Applied Physics 461b/861b

COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS

Karin M. Rabe; 309 Becton; 2-1816

Description of Course

The majority of interesting problems in physics cannot be fully solved in closed form. Computer analysis and simulation to obtain information and develop physical understanding is now firmly established as a useful approach to such problems. In this course, we will review and further develop techniques for doing physics with computers, and use them both to obtain a deeper understanding of undergraduate physics (mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical physics and quantum mechanics) and to examine problems of particular interest to Applied Physics undergraduate majors (solid state and quantum electronics as well as computational physics tracks).

Topics will be selected from numerical integration, differential equations, matrix methods, optimization and classical and quantum Monte Carlo methods applied to dynamics of one-, two- and many-body systems, nonlinear systems, electrodynamics, percolation and statistical mechanics.

Books

AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SIMULATION METHODS: APPLICATIONS TO PHYSICAL SYSTEMS, Harvey Gould and Jan Tobochnik, Addison-Wesley, 1995.
NUMERICAL RECIPES IN FORTRAN: THE ART OF SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING, W. H. Press, S. A. Teukolsky, W. T. Vetterling and B. P. Flannery, Cambridge, 1992.

Prerequisites

This course is primarily intended for junior and senior undergraduate students in applied physics and physics, and for beginning graduate students in applied physics and physics inexperienced in using computers in research. The exact level of the course will depend on the composition of the class. Minimal prerequisites are mechanics, electromagnetism, linear algebra, and some knowledge of computer programming (preferably in FORTRAN). Quantum mechanics and statistical physics are highly desirable, and should be considered corequisite.

Course requirements

weekly problem sets and computer assignments, written/oral midterm and final.

FIRST MEETING: TUESDAY, January 14, 2:30-3:45 in BECTON 408

The Tuesday/Thursday 2:30-3:45 time slot is reserved for lectures. Mandatory lab sessions will be held Wednesday evenings 7:30-9:00PM in the Phelps computer classroom, starting January 15.