PHY431/PHY501

Introduction to Mathematical Physics 1

Fall 2015
Instructor: Dr. Ia Iashvili
Lecture hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00 10:50 am
Lecture room: 341 Fronczak
Office hours: Monday 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Office: Fronczak 339a
Phone: 645-6611
E-mail: iashvili@buffalo.edu
Course homepage: http://ublearns.buffalo.edu
TEXTBOOK (required):
Mary Boas, Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences, 3rd edition, John
Wiley. (ISBN 978-0-471-19826-0)
LIBRARY RESOURCES:
A. Ben Wagner, Physics Librarian, 118 Lockwood Memorial Library
Phone: 645-1333
Email: abwagner@buffalo.edu
HOMEWORKS:
Homeworks will be given on a regular basis once per week. Worked-on homework
solutions have to be returned to your instructor on the due date. Late homeworks
wont be accepted without documented valid excuse. Homeworks should be
written neatly and clearly. Messy work will not be accepted and will be returned
and counted as not submitted. Homework is a very important learning tool and will
count towards 25% points of your final course grade. Poor homework grades will
severely impact your final grade.
EXAMS:
There will be two midterm and a final exam. Each exam will have four problems.
Makeup exam can be requested in case of a valid documented excuse. A valid
excuse is a documented major emergency, or a written certification by a registered
medical practitioner that you were unable to take the exam due to illness. Conflicts

with other academic activities might also be considered as a valid excuse, but only
if you inform the instructor before the exam. Exam solutions will be posted online
after the exam.
GRADING POLICY:
The course grade will be based on your scores on homework (25%), two midterm
exams and final exam (25% each).
SYLLABUS:
Chapter numbers refer to Boas text. Number of classes are indicative.
Chapter 3: Linear Algebra (11 classes)
Chapter 5: Multiple Integrals (4 classes)
Chapter 7: Fourier Series and Transforms (7 classes)
Chapter 8: Ordinary Differential Equations (8 classes)
Chapter 9: Calculus of Variations (4 classes)
Chapter 11: Special Functions (3 classes)
Chapter 12: Legendre, Bessel, Hermite , and Laguerre Functions (4 classes)

The following table summarizes the Learning Outcomes for the course as well as
the methods used for Outcome Assessment.
The bracketed numbers in the 2nd column give the correspondence to the
undergraduate program goals of the Physics Dept.s curriculum that are most
strongly covered in PHY 431. These goals seek to achieve suitable levels of
proficiency in: [1] the basic laws of physics, [2] critical thinking, [3] problem
solving, [4] lab. skills, [5] knowledge of the development of physics, [6]
contemporary physics, [7] scientific communication. For details see,
http://www.physics.buffalo.edu/undergraduate.html. The 3rd col. in the table
gives the method of assessment for each of the learning outcomes in this course.
TOPIC UNITS

OUTCOME ASSESSMENT
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning on topics is assessed as
Students are expected to master the following:
follows:

Matrix operations, linear operators,

linear (in)dependence; Vector spaces;
Linear Algebra
Lines and planes; Eigenvalues and
(Chapter 3)
eigenvectors; Diagonalizing matrices
and applications; Introduction to
groups. [2,3,5,6,7]
Double and Triple Integrals; Change of
Multiple Integrals
variables, Jacobians; Surface integrals.
(Chapter 5)
[2,3,5,6,7]
Fourier series with applications;
Average value of a function; Complex
Fourier Series and
form of Fourier Series; Fourier series of
Transforms
even and odd functions; Applications to
(Chapter 7)
sound and optics; Dirichlet conditions;
Parsevals theorem; Fourier Transforms
with applications. [2,3,5,6,7]
Separable equations; Linear first-order
equations; Linear second-order
Ordinary Differential
equations; The Laplace transform and
Equations
application to the solution of differential
(Chapter 8)
equations; Convolution; The Dirac delta
function; Green functions. [2,3,5,6,7]
The Euler equation and applications;
Lagranges equations and applications;
Calculus of Variations
Lagrange Multipliers; Isoperimetric
(Chapter 9)
problems; Variational notation.
[2,3,5,6,7]
Special Functions
The Gamma and Beta functions; Error
(Chapter 11)
function. [2,3,7]

HM 1, 2 & 3, class discussion,

Exam 1

HM 4, class discussion, Exam 1

HM 5 & 6, class discussion,

Exam 2

HM 7, 8 & 9, class discussion,

Exam 2

HM 10, class discussion, Exam 3

HM 11, class discussion, Exam 3

Legendre, Bessel,
Hermite, Laguerre
Functions
(Chapter 12)

The Legendre, Bessel, Hermite, and

Laguerre Functions; Ladder Operators;
Complete set of orthogonal functions.
[2,3,7]

HM 12, class discussion, Exam 3