Course Description
Scheduled Time & Place: 11:30-12:20 M W F, 1420BPS
Instructor: Pawel Danielewicz
Office: 223 Cyclotron
Phone: 333-6330 (5-9672 x. 330 from campus)
E-mail: danielewicz@nscl.msu.edu
Office Hours: 1:50-2:40 M F (or by appointment)
Grader: Le Huu Thang
E-mail: le@pa.msu.edu
Textbooks:
Required: H. Goldstein, Ch. Poole and J. Safko,
Classical Mechanics, 3rd Ed. (Addison Wesley)
More concise: L. D. Landau, E. M. Lifshitz, Mechanics,
V. D. Barger, M. Olsson, Classical Mechanics: A Modern Pespective.
Some topics expanded in:
J. V. Jose, E. J. Saletan:
Classical Dynamics: A Contemporary Approach.
Grading: Homework - 25%, 2 Midterms -
30%, Final - 35%, Quizzes - 15%
Note: The quizzes will be unannounced. Extra 5% has been
added to the quizzes to compensate for absences or being
particularly caught by surprise.
The final plays also the role of a subject exam within the departmental
graduate degree requirements.
The times planned for the exams are as follows: Mid. I - Oct. 15, Mid. II - Nov. 24,
Fin. - Dec. 10.
Planned Topics
| Topic | Textbook Reading |
| Introduction | 1.1-6 |
| Variational Principle & Lagrange Eqs | 2.1-7 |
| Central-Force Problem | 3.1-11 |
| Rigid-Body Kinematics | 4.1-4, 4.6-10 |
| Rigid-Body Motion | 5.1-7 |
| Small Oscillations | 6.1-5 |
| Hamilton Eqs | 8.1-6 |
| Canonical Transformations | 9.1-3, 9.5-6 |
| Hamilton-Jacobi Theory | 10.1-6 |
| Classical Chaos | 11.1-5 |
| Continuous Systems | 13.1-4 |
Please note: The final exam takes place on December 10, from 9:00am to 12:00pm, in 1420 BPS.