PHYSICS 205 CLASSICAL MECHANICS FALL, 2007


Instructor: Kirill Shtengel 
Office: Physics 3009 
Phone: (951) 827-1058 
Email: first_name.last_name@ucr.edu
Class Meets:  Mon 9:10–10:30, PHY 2104 & Wed 10:40–12:00, PHY 3035.
Office Hours: Monday afternoon
Reader: Ms. Ling Yang
Syllabus: 
  • Lagrangian formulation, calculus of variations, Hamilton's principle
  • Conservation principles and symmetry properties, Lagrange multipliers
  • Small oscillations, coupled oscillators, continuum media
  • Two-body central force problem, the Kepler problem, scattering
  • Rigid-body motion, inertia tensor, Euler's equations
  • Hamiltonian formulation and canonical transformations
  • Hamilton-Jacobi theory, action-angle variables
  • Non-linear dynamics and chaos
  • Special theory of relativity
Required Text:  (G)   H. Goldstein, C. P. Poole and J. L. Safko, "Classical Mechanics" (3rd Edition);
earlier editions of Goldstein's textbook are acceptable as well.
Optional Texts:  (L)   L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, "Mechanics"
(F)   A. L. Fetter and J. D. Walecka, "Theoretical Mechanics of Particles and Continua"
(A)   V. I. Arnold, "Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics"
Exams:  There will be one midterm and a final exam, contributing 20% and 40% to the total grade respectively.
Homework:  Homework assignments will contribute 40% to your final grade. Homework will generally be assigned weekly by announcing in class that a new assignment is posted on the Blackboard web site. Late homework will receive lower credit (70%). No credit will be given for homework turned in after the solutions have been posted.
Announcements:
  • Starting Monday, October 1, the class will meet twice a week, M 9:10–10:30 PHY 2104 and W 10:40–12:00 PHY 3035 (READING ROOM).
  • For more information, including homework assignments and solutions, go to the Blackboard web site. (You have to be registered for this class to access it.)