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Author Topic:   Introduction to Quantum Mechanics.
Son Goku
Inactive Member


(12)
Message 1 of 33 (719978)
02-19-2014 11:42 AM


I've been inspired by Dr. Adequate's series on Geology (an amazing thread), so I would just like to propose a similar introduction to quantum mechanics. I would plan to begin around May this year. I know it is pretty early to be proposing this, but I plan to treat it like a proper course, similar enough to those I actually lecture, so I would need some time to prepare.
The only mathematics involved will be matrices and vectors.
EDIT: Vectors and matrices form the subject known as linear algebra, the amount of linear algebra necessary for the course will be explained in a separate pdf/post. To learn linear algebra you only need to know what a number is!
Edited by Son Goku, : Little details on the mathematics.
Edited by Son Goku, : I can't spell.

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by AdminPhat, posted 02-19-2014 12:09 PM Son Goku has replied
 Message 5 by Dr Adequate, posted 02-19-2014 2:05 PM Son Goku has replied
 Message 7 by Stile, posted 02-19-2014 3:02 PM Son Goku has not replied
 Message 10 by Pressie, posted 02-21-2014 3:34 AM Son Goku has not replied

  
AdminPhat
Inactive Member


Message 2 of 33 (719979)
02-19-2014 12:09 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Son Goku
02-19-2014 11:42 AM


Quantum Mechanics Topic
I think this is a great idea, especially seeing as how you would be teaching us! Do you want me to move this to a particular forum now, or shall we wait until May?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Son Goku, posted 02-19-2014 11:42 AM Son Goku has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by Son Goku, posted 02-19-2014 1:14 PM AdminPhat has not replied

  
Son Goku
Inactive Member


Message 3 of 33 (719980)
02-19-2014 1:14 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by AdminPhat
02-19-2014 12:09 PM


Re: Quantum Mechanics Topic
I guess it could be put in one of the science forums, Miscellany or Big Bang and Cosmology would be fine.
Mainly to gauge interest and see what topics people might like to see discussed.

This message is a reply to:
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AdminPhat
Inactive Member


Message 4 of 33 (719982)
02-19-2014 1:57 PM


Thread Copied from Proposed New Topics Forum
Thread copied here from the Introduction to Quantum Mechanics. thread in the Proposed New Topics forum.

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 285 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(1)
Message 5 of 33 (719985)
02-19-2014 2:05 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Son Goku
02-19-2014 11:42 AM


A good idea. And then when you're done we should turn it into a wikibook like I did with mine, so as to reach a wider audience --- I'll help if you like.
I would plan to begin around May this year. I know it is pretty early to be proposing this, but I plan to treat it like a proper course, similar enough to those I actually lecture, so I would need some time to prepare.
You don't have to prepare the whole thing before you start, do you? I didn't.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Son Goku, posted 02-19-2014 11:42 AM Son Goku has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by RAZD, posted 02-19-2014 2:08 PM Dr Adequate has not replied
 Message 11 by Son Goku, posted 02-25-2014 9:33 AM Dr Adequate has not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


(2)
Message 6 of 33 (719986)
02-19-2014 2:08 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by Dr Adequate
02-19-2014 2:05 PM


... And then when you're done we should turn it into a wikibook like I did with mine, so as to reach a wider audience ...
Curiously I was thinking of something similar for the Age Correlations\Consilience next revision ... message me?

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel American Zen Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by Dr Adequate, posted 02-19-2014 2:05 PM Dr Adequate has not replied

Replies to this message:
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Stile
Member
Posts: 4295
From: Ontario, Canada
Joined: 12-02-2004


Message 7 of 33 (719998)
02-19-2014 3:02 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Son Goku
02-19-2014 11:42 AM


A peanut gallery, perhaps?
What sort of system would you be trying to implement?
One more of a textbook style where questions/comments are made in another thread?
Or one more of an open style where questions/comments are made directly to your posts?
(I just foresee a whack of questions... from me!!!)
Or a comment like this:
The only mathematics involved will be matrices and vectors.
If there are any programmers who don't know these math terms... there are some simple programming analogies:
A matrix is a 2 dimensional array.
A vector is a specific type of matrix... a 1 dimensional array.
A scalar is a single value (like a regular DINT or REAL, or something).
A matrix (generally) is made up of a bunch of vectors.
A vector (generally) is made up of a bunch of scalars.
The terms, however, are designed for geometry and geometric relationships.
Because of this, the positions of the arrays are generally specific for a single identification.
That is, a "force" vector could be defined as a single array with the first value representing the magnitude and the second value representing the direction. If so... then the first value would always be representing magnitudes and the second value would always be representing directions, especially when comparing this vector to any other "force" vector.
The values in arrays used in the context of vectors and matrices would never be used in any sort of data shifting (like a FIFO or FILO where the values are moved from one end of the array to the other...) the information in the specific, defined locations is key.
Edited by Stile, : Scalar? I damned near killed 'er!!

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
 Message 8 by NoNukes, posted 02-20-2014 9:20 AM Stile has seen this message but not replied
 Message 9 by Dr Adequate, posted 02-20-2014 12:44 PM Stile has seen this message but not replied

  
NoNukes
Inactive Member


(2)
Message 8 of 33 (720083)
02-20-2014 9:20 AM
Reply to: Message 7 by Stile
02-19-2014 3:02 PM


Re: A peanut gallery, perhaps?
scaler
A scaler is that pointy instrument the dentist uses to hack at your gums before telling you 'your gums are bleeding'.
Scalar is the term you mean to use.

Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison. Thoreau: Civil Disobedience (1846)
I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him. Galileo Galilei
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. Frederick Douglass

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by Stile, posted 02-19-2014 3:02 PM Stile has seen this message but not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 285 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 9 of 33 (720148)
02-20-2014 12:44 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by Stile
02-19-2014 3:02 PM


Re: A peanut gallery, perhaps?
I don't think a separate peanut gallery is a good idea. If someone has a question, then the answer should be in-thread for the general edification of the readers.
In my own thread I also broke forum etiquette (as I announced I would at the start) by going back and changing posts in response to comments.

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Pressie
Member
Posts: 2103
From: Pretoria, SA
Joined: 06-18-2010


(3)
Message 10 of 33 (720222)
02-21-2014 3:34 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Son Goku
02-19-2014 11:42 AM


Looking forward to this one.
I'm really looking forward to this one. You guys provide a great service providing everyone with a free education.

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 Message 1 by Son Goku, posted 02-19-2014 11:42 AM Son Goku has not replied

  
Son Goku
Inactive Member


Message 11 of 33 (720586)
02-25-2014 9:33 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by Dr Adequate
02-19-2014 2:05 PM


Preparation.
Thanks for the offer, seems like a good idea. Hopefully I'll be able to do it myself, as I wouldn't like to bother you, but there's probably subtleties to the process I don't know about, so I might need your help!
I'm preparing it in advance, since every time I write a university course, only at the end do I realise exactly when certain ideas should be introduced. My "lesson by lesson" version wouldn't be as good.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by Dr Adequate, posted 02-19-2014 2:05 PM Dr Adequate has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 12 by Diomedes, posted 02-25-2014 2:34 PM Son Goku has not replied

  
Diomedes
Member
Posts: 995
From: Central Florida, USA
Joined: 09-13-2013


Message 12 of 33 (720628)
02-25-2014 2:34 PM
Reply to: Message 11 by Son Goku
02-25-2014 9:33 AM


Re: Preparation.
Looking forward to this Son Goku. I absolutely love physics, but my knowledge of quantum mechanics is not very vast. I only took one semester of it in university when I was studying electrical engineering.
Oddly enough, I think I might have been smarter before I took the course. Trying to wrap my head around some of those concepts or work through Schrodinger's equation might have actually broken part of my brain.
It did eventually cause me to get a cat however...

This message is a reply to:
 Message 11 by Son Goku, posted 02-25-2014 9:33 AM Son Goku has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 13 by NoNukes, posted 02-25-2014 3:08 PM Diomedes has replied

  
NoNukes
Inactive Member


Message 13 of 33 (720630)
02-25-2014 3:08 PM
Reply to: Message 12 by Diomedes
02-25-2014 2:34 PM


Re: Preparation.
"cause me to get a cat"
A cat and. ...
A cat, a steamer trunk, a Geiger counter and a vile of poison...?

Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison. Thoreau: Civil Disobedience (1846)
I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him. Galileo Galilei
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. Frederick Douglass

This message is a reply to:
 Message 12 by Diomedes, posted 02-25-2014 2:34 PM Diomedes has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 14 by Diomedes, posted 02-25-2014 3:48 PM NoNukes has seen this message but not replied

  
Diomedes
Member
Posts: 995
From: Central Florida, USA
Joined: 09-13-2013


Message 14 of 33 (720632)
02-25-2014 3:48 PM
Reply to: Message 13 by NoNukes
02-25-2014 3:08 PM


Re: Preparation.
A cat, a steamer trunk, a Geiger counter and a vile of poison...?
I just went with the cat.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 13 by NoNukes, posted 02-25-2014 3:08 PM NoNukes has seen this message but not replied

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RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


(4)
Message 15 of 33 (720635)
02-25-2014 4:47 PM
Reply to: Message 14 by Diomedes
02-25-2014 3:48 PM


Re: Preparation.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel American Zen Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 14 by Diomedes, posted 02-25-2014 3:48 PM Diomedes has not replied

  
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