latest update 25 August 2007
There is also an assignment page that is frequently updated with reading assignments, notes and announcements. Please check it often.
I am usually available at other times as well. You can drop by 223 Dana, but to check if I will be there, please phone, send email, or
see me after class.
The class meets Monday and Wednesday, 4:05 - 5:45 pm in room 150 Forsyth
The classes are nominally 100 minutes in length. I'm not sure if we can run the class without a short break in the middle -- if we need a break, then the class may run over a few minutes at the end. I am aware that most of you will have another class after this one -- that is why we moved the time of the class forward to 4:05 pm.
The aim of the course is to study the fundamental principles of classical electromagnetic theory based on Maxwell's equations, and to understand the application of these principles to various physical systems. We will also see how consistency of Maxwell's equations and Einstein's principle of relativity leads to the Lorentz transformation
law and other consequences.
The textbook for the course is
Modern Problems in Classical Electrodynamics, by Charles A. Brau, Oxford University Press (2004).
I will not follow the book exactly and many parts will necessarily be skipped, as this is only a one-semester course, but the reading assignments and some problems will come from this book. The list price
for this book is over $100, but as of this writing, the book is available from Amazon for $80, and you can always search the web for better deals.
Another standard graduate level textbook on electrodynamics is
Classical Electrodynamics (3rd edition), by J. D. Jackson, Wiley (1999).
This book will be on reserve in the library.
reading assignment #1 (week of 3 September)
Read the prologue (chapter 0) of Brau. This is a survey of some of the basic concepts of electromagnetic theory. We will spend a week or two going over these in detail.
Further assignments will be given in class as we go along.
grading scheme
Your grade in the course will be based on the following scheme:
Problems - 30%
There will be 8 to 10 homework problem sets assigned during the term. You will normally have at least one week to do them. However, they must be turned in on or before the announced deadline -- no late problems are accepted. See the note below about working together.
Midterm Exam - 25%
There will be a 60-90 minute midterm exam at about the midpoint of the semester. This will be announced in class at least one week prior to the exam.
Final Exam - 50%
There will be a two-hour final exam during the final exam period. Again, the exact time and place will be announced later.
For those of you who have been paying attention, note that the assigned weights add to 105%. That is because your lowest result of the three will in fact be weighted by 5% less than stated above.
working together
One of the best ways to learn is by working together in small groups of two or three (in larger groups, not everyone will be an active participant, and will not benefit as much as they should from working
togetgher). Both leaders and followers will gain from discussing the roadblocks they come across in studying the material and working the problems. On the other hand, when it comes to actually writing solutions to problems, you must work on your own. Using solutions
from external sources may be acceptable, but if you use such material you mustdocument your source, and in any case, you should write up the solutions in your own words.
It is not acceptable to submit problem solutions which are copies of those submitted by other students, unless they happen (rarely) to come from the same, explicitly cited, external source and even then, you should be using your own words.. Exchanging problem solutions between students will be treated as a serious violation of academic integrity. You are invited
to read a detailed statement of the
Northeastern University policy on Academic Honesty.
If you have difficulty with particular problems, you should come to see me. I am always willing to discuss general ideas on any problem, although you need to work out details of the solutions for yourself.
NU Physics Home Page The URL for this page is
http://www.atsweb.neu.edu/physics/m.vaughn/phyG302/PHYG302_F07.html
latest update 30 August 2007