Ch. 21a.

Introductory Quantum Mechanics

Garnet Kin-Lic Chan
Noyes 108

We will cover chapters 1-7 of Griffiths, 2nd edn. [1]. Copies on reserve at the library. We will
skip some portions, and also include a small amount of additional material (various applications
to chemistry) in Chs. 5, 6, 7. Other books that you may find helpful are Levine, Quantum Chemistry; Atkins and Friedman, Molecular Quantum Mechanics; McQuarrie, Quantum Chemistry.
Elementary knowledge of multi-variable calculus, partial differential equations, and (especially) linear algebra will be helpful, but we will develop the necessary mathematical tools as we
go along. Initial HW assignments will include some recap material on linear algebra.
Assignments: Mainly from Griffiths, due back one week from the day they are handed out. You
should be able to make a reasonable attempt at the assignment (including the reading necessary
to do so) in 6 hours (two afternoons, or 2/3 work day). Late policy is 15% deduction for each day
HW is handed in late, except with an official note from a doctor or other Caltech professor or
staff member.
Collaboration policy: You may collaborate for your HW, but your final handed in assignment
must be your own work.
Credit: 1/3 credit from HW, 1/3 from midterm, 1/3 from final.
A rough course schedule and list of topics is:
1. Schrodinger eqn., statistical interpretation, probability (1)
2. Probability, normalization, momentum (1)
3. Uncertainty principle (brief), stationary states (1, 2)
4. Square well, harmonic oscillator (2)
5. Harmonic oscillator (2)
6. Free particle (2)
7. Scattering from a -potential (2)

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8. Examples
9. Hilbert space, observables (3)
10. Eigenfunctions, statistical interpretation (3)
11. Generalized uncertainty principle (without derivation), Dirac notation (3)
12. Dirac notation, examples (3)
13. QM in 3D: spherical coordinates, radial eqn. (4)
14. Hydrogen atom (4)
15. Hydrogen atom, angular momentum (4)
16. Angular momentum, spin, addition of ang. momentum (4)
17. More than 1 particle, tensor product spaces (5)
18. Entanglement and consequences (5)
19. Identical particles (5)
20. Slater determinant, exchange, atoms (5)
21. Atoms, examples (5)
22. Variational principle (7)
23. Hydrogen molecular ion. MO theory (7)
24. Linear combination of AOs. Huckel theory (7)
25. Huckel theory and aromaticity, substitution patterns (7)
26. Helium atom and many-electron atoms/molecules (7)
27. Non-degenerate TIPT (6)
28. Non-degenerate TIPT (6)

[1] D. J. Griffiths, Introduction to quantum mechanics (2005).