what classes!

[VT]

Have any of you guys checked out what classes are offered by the grad physics deparmtent that you all are planning to attend this fall? If so how many classes are you guys planning on taking in the first semester?
Well, I think it is the time to look forward to enjoy the summer without worrying about any *** classes. Never mind....

EDIT : I think I'll also take three classes, one of which will be from Finance dept
( I am not saying I want to become an investment banker, but I just wanted to learn how the system works there. I remember RG once pointed out that Nigel Goldenfeld from UIUC is a big name in finance. I checked his website and found that he has developed a software program called NumeriX which many Wall Street people use to make predictions in the stock market )

[twistor]

3

[marten]

I'll be taking 3 classes also, although some of them will probably be undergrad level classes. I've been looking through the course catalog to see what my options are.

[jdhooghe]

If attending San Fran. State:

Mechanics
Math Methods
Stat. Mech.
Quantum at Berkeley

If Davis:

Mechanics
Math Methods
Quantum
Seminar

[will]

Classical, E&M, Quantum, and Stats, I guess.

[dlenmn]

@ VT

I was just looking at the recommendations and what's offered. 551(Solid State Physics), 711 (Theoretical Physics-Dynamics), 731 (Quantum Mechanics I) looks like a good combo for me. I could throw in 623 (Electronic Aids to Measmnt) for more pain, but I don't think that's needed. Stat mech is the same time as solid state.

My physics dept is holding a finance course at the moment They call it "Quantitative Finance", to distinguish it from the econ's "Theory of Finance" and math's "Mathematical Finance". I would be annoyed at the math and phys depts for holding these courses, but then again, my experience tells me that economics is too hard for most econ majors so someone needs to get it right or bad *** happens (supposedly, something similar is true for physicists).

I guess I'm saying: go for it. Econ is interesting stuff.

[VT]

Thanks dlenmn.
I never saw that "what's offered" link before on Madison's website. May be I was not looking at the right place. Thanks for that too.
Two thumbs up again for you for all those links.

[dlenmn]

@VT

The word I'm getting is that 2 classes is the normal load if you're TAing (3 for fellowship). What have you heard? I'm all for not going crazy my first term, but it would be nice to get 3 out of the way...

[VT]

Yeah, I have heard the similar story, but I am set for three classes(plus the cond matter seminar). I do not think it is going to be that rough. I have had enough of the experience of wasting my time and fooling around when I was in shitty College, so I will just take those classes and keep myself busy. Couple of beers and some time to go workout will keep me happy Oh and since you have already had Sakurai's QM, are you planning on taking it again here or take something else instead of QM? The AMO class they are offering this Fall is very tempting, but I am pretty much set for stat mech, quantum mech and theoretical physics: dynamics. I dropped the whole idea of taking economics classes.
And for all the soccer fan out there(I know there are not very many), there is Euro2008 going on and the final is this Friday . Germans are going to be victorious for sure, yeah!!

[will]

Hell yeah! Go Deutschland

(Actually I was really pulling for Holland, but oh well.)

[VT]

Yeah me too. I can not beleive that they lost to Russia.

[dlenmn]

Interesting. I guess I can go for 3 classes in the spring if it looks manageable. I'm planning on doing the 731 QM (as opposed to the 531). I hadn't really thought about skipping it... I figured it couldn't hurt to get it down pat. Maybe I should look in to it.

I noticed that stat mech has dynamics as a prereq -- is it one of those unnecessary prereqs? I didn't look in to it since I wasn't planning on taking it before dynamics anyway.

I'm not normally much of a soccer fan, but I was a little annoyed when I learned I'd be in Switzerland and Austria a few days late to take part in the fun. Definitely go Deutschland!

[quizivex]

According to the following site it looks like the PPPL students typically take 5 courses the first semester: http://w3.pppl.gov/gradprogram/Misc/Classes.html

-E&M 1
-QM 1
-Thermo/Stat Mech
-Plasmas 1
-Plasma Seminar

The first three are part of the regular physics department's courses.

Question: I know that grad courses are more advanced than undergrad courses, but I was wondering whether they usually start from the basics again (like Goldstein's book does) or whether they pick up where a standard undergrad class leaves off..??

I ask that cuz I want to know if the material I didn't really learn well as an undergrad (such as the 2nd half of Griffiths) is a prerequisite for grad school or if we'll learn what we need to know again anyway...

[dlenmn]

Wow, you're going to make short work of the classes. A perk of not TAing...

Question: I know that grad courses are more advanced than undergrad courses, but I was wondering whether they usually start from the basics again (like Goldstein's book does) or whether they pick up where a standard undergrad class leaves off..??

I've been wondering that as well. Wisc noted that their quantum class (731) is a "self contained presentation". I interpret that to mean that they start at the beginning. I think that makes sense with QM (there's more than one beginning to start at), but it probably makes less sense with E&M, mechanics, etc.

[Karatechop250]

I have

Phys 501 Advanced Classical Dynamics
Phys 597 High Energy Seminar
Phys 571 Statsitical Mechanics
Phys 531 Classical Electrodynamics - Jackson Cries.

Plus Ill be TAing a studio physics class for two two hours sessions a weeks.

[marten]

For those of you taking some Mathematical Physics course, what text book are you using? Apparently we'll be using Arfken and Weber which I haven't heard very many good things about. (Actually, just heard many bad things...) My undergraduate course used Sadri Hassani, which I struggled through and barely squeaked out a C in. That class about did me in, and is most of the reason I switched to engineering. I don't feel too badly about that, though, because that Hassani to be more of a graduate level text, and it was my first upper level class after Gen Phys freshman year. What a shock that transition was...

I've been reviewing with the Boas text, because I find that a lot easier to work through on my own, but that is definitely more of an undergraduate level text.

Anyway, curious to hear what text you expect to be using this fall.

Marten