Phys 623 Syllabus, Spring 2018

Class meetings: TuTh 2:00-3:15pm, Tu in Toll 1201, Th in CCC1100.

Professor: Ted Jacobson, jacobson_at_umd.edu, Room 3151 PSC, 301-405-6020
Office hours: After class, by appointment, or drop by.

TA: Batoul Banihashemi, baniha_at_umd.edu, Room 3103B Toll Bldg (not regularly there); Office hours: Thursday 4-5pm

Textbook: Quantum Mechanics, Franz Schwabl (Springer); freely electronically available at UMD library (you can also purchase a printed copy for $25 from that link).

Lecture Notes: See "supplements" link at course web page
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Course web site: http://www.physics.umd.edu/grt/taj/623f / . Course plan, homework, supplements and possibly notes will be posted.

Piazza course web forum https://piazza.com/umd/spring2018/phys623/home: Please use piazza for questions and discussion on course material. You can often get a response via piazza very quickly, even at surprising times. Solutions and grades will be posted at piazza.

E-mail: Students are responsible for making sure I have their correct email address and checking their email daily. Important messages will sometimes be sent to the class by email or via piazza.

+ Please make sure you include your name and the homework and course numbers, and staple the pages together. Late homework accepted only under dire circumstances: if you know it will be impossible to turn in an assignment on time, you must discuss this with me in advance of the due date. Medical reasons accepted only with a doctor's note.

+ You are allowed and encouraged to discuss homework with others, and to ask the professor or TA for guidance. Please utilize the Piazza web site (see above) for questions and discussions, so that all students may benefit.

+ Although you may discuss with others and consult books, it is forbidden to make use of a classmate's solutions, or previously written solutions you might find. The write-up you turn in should be your own formulation, and should reflect your own understanding, and you should be prepared to explain and defend it in detail on your own. See Academic Honesty section below for consequences of violation.

+ Each student must turn in Homework 0 with a signature, showing that the syllabus and homework policies have been read and understood.

Exams Midterm (likely date, Thursday March 16), and Final (Wednesday, May 16, 10:30am-12:30pm). If you know ahead of time that you must miss an exam, you must notify me before the exam. For emergencies, I will accommodate those with valid, documented excuses and who have given me timely notification.

Grading: The baseline grade weights are 50% homework, 20% mid-term, and 30% final exam. In computing the total grade for each student, the weight of the highest grade among the three components will be raised by 10% and that of the lowest lowered by 10%. The lowest homework score will be dropped. The letter grades corresponding to numerical scores will be determined after reviewing the class performance, consistent with the grade definitions indicating mastery of the material: A: excellent, B: good, C: adequate, D: borderline.

Academic honesty: The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu