a Hamiltonian formulation of mechanics when the
Legendre transformation that connects the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian
formulation of mechanics is singular. While this sounds academic, All
of the fundamental interactions in physics (gauge theories) fall into
this class.
Homework Assignments and Calendar
- Week 3
- Tuesday, September 10 - Out of Town - Class will me made up
- Thursday, September 12 - Out of town - this class will be made up.
- Week 4
- Tuesday, September 17
-
Lecture 5
-
Homework #3 : due 9/24 (note error in due date)
- Reading:
- Wednesday, September 18 - make up class - 5:35 in room 309.
-
Lecture 6
- Thursday, September 19
-
Lecture 7
- Week 5
- Tuesday, September 24
- Today's office hours moved 1:00-2:00.
-
Lecture 8
- Reading: Ch 5 Text
-
Homework #4 : due 10/1
- Wednesday, September 25 (make up class - 5:35-6:50 - 309 Van)
-
Lecture 9
- Thursday, September 26
-
Lecture 10
- Week 7
- Tuesday, October 8
-
Lecture 13
- Reading: Sec. 27 of text
-
Homework #6 : due 10/17 (delayed because of late assignment).
- Thursday, October 10
-
Lecture 14
- Week 9
- Tuesday, October 22
-
Lecture 17
- Reading: Chapter 6
- Thursday, October 24 - out of town - class will be made up
homework-2013-10.pdf
- Final Exam
-
practice exam
- Tuesday, December 17, 3:00-5:00, 618 Van
College Information
College Information