Monday and Wednesday, 11:00-12:15, P&A 5
Monday, 17:30-18:45, P&A 184
Professor Akimasa Miyake
office: P&A 25, email: amiyake_at_unm.edu, office hours: Monday 15:00-17:00, otherwise you may arrange a meeting by appointment.
Keith Sanders
office: P&A 30, email: sanderss_at_unm.edu, office hours: Tuesday 14:00-16:00.
L. E. Ballentine, "Quantum Mechanics: A Modern Development," World Scientific (required)
This is a graduate core course of quantum mechanics, and continues to PHYC 522 "Graduate Quantum Mechanics II" in Spring 2016. As seen in the syllabus, the basics of quantum mechanics are taught in a self-contained manner at the level more sophisticated than the undergraduate counterpart PHYC 491. The course is suitable for graduate students or students who have learned quantum mechanics once, in order to brush up understanding of quantum theory and to master its mathematical treatments. We adapt modern pedagogy of active learning in classroom.
Its associated problems session PHYC 551 should be registered as well. It is quite important to do exercise, in order to digest notions and methods in quantum mechanics learned in the lectures. Weekly exercises also facilitate preparations for the preliminary exam. The session is used partially for mid-term exams.
The final grade will be determined based on performance of exams and assignments (their weights are 90 % and 10 % respectively, for now). Their problems will be largely selected from the problems found at the end of chapters. Each mid-term exam is arranged after a couple of chapters are completed. That is how you can study rather narrow, clearly-defined selections of materials for every exam, while they are still fresh in your mind. Overall it is expected that your learning is more effective and at the same time the load by the course is less stressful this way.
Dates |
Subjects |
Assignments/Exams |
Aug. 17 Mon |
Course overview |
No problem session |
Aug. 19 Wed |
1. Mathematical Prerequisites |
|
Aug. 24 Mon |
1. Mathematical Prerequisites | Problem session 1 |
Aug. 26 Wed |
1. Mathematical Prerequisites | |
Aug. 31 Mon |
1. Mathematical Prerequisites | Problem session 2 |
Sep. 2 Wed |
2. Formulations of Quantum Mechanics | |
Sep. 7 Mon |
Labor day holiday | |
Sep. 9 Wed |
2. Formulations of Quantum Mechanics |
|
Sep. 14 Mon |
2. Formulations of Quantum Mechanics |
Problem session 3 |
Sep. 16 Wed |
2. Formulations of Quantum Mechanics | |
Sep. 21 Mon |
3. Kinematics and Dynamics | Problem session 4 |
Sep. 23 Wed |
3. Kinematics and Dynamics |
|
Sep. 28 Mon |
3. Kinematics and Dynamics | Problem session 5 |
Sep. 30 Wed |
3. Kinematics and Dynamics | |
Oct. 5 Mon |
3. Kinematics and Dynamics |
Problem session 6 |
Oct. 7 Wed |
3. Kinematics and Dynamics |
|
Oct. 12 Mon |
3. Kinematics and Dynamics | Problem session 7 |
Oct. 14 Wed |
Mid-term exam 1 |
|
Oct. 19 Mon |
3. Kinematics and Dynamics | Problem session 8 |
Oct. 21 Wed |
4. Coordinate
Representation |
|
Oct. 26 Mon |
4. Coordinate Representation | Problem session 9 |
Oct. 28 Wed |
4. Coordinate Representation |
|
Nov. 2 Mon |
4. Momentum Representation |
Problem session 10 |
Nov. 4 Wed |
4. Momentum Representation | |
Nov. 9 Mon |
5. Momentum Representation |
Assignment 1 is posted Problem session 11 |
Nov. 11 Wed |
5. Momentum Representation | |
Nov. 16 Mon |
5. Momentum Representation | Problem session 12 |
Nov. 18 Wed |
6. Harmonic Oscillator |
|
Nov. 23 Mon |
6. Harmonic Oscillator | Assignment
1 is due Problem session 13 |
Nov. 25 Wed |
6. Harmonic Oscillator | |
Nov. 30 Mon |
No
lecture |
Problem session 14 |
Dec. 2 Wed |
6. Harmonic Oscillator | |
Dec. 9 Wed, 10 am -12 pm |
Mid-term
exam 2 |
Assignment 2 is due |
Students may study subjects of assignments together, but everyone is expected to prepare his/her original answer sheets.
1. Problem sessions 1-6 [Problems and Solutions]
2. Assignment due on November 23 [Problems of previous preliminary exams : L1 of 2005Fa, P1 of 2007Sp, P1 of 2009Sp, P2 of 2011Sp, P5 of 2011Sp, P6 of 2012Sp Solutions]
3. Assignment due 12:00 pm on December 9 [Problems of previous preliminary exams : L2 of 2005Fa, P4 of 2008Fa, P4 of 2011Fa, P6 of 2012Fa Solutions]
4. Problem sessions 7-14 [Problems and Solutions]
Mid-term exams are usually held during the Monday problems session in a closed-book format. No communication with other students is allowed during the exams.
1. Mid-term exam, 11:00-13:00 on October 14 (Wed) [Materials from Chapter 0 to Chapter 3 Section 3.4 Solutions ]
2. Mid-term exam 10:00-12:00 on December 9 (Wed) [Materials from Chapter 3 Section 3.5 to Chapter 6 Solutions]