Course Syllabus

Electricity and Magnetism I

Instructor:

Dr. James Liu
Office: 3409 Randall Laboratory
Email: jimliu@umich.edu Tel: (734) 763-4314

Office Hours:

Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00–3:00 PM, or by appointment

Grader:

Nicholas Orlofsky (norlofs@umich.edu)

Textbook:

John David Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics, Third Edition, Wiley, 1999. We will cover chapters 1–7 in 505 and chapters 8–14 in 506.

Other textbooks you may wish to consult include:

• Zangwill, Modern Electrodynamics (fairly new graduate text)
• Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics (undergraduate level)
• Arfken & Weber, Mathematical Methods for Physicists (mathematical background)

Class Meets:

Monday and Wednesday 1:00 PM–2:30 PM in 335 West Hall

Web site:

The home page for this class is hosted by Canvas, and may be accessed from

http://canvas.umich.edu/

(Title: PHYSICS 505 001 FA 2015). Course information, including the syllabus, homework assignments and announcements, are available from the course page.

Introduction:

This is the first semester of the full year graduate course on classical electrodynamics theory (Physics 505/506). This semester mainly focuses on electrostatics and magnetostatics, but will also go into Maxwell’s equations, conser- vation laws and the theory of electromagnetic waves.

Homework:

Homework will be assigned and graded. There will be 12 homework assignments, generally due once a week on Mondays (in class), with the exception of homework #5. Homework assignments will be made available at least one week before their due date. I am aware that solutions to Jackson problems are widely available, but I expect each student to turn in original work. Note, however, that you are welcome (and even encouraged) to study and work on homework together, so long as you turn in your own worked out solutions. Late homework is not accepted, except by prior arrangement.

Although Jackson focuses on developing analytical solutions in systems with high degrees of symmetry, most applications of electromagnetism can only be approached numerically. In order to develop a basic understanding and appreciation of numerical methods, a few homework problems will require the use of a computer. Programs can be written in any language of your choosing (including computer algebra packages such as Mathematica, Maple or Matlab).

If you are not familiar with programming, or wish to learn Python, Prof. Emanuel Gull will be giving a four-lecture introduction to Python on the dates:

 For more information, see:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~egull/styled-3/styled-13/styled-12/index.html

Exams:

There will be one midterm (2 hours) and a final (3 hours). Both exams will be open book. The exam schedule is as follows:

• Midterm: Monday, October 26, 1:00 PM–3:00 PM
• Final: Tuesday, December 22, 4:00 PM–7:00 PM

Grading:

The course grade will be determined based on your homework (35%), the midterm (30%) and the final exam (35%).

Honesty:

All students are expected to take personal responsibility for upholding the standards of academic integrity of the University community. Any student determined to have engaged in any form of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating, and copying homework, will receive a zero on the assignment or exam.

In accordance with University policy, all cases of misconduct will be reported to the Rackham Resolution Officer (or LSA Office of the Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs for LSA students). If you have any questions, please contact me in person or by email.