Classical Mechanics/Quantum Mechanics 2; honours

Klassieke mechanica/quantummechanica 2; honours

Course manual 2025/2026

Course content

In this honours course, we will discuss a number of topics that will deepen our understanding of classical mechanics and its relation to quantum mechanics. A first central theme that will be discussed in more detail is the role of symmetry in physics, and the way it is described in quantum mechanics. We will focus on the links between the basic concepts of classical mechanics and quantum mechanics and illustrate them in a variety of examples involving discrete and continuous symmetries. The course will be concluded with detailed topics / essays and a presentation as part of final exam. The detailed course syllabus will be published on Canvas.

Objectives

• To understand the symmetry concepts and their role in physics.
• To deepen our understanding of the link between the basic concepts of classical mechanics and quantum mechanics and illustrate them in examples.

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Seminar
• Laptop seminar
• Self-study
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis
• Supervision/feedback meeting

wordt via canvas bekend gemaakt

Learning activities

Attendance

Programme's requirements concerning attendance (TER-B):

• Each student is expected to participate actively in each component of the programme that he/she signed up for. A student that does not attend the first two seminars of a course, will be administratively removed from the seminar group. A request for reregistration for the seminars can be applied to the programme coordinator.
• If a student cannot attend an obligatory component of a programme's component due to circumstances beyond his control, he must report in writing to the relevant teacher as soon as possible. The teacher, if necessary after consulting the study adviser, may decide to issue the student a replacing assignment.
• It is not allowed to miss obligatory commponents of the programme if there is no case of circumstances beyond one's control.
• In case of participating qualitatively or quantitatively insufficiently, the examiner can expel a student from further participation in the programme's component or a part of that component. Conditions for sufficient participation are set down in advance in the course manual.

Additional requirements for this course:

aanwezigheid en actieve deelname is vereist.

Assessment

De cursus wordt beoordeeld met een pass/fail gebaseerd op uitgewerkt onderdeel/essay en presentatie.

Assignments

Assignments are expected to be done individually.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Honours information

The course is also open to non-Honours students. However, you need to contact the lecturer beforehand.

Additional information

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. S. Jabbari Farouji

There will be teacher assistant for helping with the exercises.

Staff

• A. De Vito