Classical Mechanics I

Catalog description

This course will cover mechanics topics familiar from the undergraduate curriculum, but from deeper theoretical and mathematical perspectives. Topics will include Lagrange & Hamilton methods, the central force problem, rigid body motion, oscillations, and canonical transformations. Time permitting, other topics that might be explored include chaos theory, special relativity, and the application of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian methods to continuous systems. This course is taught in a seminar format, in which students are responsible for presenting much of the course material in class meetings.