Syllabus
Jan 22 T Read Taylor Ch. 1 before lecture. You were misinformed. Review of 1303, overview of 3344. Notes from Carlos, My scanned notes.
24 R Coordinate systems; Div, grad, curl and all that. Notes: part 1, part 2, Notes from Carlos, My scanned notes.
29 T Read Taylor Ch. 2 before lecture. Mathematica tutorial.
31 R Differential equations: order, linearity, homogeneity. Complementary and particular solutions.
Notes from Nicole, Notes from Carlos, My scanned notes.
Feb 5 T Finish Taylor Ch. 2 before lecture. How to integrate like a boss. Notes from Carlos, My scanned notes.
7 R Start reading Taylor Ch. 3 before lecture. Conservation of linear momentum, center of mass, Noether's theorem,
gravitational slingshot, Cantilevered blocks demonstration, Rocket
12 T Finish Taylor Ch. 3 before lecture. Homework #1 solutions
14 R Start reading Taylor Ch. 4 before lecture. Galilean Cannon; Homework #2 solutions
19 T Continue reading Taylor Ch. 4. Force as function of t, v, x, Nonlinear Simple Pendulum
21 R Finish reading Taylor Ch. 4 before lecture. Homework #3 solutions; Loop-the-loop
26 T Start reading Taylor Ch. 5 before lecture. Oscillations, More oscillations, Phobos death spiral, Swing set physics
28 R Finish reading Taylor Ch. 5 before lecture. Homework #4 solutions; Damped Driven Oscillations.
Mar 5 T Midterm exam in lecture
7 R Start reading Taylor Ch. 6 before lecture. Exam solutions; Green function, More Green function, Still more Green function
12 T Spring Break
14 R Spring Break
19 T Finish reading Taylor Ch. 6 before lecture. Finish Green Functions; Fourier Series, my Fourier class notes, the Functional.
21 R Start reading Taylor Ch. 7 before lecture. Calculus of Variations
26 T Continue reading Taylor Ch. 7 before lecture. More Calculus of Variations
28 R Finish reading Taylor Ch. 7 before lecture. Homework #5 solutions; Euler-Lagrange equations for higher derivatives;
Two stationary solutions to the catenary: solution 1 MAXIMIZES the potential energy, solution 2 MINIMIZES the potential energy.
Apr 2 T Start reading Taylor Ch. 8 before lecture. Cylinder on an incline with Lagrangian technique; Principle of Least Action Feynman Lecture
4 R Finish reading Taylor Ch. 8 before lecture. Homework #6 solutions; Curved Space Feynman Lecture - variational principle for General Relativity: proper time is maximized.
9 T Central forces, two-body problem; Euler-Lagrange equation for r, effective potential, one-body problem; orbit r(θ), Bertrand's theorem; Lagrangian points
11 R Start reading Taylor Ch. 9 before lecture. Homework #7 solutions; Orbits; Kepler's 3rd Law; Planetary Orbit Simulator
16 T Finish reading Taylor Ch. 9 before lecture. Non-inertial reference frames - part 1;
18 R Start reading Taylor Ch. 10 before lecture. Homework #8 solutions; Non-inertial reference frames - part 2.
23 T Finish reading Taylor Ch. 10 before lecture. Moment of inertia; Equilateral Triangle Moment of Inertia.
25 R Class canceled
30 T Start reading Taylor Ch. 11 before lecture. Homework #9 solutions; Inertia tensor; Eigenvalue problem; Stability.
May 2 R Finish reading Taylor Ch. 11 before lecture. Homework #10 solutions; Coupled Oscillations; Example: two coupled pendula; Normal modes.
13 M Final Exam 8:00-11:00AM
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