Physics 4101: Quantum Mechanics (Fall 2018)

Instructor: Prof. Rafael Fernandes

Office: Tate 130-23
e-mail: rfernand@umn.edu
Due to the size of the class, e-mail should be used only for emergencies. For any other
circumstance, please approach me after lecture or come to the office hours.

Office Hours:
11:00am – 12:00pm, Thu (or by appointment)

Class Times and Place:

Lecture: MWF, 10:10 – 11:00. Room: Tate 101
Quizzes (in-class): October 10, November 07, December 05
Final: Saturday, December 15, 18:30 – 21:30 Room: TBA

Course materials:
Required Textbook: “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics,” D. J. Griffiths, 2nd Edition.

Supplementary Textbook: “Quantum Mechanics,” J.-L. Basdevant and J. Dalibard.

Supplementary Textbook: “Quantum Mechanics,” Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Bernard

Diu, and Frank Laloe.

Class Webpage:
(Canvas webpage can be accessed via MyU or via http://canvas.umn.edu)
Please visit the class webpage regularly for official announcements regarding lectures,
homework, quizzes, and the final exam. Solutions to the quizzes will be posted here after
they are graded. You will be able to check your grades here as they are posted.

Announcements:
It is occasionally necessary to modify the course schedule, including the dates of quizzes.
Students are responsible for all announcements made during the lecture or discussion
section. Every announcement will be posted on the webpage. Missing an announcement
is not an acceptable excuse for missing a quiz or a course-related deadline. It is the
responsibility of any student missing a lecture to determine what course material and/or
announcements were missed.

Open-Door Policy:
If any difficulties or problems arise in this course that interfere in any way with your
learning or optimum performance, please contact the instructor or your TAs. We will do
our best to deal with problems promptly and effectively.
Discussion Sections:

Section Discussion time TA e-mail Room

002 10:10 – 11:00 Tue Yusuf Buyukdag buyuk007@umn.edu Tate 120
003 10:10 – 11:00 Tue Andrew Miller mill5738@umn.edu Akerman 215
004 11:15 – 12:05 Tue Yusuf Buyukdag buyuk007@umn.edu Akerman 215
005 11:15 – 12:05 Tue Andrew Miller mill5738@umn.edu Tate 120

TA Office Hours:

Office hours TA Room

TBA Andrew Miller TBA
TBA Yusuf Buyukdag TBA

Course Overview:
Physics 4101 introduces the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics and its
consequences to our basic understanding of physical phenomena at the atomic scale.
Because quantum mechanics is, in many instances, conceptually counter-intuitive and
technically involved, it is essential that during the course you read the textbook, attend
lectures and discussion sections, ask questions (during classes and/or office hours), and,
specially, solve as many problems as you can. During the course, we will cover Part I of
the textbook (most parts of chapter 1-5) and selected topics of Part II (tentative topics
include parts of chapter 6, 7, and 9).

Homework:
Weekly homework assignments will be posted on the class website every Monday. The
homework consists of two parts: a “dynamic” part, involving one problem due on the
following Wednesday and one problem due on the following Friday, and a “static” part,
involving several problems due on the following Monday. All problems are due in class
and should be handed in at the start of class on the day it is due. No late homework will
be graded. Solutions to all the problems will be posted on the website after the due
date. If you know of an impending conflict between a homework deadline and an official
University activity, discuss the issue in advance with the instructor or submit ahead of
time. If you were ill, please provide verification. Working with your colleagues on the
homework is acceptable and sometimes may be beneficial; however, each student must
submit his/her own work.

Homework problems will occasionally include computational problems that require

numerical calculations. For these problems, you may use the software of your choice,
such as Matlab or Mathematica (licenses should be available to all students taking CSE
classes). The skill to solve problems numerically is as important as the skill to solve them
analytically.
Homework grading: Each homework assignment will be worth 20 points. Of these 20
points, 5 points will be granted for turning in the solutions to all problems (regardless of
whether the solutions are correct). A subset of problems in each assignment will be
chosen by the instructor to be graded by the TA. The correct solution of this subset of
problems will be worth the remaining 15 points.

Discussion Sections:
During each discussion section, you will work in groups in one or more problems
assigned by the TA. Discussion problems are intended to give more experience in hands-
on problem solving. Active participation is an important element of this class.

Quizzes and Final:

There are three quizzes throughout the semester. The dates for the quizzes are in the
syllabus. The final will be given on Saturday, Dec 15, 2018 from 18:30 – 21:30, in a
room to be announced. The calculator policy will be announced prior to the quizzes and
the final exam.

As specified by University policy, make-ups for in-class quizzes will be given only in the
event of conflicts with scheduled activities of official University organizations, religious
holidays, and verifiable illnesses as prescribed by University regulations. A make-up
final exam will be given for students with conflicts of these types, or for students that
have three final examinations in a 16-hour period. Requests for make-ups for reasons
other than those specified by University policy cannot be honored.

Two-minute presentations:
Every week, there will be at least one two-minute spot available, during class time, for a
student to give a brief, informal presentation about a historical figure of his/her choice
related to electromagnetism. Contact the instructor for scheduling and assignments.
Students completing these presentations will be awarded up to 10% of one of their quiz
grades. Scheduling must be done before November 19.

Grading:
The course grade will be determined in the following way:

(a) The average score in the homework will count for 33%.
(b) The two best quizzes will each count for 16%.
(d) The final exam will count for 35%.

The letter grade for the course will be assigned according to the following approximate
scale: A, A- (83 - 100), B+, B, B- (68 - 82), C+, C, C- (50 - 67), D+, D, D- (40 - 49), F
(below 40). The exact dividing lines will be determined later.
Departamental Policies
Athletes must provide their official University of Minnesota athletic letter containing the
approved competition schedule to their instructor and the staff in the front office (Tate
130). Accommodations will be made for official university sports only (i.e. no
accommodations will be made for intramurals, club sports, etc.)

Disability Services: If you have accommodations for this course, please provide both the
staff in the front office (Tate 130) and the instructor with a copy of your accommodation
letter for the current semester. Exams will be arranged according to accommodations and
sent to the testing center for administration.

University Policies

Student conduct code

http://regents.umn.edu/sites/default/files/policies/Student_Conduct_Code.pdf

Scholastic Dishonesty
See student conduct code and also: http://communitystandards.umn.edu/avoid-
violations/avoiding-scholastic-dishonesty

Disability Accommodations
http://diversity.umn.edu/disability

Use of Personal Electronic Devices in the Classroom

http://policy.umn.edu/education/studentresp

Appropriate Student Use of Class Notes and Course Materials

http://policy.umn.edu/education/studentresp

Makeup Work for Legitimate Absences

http://policy.umn.edu/education/makeupwork

Grading and Transcripts

http://policy.umn.edu/education/gradingtranscripts

Sexual Harassment
https://regents.umn.edu/sites/regents.umn.edu/files/policies/Sexual_Harassment_Sexual_
Assault_Stalking_Relationship_Violence.pdf

Equity, Diversity, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action

http://regents.umn.edu/sites/regents.umn.edu/files/policies/Equity_Diversity_EO_AA.pdf

Mental Health and Stress Management

http://www.mentalhealth.umn.edu