Send comments or questions to: ldurand@theory2.physics.wisc.edu           

 

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, SPRING, 1998

PHYSICS 722, ADVANCED CLASSICAL THEORETICAL PHYSICS

General comments:
    HEAR THIS!
 
 		     NOTA BENE!
 
 

FOLLOW THE NOTATION USED IN CLASS! THE PROBLEMS SHOULD BE HANDED IN ON THE DAY INDICATED. Problem solutions will be put on reserve in the Physics Library after the due date.

THE POINT OF THE HOMEWORK IS TO LEARN SOME NEW PHYSICS. THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT ALWAYS EASY ("How do you work a problem out of Jackson/ in anything less than geologic time?" - from a song in a physics skit many years ago).

Read over the material below for general advice and to see what I expect in the solutions. You will also see that group work on the problems is STRONGLY encouraged.
 

ADVICE AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE HOMEWORK

Explain what you are doing:

Many students find it much easier to calculate than to explain what they are doing or describe the physics of a situation, but the ability to do all three is crucial for success in research level activities, and is highly sought after in technical employment.

You will help yourself develop facility in description and explanation if you do both in writing up your homework: STATE BRIEFLY WHAT A PROBLEM IS ABOUT AND THE METHOD YOU WILL USE TO ATTACK IT BEFORE STARTING THE CALCULATION, THEN EXPLAIN THE RESULTS AT THE END. Many of the problems ask for explanations, and these are expected in the grading. Similar requests for explanations or descriptions of physical phenomena are included in exam questions. So, practice! Description and explanation are important and are tested.

Show your work!

Even correct solutions will be marked down if you do not give the details for key steps, and at least an adequate explanation of ``obvious'' steps.

Cooperative learning is important:

You are STRONGLY encouraged to discuss the problems with other students, and to WORK TOGETHER on their solution. I am happy to discuss the problems and give hints, but you may learn more from your fellow students! I generally expect you and your study partners to have made a legitimate attempt at the problems before coming for hints so your questions are focussed.

Most physics is done in collaborations. Joint work on, and discussion of, the problem assignments will give you practice in working in a collaborative setting, something expected by most potential employers of physicists. I may assign some group problems during the semester. The only condition on the collaborative approach to the problems is that you then WRITE OUT YOUR OWN SOLUTIONS.

SO TALK TO EACH OTHER, WORK TOGETHER, AND COME TO ME (PREFERABLY WITH YOUR STUDY PARTNERS) IF YOU NEED A HINT TO GET STARTED, OR WANT TO TALK A PROBLEM THROUGH.

Homework strategy:

You may want to look at my comments on homework strategy for some advice on how to work most effectively on the problems. Homework problems at this level are more similar to the problems encountered in research than to the drill type problems in earlier courses, so this is a good time for you to think about how one can approach rather open-ended problems in a real physics context most effectively.

Homework assigments:

© Loyal Durand, 1998, 1999