Paradigm: Vector Fields

Catalogue Description:

PH 422/522 PARADIGMS IN PHYSICS: STATIC VECTOR FIELDS (2 credits)
Theory of static electric and magnetic fields, including sources superposition, using the techniques of vector calculus, including Stokes and divergence theorems, and computer visualizations. PREREQ: PH 213. COREQ: MTH 255.

Short Course Description:

This Paradigm will cover the basics of the theory of electrostatics: electric and magnetic fields, discrete and continuous sources and the superposition principle, work and energy. At the same time it will review the techniques of vector calculus such as Stokes' and the divergence theorems which are critical to the study of any static vector field.

The emphasis will be on:

extending the integral versions of Maxwell's equations (learned in introductory physics) to the local, differential versions.
learning to visualize vector-valued functions in three dimensions using the computer algebra software Maple.
extending the techniques of vector calculus from rectangular to cylindrical and spherical coordinates.

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Last Update 9/24/09, webpage created by Corinne Manogue,