COURSE PREFIX/NUMBER:    MAT 494 C
TITLE OF COURSE:                    Mathematics of Quantum Mechanics
INSTRUCTOR:                             Dr. Sergei K. Suslov
TIME:                                            12:40-1:30, MWF
LOCATION:                                  LSA A165
LINE #:                                           39070

 
COURSE DESCRIPTION

The main purpose of this course is to help beginners explore the World of Quantum
Mechanics, one of the most important scientific discoveries of this century, and
a subject that is very important in the education of student majoring in science or
engineering.

This course uses mathematical methods which are not always part of the
usual course sequence. It is designed as an introduction to quantum  mechanics,
with emphasis on the mathematical aspects of the theory. This includes
the Schrodinger equation, the WKB approximation, angular momentum and spin,
some applications of the theory of symmetry in quantum mechanics, motion in a
magnetic field and, if time permits, the Dirac equation and/or other topics
in relativistic theory.

All mathematical tools (aspects of analytic function theory, orthogonal polynomials,
special functions, group representations, and asymptotic methods) will be introduced
as needed.

PREREQUISITES: MAT 272 and 342.

TEXTBOOK:  L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, Quantum Mechanics,
Third revised edition 1977, reprinted by Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998;
or any other similar textbook on non-relativistic quantum mechanics.

RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTARY BOOKS:
I. I. Gol'dman and V. D. Krivchenkov, Problems in Quantum Mechanics,
Dover, New York, 1993;
S. Flugge, Practical Quantum Mechanics, Springer, 1999
(reprint of the 1994 edition);
E. Merzbacher, Quantum Mechanics, Wiley, New York, 1998

For more information contact Sergei Suslov:
office:    PSA 643,
phone # 965-8987
e-mail:   sks@asu.edu,
URL:     http://www.public.asu.edu/~sergei/