Mechanics

PHYSICS 151 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

One can consider this course as a general introduction and overview to theoretical physics, even though it centers on the theoretical aspects of classical mechanics. We will study problems in the mechanics of particle motion and also problems in continuum mechanics, including classical field theory. We will consider linear systems and non-linear ones. We stress the role of conserved quantities in studying the laws of physics, and emphasize the relation between conserved quantities and symmetry. We study Langrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics from the point of view of their relation to different fields of physics, including quantum theory. We discuss soliton solutions to some non-linear classical equations. Time permitting, we will discuss other non-linear phenomena that are important in physics.