Quantum Mechanics

Text: Quantum Mechanics, by Liboff. Please understand that while this is an excellent text, I will not follow the sequence of topics that is laid out in the book. Also the text will serve as an important resource but class notes are essential.

List of Topics

Introduction

Classical mechanics at an impasse.

Mounting evidence, direct and indirect.

Dualism, uncertainty and related nonsense (?).

Quantum world and probability

Schrödinger's Equation.

Wave Function.

Nature of the beast ...

Schrödinger's Equation revisited.

Basic concepts and mathematical foundations.

Wave packets.

Examples and solutions.

Potentials in Quantum mechanics.

Dirac and Quantum formalism.

World of Operators.

Operator Algebra.

Angular Momentum and Quantum mechanics.

All along, we will try to consider the meaning and associated controversies of the topics studied.

This is intended to be an approximate list.

Instructor information:

My office is in rm. DL107. Office hours are 6^th period everyday except Wednesday. My office phone is 8957 and my e-mail is Maarij.Syed@rose-hulman.edu. Make good use of the office hours or we can schedule an appointment if the office hours are not convenient during a given week.

Class details and grades:

There will be two class exams (16% each) and a final exam (in-class & take home) which will be worth 25% of your grade. Assignments will be handed out in class and will typically be due in a week's time. These along with unannounced quizzes (one or two per week) will be 35% of your grade. A term paper would be the remaining 8% of your grade. I will provide you with a list of possible topics. You can always come up with your own. A numerical simulation of an agreed upon problem can also serve as a term paper. This paper is to be a group effort. I will divide the class into groups of twos or threes for this purpose. Given that this is a team project, I expect a quality paper no less than twelve pages or so in addition to a proper bibliography.

Time Line

Week 5: Reminder of the paper.

Week 7: Notify instructor of your topic.

Week 8: A one paragraph summary is due by the end of the week.

The term paper will be turned in along with your final exam.

Last but not least:

It is characteristic of all deep human problems that they are not to be approached without some humor and some bewilderment — science is no exception.

Freeman Dyson

Disturbing the Universe