Syllabus for Physics 701, Mathematical Methods
Fall 2009

Instructor:  Mark Hillery

Contact information:  email - mhillery@hunter.cuny.edu ; telephone - 212 772 5253 ; office - 1215 North Building, Hunter College 

Textbook: Mathematical Methods for Physicists by Hans Weber and George Arfken, 6th edition, Academic Press

Topics to be covered:  functions of a complex variable, asymptotic evaluation of integrals, series solutions to differential equations, method of characteristics for solving partial differential equations, Hilbert spaces and linear operators on them, special functions (gamma function, Bessel functions, Legendre polynomials), Fourier and Laplace transforms, calculus of variations

Grading:  Homework will be assigned but not graded.  The course grade will be based on two in-class examinations and a final.