Michael Kiessling
Textbook
Professor Kiessling's lecture notes
Prerequisites
561, or permission from instructor
Course Description
This is the second part of the two-part course Introduction to Mathematical Physics. It introduces the student to the mathematically well-developed parts of Quantum Physics. It introduces the student to the mathematically well-developed parts of Quantum Physics and is
taught in the spirit of part I (Classical Physics) as a theory about an objectively existing world made of material points that move. Physics topics covered are (a) Non-relativistic quantum mechanics: de Broglie-Bohm theory, Schroedinger's equation, motion of point particles, electrical Coulomb and gravitational Newton pair interactions, "external" magnetic fields, particle spin and Pauli equation, stability of everyday matter; (b) Relativistic quantum mechanics: electrons and photons, Dirac's equation, Chandrasekhar's theory of white dwarf stars.
Mathematical key words: Hilbert space, self-adjoint operators, unitary operators.