Physics 212b, Quantum Mechanics 2018

Professor: Ken Intriligator, Mayer Hall 5234. Office hours Weds 3:00-4:00. Email: keni (at) ucsd.edu

TA: Sridip Pal, Mayer Hall 4430. Office hours Tuesday 3:00-4:30. Email: srpal (at) ucsd.edu

Texts: Lectures in Quantum Mechanics by Baym is the recommended primary text; HW exercises will be assigned from Baym. Sakurai's Modern Quantum Mechanics (or 2nd edition by Sakurai and Napolitano) is also useful.

Lecture Times:MW 11:00-12:20pm, MHA 2623.

Discussion Session Thursdays 5-6pm, MHA 5623

Other recommended resources: Professor McGreevy's lecture notes , Weinberg's Lectures on Quantum Mechanics.

Homework: It is essential to do your exercises. Many of the assigned problems have solutions that can be found online -- try to resist that, it's cheating both yourself, and it is technically, officially cheating. Working together in groups is fine, and encouraged, as long as everyone is working.

Midterm:Monday Feb 12, in class.

Final: Friday March 23, 11:30-2:30.

Grading: Homework: 25%, Midterm: 25%, final 50%.

Topics: Path Integral. Symmetry in QM. Approximation methods (main topic), including time independent and time-dependent perturbation theory. Interaction with electromagnetism, Einstein's A,B coefficients. Scattering theory. Identical particles.

lecture# topic (and link to notes) Homework
1/8 The path integral          
1/10 WKB approximation and the path integral   HW 1 (due 1/22)        
1/17 Gauge invariance in QM. Symmetries in QM.   HW 2, due 1/29        
1/22 Symmetries in QM.          
1/24 Symmetries in QM, cont.          
1/29 Parity          
1/31 Parity & time reversal   HW 3 Due 2/9        
2/5 T continued.          
2/9 Exchange symmetry.          
2/12 Midterm          
2/14 Perturbation theory   HW 4 (due 2/26)        
2/21 Perturbation theory, cont.          
2/26 Perturbation theory, cont.          
2/28 Perturbation theory, cont.          
3/5 Variational method, applications   HW5 Due 3/16        
3/7 Pert. Thy. cont. Two-state system with time-dependent H          
3/12 Time-dependent pert. thy.          
3/14 Time-dependent pert. thy. cont.