PHYS 3318 - Analytical Mechanics

(PBS-AS)

Spring. 4 credits. Student option grading.

Forbidden Overlap: due to an overlap in content, students will not receive credit for both PHYS 3314 and PHYS 3318.
Prerequisite: strong performance in PHYS 2218 or permission of instructor; AEP 4210 or appropriate course(s) in mathematics. Intended for students with exceptional background in physics/math. PHYS 3314 covers similar material, while assuming less prior knowledge. Makes use of Fourier analysis, linear differential equations, linear algebra, and vector analysis.

J. Wang.

Covers Newtonian mechanics of particles and systems of particles, including Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, conservation laws from symmetries, with applications to two-body orbits in a central force, systems undergoing small amplitude oscillations, rigid body motion, motion in non-inertial reference frames, perturbation theory, and nonlinear behavior. Both analytical and numerical methods for solving problems in mechanics are covered. At the level of Classical Mechanics by Goldstein, Mechanics by Landau and Lifshitz, and Analytical Mechanics by Hand and Finch.