TEACHING
Jay Nadeau's Teaching Page at Portland State University
Current Courses
Classical Mechanics (PH 624)
Advanced treatment of analytical mechanics of particles, systems of particles, and rigid bodies. Specifically: 1) Fundamentals of the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian variational approaches to mechanics; 2) mathematical techniques that underlie many other branches of physics; 3) bridges between classical and quantum mechanics.
624 is offered even years in Fall.
Click here for a syllabus for Fall 2022
The required textbook for this course is Variational Principles in Classical Mechanics by Douglas Cline. This book is free and Creative Commons licensed.
Here is a pdf version:
Amazon has print and e-versions at low cost.
Classical Mechanics Resources
Statistical Mechanics (PH 664, 665)
664 is offered even years in Spring (2020, 2022). 665 is offered odd years in Spring. A two-term graduate level course covering a thermodynamics review, ensemble theory, and applications of the microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles to problems in chemical, biology, and materials physics. Textbook: Introduction to Statistical Mechanics, by J. D. Walecka https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Statistical-Mechanics-John-Walecka/dp/981436620X/
Click here for a syllabus for 664.
Click here for a syllabus for 665.
Statistical Mechanics Resources
Quantum Mechanics II (PH 412/512)
412/512 is offered each year in Winter or Spring. This course is intended to prepare undergraduate physics majors for graduate school (including the Physics GRE) or to serve as a catch-up course for graduate students before taking the 617-619 sequence. The course content varies depending upon the background of the enrolled students. The textbook is Griffiths, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, 3rd edition. Some years have covered Chapters 1-7, others chapters 4-11; I am always open to requests for which material is needed and willing to adapt the course to a variety of levels.
Beginning in Spring 2025, the course is cross-listed with the Chemistry Department as CH 442/542.
Quantum Mechanics Resources
Math for Quantum Science (PH 410/510)
Offered Fall 2021. This course is designed as a complement to the existing PH434/534, Methods of Mathematical Physics, and uses the same textbook. Topics are flexible and may include differential and integral equations, group theory, complex analysis, and more.
The course is designed for those transitioning into physics from other majors, those who have taken mathematics courses a while ago and need a refresher, and for those who intend to go to graduate school in physics or related fields or who are enrolled in graduate programs and need to catch up. The goal is to obtain a better understanding of physics problems by first approaching the underlying mathematics techniques and realizing why these techniques were used in physics, then applying the math to physical problems.
This course is designed as an active learning workshop. Each student picks at least one topic to present to the course in any form they wish (lecture, interactive session, etc.). The idea is to learn how to teach as well as master the material.
Past courses
- PH 212 (WINTER 2018): GENERAL PHYSICS (WITH CALCULUS) (4) — Introductory physics for students majoring in science and engineering. The winter term focuses on electromagnetism with a little bit of optics. Required prerequisites: for PH 211: Mth 251 or higher; for PH 212: PH 211 and PH 214. Corequisites: for PH 211: PH 214; for PH 212: PH 215.
- PH 490/590 (WINTER 2019): CELLULAR /MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS (4) – An introduction to cloning techniques, protein purification, fluorescence microscopy, and spectroscopy. Half lecture, half laboratory.
- PH 490/590 (WINTER 2021): CELLULAR /MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS (4) – No laboratory component due to COVID. A fully online, theory-based course covering elements of biomolecular thermodynamics, diffusion, random walks, life at low Reynolds number, and other topics. Click here for a syllabus.
- MP 530 (Fall 2019): Radiation Physics – Part of the core Medical Physics curriculum at OHSU (see here for the program). Covers CAMPEP-approved topics. PSU students may register under the MoU with OHSU.