Lectures	Tuesday periods 6&7 (12:50-2:45 p.m.), Thursday period 6 (12:50-1:40 p.m.) in 1002 NPB
Instructor	Prof. Kevin Ingersent, 2162 NPB (392-8748, ingersent@phys.ufl.edu)
Office Hours	Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-noon; or by appointment
Web Page	www.phys.ufl.edu/~kevin/teaching/6645/
Required Text	Principles of Quantum Mechanics, R. Shankar (2nd Edition, Plenum, 1994)
Optional Texts	Quantum Mechanics, E. Merzbacher (3rd Edition, Wiley, 1998);
	Quantum Mechanics: A Modern Development, L. E. Ballentine (World Scientific, 1998)

Objective: PHY 6645 is the first of two courses constituting the graduate core sequence in quantum mechanics. Its aim is to provide a solid grounding in the fundamental concepts of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, the quantum dynamics of a single particle, symmetries and their consequences, and the theory of angular momentum. PHY 6646 (taught in the spring semester) will cover approximation methods, scattering theory, and many-particle systems.

Approach: Most quantum mechanics texts follow a quasi-historic exposition of the subject, enumerating the shortfalls of classical mechanics and introducing in its place a description of particles in terms of waves evolving according to Schrödinger's equation. By contrast, this course will follow the approach of Shankar's book, which develops quantum mechanics from a handful of postulates concerning the representation of physical reality in terms of states in a linear vector space. This apparently abstract formulation takes a while to master, but it ultimately proves to be much more powerful than wave mechanics (which emerges as a special case).

Many readers find Shankar to be a very useful tool for learning the subject. The main ideas are laid out clearly and logically. In places, however, the book falls short of the level of rigor or detail appropriate for a graduate course, so supplementary material will be presented in the lectures. At these points the optional texts listed above may prove particularly useful. All three texts will be on reserve at the Marston Science Library. (At the time of writing, the library has the books on order. An announcement will be made in class when they become available.)

Pre-Requisites: It will be assumed that you have successfully completed at least one year of quantum mechanics at the undergraduate level. If you have any doubt about your preparation, you should consult the instructor as early as possible in the semester.

Homework: Most weeks you will be assigned a problem set to be turned in the following week. You should make a good-faith attempt to tackle the problems on your own. Some of the problems will be significantly longer and more challenging than those typically encountered in undergraduate courses. It is important that you develop the skills to work successfully through such problems. If you get stuck, however, do not spend an inordinate amount of time (more than an hour or two) struggling at any one point. Feel free to discuss your conceptual or technical difficulties with other students or with the instructor.

Collaboration plays an essential role in science. You are encouraged to work with other members of the class to understand how to solve the homework problems, and you are likely to learn more by studying cooperatively. However, you must write up the final version of each problem yourself, presenting the solution in your own words. (Blind copying of another student's solution is a form of academic dishonesty.)

Homework solutions should explain your reasoning clearly but concisely, cite the source of any results given without proof, and be legible and reasonably neat. Deficiencies in any of these areas may result in point deductions.

The homework will account for 40% of your overall score on PHY 6645. Since it is very important that you not fall behind in the course, assignments turned in late will be subject to a significant penalty. You will lose 25% of your score for work turned in no later than the first class following the due date, after which time a 50% deduction will apply. (Each student will receive a waiver of the preceding penalties for one assignment during the semester.) For each homework set there will be a cut-off beyond which no solutions will be accepted for grading.

Exams: There will be three exams: two in-class mid-terms and a two-hour final. Approximately half of each exam will be closely related to homework. However, the questions will not merely require memorization and regurgitation of material covered in lectures and homework. Instead, the emphasis will be on application of concepts and methods to fairly straightforward problems, some of which may deal with unfamiliar situations. You may be allowed limited access to written materials during some of the exams (details will be announced before each exam), but no collaboration will be permitted.

In the event of a documented conflict with another event, it may be possible to take an exam shortly before or after its scheduled time. Make-up exams will be offered only for serious medical conditions or University-approved absences supported in writing by the appropriate professional. Any request for a special exam sitting or a make-up must be made a week ahead for any scheduled absence, and as soon as reasonably possible after an unforeseen absence.

Academic Honesty: All UF students are required to abide by the University's Academic Honesty Guidelines and by the Honor Code, which reads as follows:

Accommodations: Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.

Grade: Your grade will be assigned on the basis of an overall score, derived as follows:

Topics Covered: It is anticipated that the course will address the topics listed below (along with the relevant chapters or sections from the three texts). However, deviations from this plan are quite likely. A list of topics actually covered, along with relevant background reading, will be maintained on the course web pages.

Topic	Shankar	Merzbacher	Ballentine
Mathematical introduction	1	9, 10.1, 10.2	1
Review of classical Hamiltonian mechanics	2.5-2.8
Postulates of quantum mechanics	4	9.1, 14, 3, 4	2
One-dimensional wave mechanics	5	2, 6	4
The classical limit	6		14
The harmonic oscillator	7	5, 10.6	6
Uncertainty relations	9	10.5, 2	8.4
Many-particle systems (introduction)	10.1, 10.2	15.4
Symmetries	11	17	3
Rotational invariance and angular momentum	12	11, 12	3, 7, 10.1
The hydrogen atom	13	12	10.2
Spin	14	16	7.4
Addition of angular momenta	15	17.5-17.8	7.7, 7.8

Class Attendance: It is your responsibility to be aware of all announcements made in class concerning course assignments (reading, homework, and exams); these may include changes to previously announced arrangements. Significant announcements will also be posted on the course Web pages.

The following is a provisional list of important dates throughout the semester.

Aug 23	First class
Oct 9 or 11	Mid-term 1 (details to be announced later)
Nov 13 or 15	Second mid-term exam (details to be announced later)
Nov 22	Thanksgiving Day (no class)
Dec 4	Last class
Dec 14	Final exam (12:30-2:30 p.m. in NPB 1002)