Due to weather, we’ve lost class time this week. Here are some supplementary resources that I think might be useful. I’ve turned on comments, so please suggest resources you have found useful for QM and especially the current LA material, and I can promote them up to the main post.

QM:

• This video series seems good. The videos are long, but for the most part are right in line with our linear algebra based focus on quantum mechanics. The production values are not as good as the Essence of Linear Algebra videos, but it’s perhaps easier to take notes. Caution: I have not watched them all the way through with a fully critical eye, but my spot checks have not yet raised any alarms. Possibly helpful hints: I watched them at 2 times speed for the most part, slowing down when needed, and I paused and rewound quite often.
  • Quantum Mechanics Concepts 1: Dirac Notation and Photon Polarisation begins with a very thorough review of linear algebra and Dirac notation, before applying it to photon polarization (which is covered in Townsend Chapter 2.7).
  • Quantum Mechanics Concepts 2: Photon Polarisation (continued) is descriptively titled.
  • Quantum Mechanics Concepts 3: Electron Spin is tied to the Stern-Gerlach experiments and electron spin concepts/mathematics that we are studying in Townsend Ch. 1 and 2.
• Please use the comments to suggest resources relevant to our QM current material (Townsend Chapters 1 and 2). I’ll promote to this main post those resources that more than one student finds useful, so please note that in the comments also.

LA:

• Please use the comments to suggest resources material relevant to our LA Chapter 5 material. As above, I’ll promote to the main post those resources that more than one student finds useful.

• Here is the take-home version of this week’s LA/QM quiz.
• Instructions/guidelines are on the quiz itself, but basically, you will have 30 minutes to complete the quiz. Imagine that you are taking it in class, during normal testing conditions.
• If you have time this morning, I recommend you take it then. Otherwise, take it when you can. It is due at 9 am Thu. Feb. 9 in class.
• If you don’t have access to a printer, answer the questions on separate paper and then, when you do get to a printer, attach the signed quiz as a cover sheet.

A beautiful blanket of snow will likely lead to dangerous conditions, so the College has cancelled classes on Mon. Feb. 6. Here’s how I think we can adjust (assuming campus is open on Tuesday!):

• On Tue. Feb. 7, we’ll take the first hour of class for a quiz and workshop on last week’s LA/QM material. We’ll use the second hour of the morning to cover Lay 5.3 (and 5.4), and the afternoon slot to work on Townsend Chapter 2.
• On Wed. Feb. 8, we’ll take the first hour of class for a quiz and workshop on last week’s EM material. We’ll take the remainder of the morning for Griffiths 3.3 and 4.1 (and postpone 4.2).
• On Thu. Feb. 9, we’ll have a regular day, with P/S in the morning (on Faraday Rotation and Magnetic Domains) and continuing with Townsend Chapter 2 in the afternoon.
• You’ll notice that this plan cuts 2 hours from the time we would have had with Townsend Chapter 2. I welcome your creativity in thinking this through. I have turned comments on for this post (I think) so we can use that to discuss options.

• I’ve added notes to your Collaborative Problem Set Solutions for EM PS#4, LA PS#4, QM PS#1; please recall that you need to be logged in to access these.
• Please compare the solutions in your Problem Set Notebooks to these solutions, updating or correcting as you need to. If you disagree or would like further clarification, please send me an email.

For Week 15, please read the following:

• EM: Griffiths 3.3, 4.1, 4.2.
  • Reminder: video lectures here.
• LA: Lay 5.3 (optional: 5.4 – I’ll discuss highlights from this section). Covered in class Monday.
  
• QM: Townsend Ch.2. Covered in class Tuesday, Thursday.
  
• Remember to use nb.mit.edu (info on how to access here) or check with faculty for alternatives. Complete first pass of reading and enter annotations (questions, responses, requests for class time) by Mon. 9am and update through week as need.

• PS#4/#1 Solutions Assignments can be accessed here.
• Note that you will need to be logged in to our program web-site to access the page linked above. If not logged-in, you can do so via this link.

LA PS#4 to be completed in your LA PSN by noon Sun. Feb. 5. All problems from Lay, Linear Algebra and its applications, 5th edition. Bold indicates problem you’ll want/need to use a matrix program for.

LA Problem Set #4:

• 5.1: 6, 8, 12, 14, 20, 36, 38
• 5.2: 4, 8, 16, 18, 20&28 (20&28 are paired together as one problem)

QM PS#1 to be completed in your QM PSN by noon Sun. Feb. 5. All problems from Townsend, A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics, 2nd edition.

QM PS#1: 1.4, 1.5, 1.6. 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15

Notes:

• For 1.8, the discussion of fluctuations at the top of p. 17 could be helpful.
• For 1.9, |+x> should be understood to mean that the system is in the state |+x>.

EM PS#4 to be completed in your EM PSN by noon Sun. Feb. 5. All problems from Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, 4th edition.

EM PS#4: 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.28, 3.30, 3.32, 3.33, 3.34, 3.35, 3.38, 3.46, 3.53.

Optional fun bonus classical mechanics pendulum flashback: 3.56

Here are revision versions for EM Quiz 3 and LA/QM Quiz 3. Guidelines are on the Quiz Revision versions themselves. If you are planning to do any Quiz Revision, you need to get a signature by the end of the class the afternoon the quiz is administered.