GROUP THEORY
PHYS 7143 -
spring 2016
Tu,Th 12:05-1:25 Howey S204
birdtracks.eu/~predrag/courses/PHYS-7143-16
January 12
1. Linear algebra: vectors, matrices, eigenvalues
Feel free -at any time- to suggest topics that you would like to see covered in the course.
Lecture notes and problem set #1 (due Tuesday, January 19)
January 14
2. Projection operators
you got a new idea?
January 18
MLK holiday
January 19 - Boris Gutkin
3. Don’t know group theory
Lecture notes and problem set #2 (due Thursday, January 28)
January 21
4. Finite groups - definitions
January 26
5. Group representations
Lecture notes and problem set #3 (due Tuesday, February 2)
January 28
6. Wonderful Orthogonality Theorem
Our competition: MIT 18.085 Computational Science and Engineering I
February 2 - Boris Gutkin
7. Hard work builds character
Lecture notes and problem set #4 (due Tuesday, February 9)
February 4 - Boris Gutkin
8. Character tables
Optional fun reading: Penrose and no need to learn all these "Greek" words
February 9 - Boris Gutkin
9. Irreps decomposition
Lecture notes and problem set #5 (due Thursday, February 18)
February 11
10. It takes class
February 14
Valentine's day
A fun read on group theory we definitely will not cover: Marcus du Sautoy Finding Moonshine: A Mathematician's Journey Through Symmetry
February 16
11. Fundamental domain
Lecture notes and problem set #6 (due Tuesday, February 23)
February 18 - Boris Gutkin
12. Problem solving session
February 23
13. Lorenz to Van Gogh
Lecture notes and problem set #7 (due Tuesday, March 1)
February 25 - Boris Gutkin
14. QM applications
March 1 - Boris Gutkin
15. Space groups
Lecture notes and problem set #8 (due Tuesday, March 8)
March 3 - Boris Gutkin
16. Graphene
March 8
17. Continuous groups
Lecture notes and problem set #9 (due Thursday, March 17)
March 10
18. Lie groups. Matrix representations
March 15
19. Lie groups, algebras
Lecture notes #10 (not ready) (no problem set:)
March 17
20. SO(2) and O(2) symmetry reduction
March 22
Spring Break
March 24
Spring Break
March 29
21. SU(2) and SO(3)
Lecture notes and problem set #11 (due Thursday, April 7)
March 31 - Boris Gutkin
22. Spinors, Clebsches
April 5 - Boris Gutkin
23. Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. Wigner-Eckart theorem
Lecture notes and problem set #12 (due Tuesday, April 12)
April 7 - Boris Gutkin
24. Representations of simple algebras
April 12 - Boris Gutkin
25. Cartan construction of SU(3) irreps
Lecture notes and problem set #13 (due Thursday, April 21)
April 14
26. Flavor SU(3). Gell-Mann - Okubo formula
April 19
27. Birdtracks
Lecture notes and problem set #14 (due Thursday, April 28)
April 21 - Boris Gutkin
28. Many particle systems. Young tableaux
April 26
29. Birdtracks
Lecture notes and problem set #15 (due Tuesday, May 3)
April 28
Reading period
Fancy footwork
Course Instructor Opinion Survey
Please fill out the online Course Survey. This is your opportunity to provide feedback regarding the contents of the course, the style and quality of the presentation, or any other subject related to the course. Tell us what you liked and what you did not like. Your input is very valuable and will benefit students taking this course in subsequent years.
May 3
Instead of the final exam 2:50pm - 5:40pm:
deliver problem set #15 to Predrag
May 7
End of term
May 9
Grades due at noon