Maybe math that you haven't used before:

  • Functional derivative: This concept appears on quantum physics course. It won’t be an overriding theme, but it is used on occasion and appears often in variational calculations. For the definition and some background you can start from Wikipedia.

Crucial
  • Basic linear algebra (vectors, matrices, their operations). Focus is on being able to apply these skills in the context of quantum mechanics. (Maybe course: MS-C1340 - Lineaarialgebra ja differentiaaliyhtälöt or equivalent knowledge. Here is a summary from the University of Bielefeld)
  • Operator algebra, basics of quantum mechanics, commutators (Course: PHYS-C0210 Kvanttimekaniikka, Books: Liboff “Introductory Quantum Mechanics” until approx. p. 345 or Griffiths:n "Introduction to Quantum mechanics")
  • Basic knowledge of integration and simple differential equations (Maybe course: MS-A0102 - Differentiaali- ja integraalilaskenta 1 or equivalent) If you have been on 2nd or 3rd (or higher) year physics courses you know the level.
  • Being comfortable with Dirac-delta function and Kronecker delta.

Useful:

  • Lagrangian mechanics (Course: Theoretical mechanics, Book: Fetter & Walecka: "Theoretical mechanics of particles and continua")

Last modified: Monday, 11 December 2017, 1:59 PM