PHYSICS 501, FALL 2020

GRADUATE QUANTUM MECHANICS I

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• I am expecting this course to be entirely online in the fall 2020 semester.
  • Lectures will be syncronous (Mon. and Thurs. 10:20-11:40am as originally scheduled).
  • If necessary, lectures will be recorded for students in remote time zones.
  • I have not yet decided whether lectures will be on Canvas or Zoom.
• The course will mainly be operated through Canvas regarding
  • Homework assignments and solutions
  • Exams and solutions
  • Grading (GradeBook)

• Nothing yet.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Instructor:

Prof. David Vanderbilt Office: Serin E291 Email: dhv@physics.rutgers.edu Phone: 445-9049 Office hours: TBA

Textbook and Syllabus:

• Principal (required) text: Principles of Quantum Mechanics (2nd Edition), by R. Shankar.

In the fall semester, we will cover Shankar Chapters 1-7 and 9-15 (see Syllabus).

Lectures: Monday and Thursday, 10:20-11:40am, CCB-1203. Lecture should be as interactive as possible; you are definitely encouraged to ask questions, or express what is confusing you, in the lecture. Also, I strongly recommend that you read the corresponding textbook material before lecture, so that you can come prepared to ask questions about the points that you find unclear.

Homeworks: Since people usually "learn by doing," the homeworks are an extremely important part of the course experience. Homeworks will be assigned at intervals of 1 or 1.5 weeks; they will be graded and returned to you. See the guidelines for submitting homeworks.

Exams: There will be a midterm and a final. The midterm will be given in class, probably in late October. The final will be a two-hour exam during finals period; the date and time are yet to be determined.

Web site: If you are looking at a paper copy of this document, it is actually a printout of the course home page located at http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/grad/501. Please bookmark this location. It will be used frequently for listing homework assignments and communicating other details about the course.

Communication: My "posted office hours" are as listed above, but you are free to see me at other times as well. If it's a quick question, just drop in; otherwise it might be advisable to phone or email ahead to make an appointment. Also, feel free to contact me by email about any aspect of the course.

Grades: To arrive at the final grade I will do a numerical calculation first (with weights of approximately 40% for homeworks, 25% for the midterm, and 35% for the final). This will then be adjusted, based on factors like class participation, to arrive at a final letter grade.

Course Policies and Student Resources: Please read here for departmental and university information on various topics including

• Services for Students with Disabilities
• Student Wellness Services
• Honor Policy