Image from Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe

Current Schedule

• Click here to see the current schedule of lectures, readings, homework assignments, etc.

Instructor

• Prof. Steve Hagen
• 2362 New Physics Building
• Tel. 352 392 4716
• Office hours: Monday & Wednesday 10⁰⁰-11⁰⁰ AM
• 

Grader

• Yun-Wen Chen
• Email: ywchen@phys.ufl.edu

Class Meetings

• Monday Wednesday & Friday
• 8^th Period (3:00 - 3:50 pm)
• 1011 New Physics Building

Textbook

• Introductory Statistical Mechanics
• Authors: Roger Bowley & Mariana Sanchez
• Paperback: 352 pages, List price $50.00
• Publisher: Oxford University Press; 2nd edition
• ISBN: 0198505760

Description

• This is a basic course covering "statistical physics", which is generally taken to mean a microscopic approach to the physics of systems consisting of a large number of particles. Consequently, it is an extension of macroscopic thermodynamics. Since the microscopic approach will be taken, the quantum mechanical nature of the particles will be important. Although a background in undergraduate quantum mechanics is not required, most students find it useful to have taken the first semester of quantum mechanics before taking this course. This course will begin with a quick review of macroscopic thermal physics. We will then discuss kinetic theory and statistical mechanics as an introduction for more advanced study of Maxwell-Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac statistics.
• Students enter this course with a wide variety of backgrounds. Although quite a bit of material may seem redundant, do not be fooled or lulled into a false sense of intellectual security. The course will attempt to be self-contained and will lay the foundations of the mathematics necessary for understanding the material. If you find this material boring, please understand that its coverage is necessary for those students whose background may not be as comprehensive as your own. If at any time you are truly bored, please talk to the Instructor. He can make suitable arrangements/adjustments or assign more sophisticated problems or projects for your private consideration.
• The course is designed on the assumption that everyone in the class will engage intellectually with the material. The Instructor will assume that you are reading the book and working the examples and homework. You are expected to keep up pace in the course. The quizzes and examinations are designed to help guide you in this effort. Cramming before an examination will not work! Like an athlete, you must train every day -- train to think like a physicist!
• A final word about success in the course: there is no secret. If you attend class (and participate), read the textbook, and work the problems and examples, then you will learn the material. When in doubt, WORK MORE PROBLEMS! If you exhaust all problems from the textbook, see the Instructor, who will happily supply more. This should be a fun subject: statistical physics is a system of fascinating ideas that are implemented with powerful tools, with consequences that are sometimes stunning. Discovering these ideas and tools should be an eye-opening experience for you, and I would hope that you enjoy this.
• If at any time there is a question in your mind about anything, please do not hesitate to talk to the Instructor. See him immediately before or after class, if necessary, to set specific appointments.

Goals

• The ultimate goal of the course is for the students to learn the basic concepts of statistical mechanics, and to learn how to use the machinery of mathematics to solve general problems in this area. More specialized problems in statistical physics are the subject of advanced courses in physics, chemistry, and engineering. Because the goal is to learn concepts and tools -- rather than examples and formulas -- Students will not be allowed to use textbooks or notes during the quizzes or the examinations. Specific factoids and data relevant to particular problems, such as physical constants or unusual formulas, will be provided ad hoc by the Instructor.

Website from Phy4523 in Prior Year

• Spring 2004 (Prof. Meisel)
• Spring 2003 (Prof. Meisel)

Grading

• Regular homework will be assigned, but it will not be collected or graded. Instead, there will be regular (~weekly) short quizzes given in-class. There will be three 50-minute exams held in-class, and a two-hour final exam. The final course grade will be calculated as follows:
  • 35% In-class quizzes
  • 15% Midterm Exam1 (50-minutes)
  • 15% Midterm Exam2 (50-minutes)
  • 15% Midterm Exam3 (50-minutes)
  • 20% Final Exam (2 hrs)
  • 100% Total

Final Exam

• There will be a two-hour, comprehensive final examination
• Wed April 27th, 12:30 - 2:30 pm

Make-up Exams

The Instructor believes that make-up exams are intrinsically unfair. This unfairness can be mitigated (but not eliminated) by keeping the number of make-ups to an absolute minimum. A make-up for a missed exam will be granted only in the most dire situation. (A student who lacks diligence in contacting the instructor once this dire situation arises is unlikely to be granted the make-up.) There will be no makeups for missed quizzes. Some students may nevertheless suffer from a severe personal or family emergency that forces them to miss a quiz: Therefore, the two lowest quiz scores will be dropped when final grades are calculated.

Attendance

• Regular class attendance is definitely expected. Mastery of the course material will require each student to make a sustained and consistent investment of effort throughout the semester. Class attendance is part of that effort.

Incomplete Grades

• UF policy is designed to discourage instructors from giving incomplete grades. Per this policy, a student may request a grade of Incomplete only if (a) an unusual hardship prevents the student from completing the course, and (b) the student carries a passing grade average at the time the request is made, and (c) the student shows diligence and responsibility in making the request in a timely fashion once the unusual hardship arises. The request certainly cannot be made after the final examination. The Instructor adheres blindly and rigidly to this policy.

Students with Disabilities

• Students who will require a classroom accomodation for a disability must contact the Dean of Students Office and request proper documentation. Upon bringing that documentation to the Instructor, the student will be given the appropriate accomodations. Keep in mind that -- if you require extra time for examinations -- you must initiate this request at least seven days before the examination.

Academic Honesty

• All students are expected to hold themselves to a high standard of academic honesty. It is normal and reasonable for students in a physics course to work together on ungraded homework: however, students must work alone on all graded assignments (tests, quizzes, exams). Giving or receiving any unauthorized assistance during such an assignment will be treated as a deliberate violation of the UF Academic Honesty policy. This will result in a failing grade in Phy4523.