PHY651 Homework and Reading Assignments for Fall 2008
(Note: "WM" = Wolfgang Panofsky and Melba Phillips, Classical
Electricity and Magnetism.)
Read Chapter 13, WM.
HW#1 problems due 8 September 2008:
WM Chapter 13, Problems 1, 2, 3, & 4.
Read Chapter 14, WM.
HW#2 problems due 17 September 2008:
WM Chapter 13, Problems 5, 7, & 8. Verify that Eqns (13-60)
and (13-61) follow from (13-58) and (13-59).
HW#3 problems due 26 September
2008:
WM Chapter 14, Problems 1, 3, 8, & 10.
Note there is a sign mistake in the formula from the text that you are
asked to prove in Problem 10. As a supplement to
the last problem, also show:
Read Chapters 15 - 17, WM.
HW#4 problems due 13 October
2008:
WM Chapter 15, Problem 1, Chapter 16, Problem 3, Chapter 17 Problems 7
& 8.
Also, show that the time-ordered exponential of a matrix reduces to the
ordinary exponential when the matrix is independent of time.
Read Chapter 18, WM.
HW#5 problems due 3 November
2008:
WM Chapter 18, Problems 1, 2, 3, & 4.
In addition, in all spacetime without
finite boundaries, find a closed form expression for the retarded Green
function of the massive wave equation: (□ +
m²) G(x) = δ4(x) . Hint: Bessel functions.
Read Chapters 19 and 20, WM.
HW#6 problems due 17 November:
WM Chapter 20, Problems 3, 4, 7 & 9.
Read Chapters 21 and 22, WM.
HW#7 problems due 12 December:
WM Chapter 21, Problems 6, 7, & 8, Chapter 22, Problems 3 & 4.