Schedule
The table below shows the topics we will cover in the course.
Exact lecture dates for the topics may still shift, though.
Last updated: Aug 20, 2026.
Note: In addition to the homework sets listed below, there will be three computational homework sets. They will be added to the schedule over the course of the semester.
If you have any issues logging in to view any of the secured documents below, please try adding "uofi\" (without the quotes) in front of your netid.
The reading assignments are strongly recommended accompanying reading to the lectures. They refer to chapters in Griffiths, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, 3rd Ed.
Lecture notes (the content of what I showed in the lecture) are available for download after each lecture (up to a day or two delay). They are only provided as a help in looking back what was covered.
| Week | Date | Lecture Topics | Reading | Homework | Discussion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8/25 | Introduction | Preface; 1.1-1.5 | - | - | |
| 8/27 | Postulates of QM; Lightning tour of relevant Linear Algebra. | Appendix A.1-3; 1.1-1.5; 3.6 | ||||
| 2 | 9/1 | Schrodinger equation and wave function | 1.1-1.5 | HW 1 (due 9/9) | Disc. 1 | |
| 9/3 | Solving the time-independent Schrodinger equation: infinite square well | 2.1, 2.2 | ||||
| 3 | 9/8 | Solving the time-independent Schrodinger equation: infinite square well; free particle. | 2.2, 2.4 | HW 2 (due 9/16) | Disc. 2 | |
| 9/10 | Solving the time-independent Schrodinger equation: Free particle; finite well. | 2.4, 2.6 | ||||
| 4 | 9/15 | Solving the time-independent Schrodinger equation: finite well. | 2.6 | HW 3 (due 9/23) | Disc. 3 | |
| 9/17 | Formalism: Vectors and Operators | 3; Appendix A | ||||
| 5 | 9/22 | Formalism: Operators, basis transformations. | 3; Appendix A | - | Disc. 4 | |
| 9/24 | The Uncertainty principle; the two-level system (qubit) | 3; Appendix A; Paper: QM from qubits | ||||
| 6 | 9/29 | Review | HW 4 (due 10/7) | - | ||
| 10/1 | MIDTERM 1 | |||||
| 7 | 10/6 | Uncertainty principle wrap-up; the harmonic oscillator | 2.3 | HW 5 (due 10/14) | Disc. 5 | |
| 10/8 | The harmonic oscillator, cont'd. | 2.3 | ||||
| 8 | 10/13 | Quantum vs. classical harmonic oscillator | 2.3 | HW 6 (due 10/21) | Disc. 6 | |
| 10/15 | QM in 3D, angular momentum | 4.1 | ||||
| 9 | 10/20 | Angular momentum | 4.1 | HW 7 (due 10/28) | Disc. 7 | |
| 10/22 | Angular equation and spherical harmonics | 4.1,4.3 | ||||
| 10 | 10/27 | The radial equation | 4.1,4.3 | - | Disc. 8 | |
| 10/29 | Radial equation and Hydrogen atom | 4.2 | ||||
| 11 | 11/3 | Review | HW 8 (due 11/11) | - | ||
| 11/5 | MIDTERM 2 | |||||
| 12 | 11/10 | Spin | 4.4 | HW 9 (due 11/18) | Disc. 9 | |
| 11/12 | Spin | 4.4 | ||||
| 13 | 11/17 | Identical particles | 5.1 | HW 10 (due 12/2) | Disc. 10 | |
| 11/19 | Identical particles | 5.1 | ||||
| FALL BREAK | ||||||
| 14 | 12/1 | TBD | HW 11 (due 12/9) | Disc. 11 | ||
| 12/3 | TBD | |||||
| 15 | 12/8 | Entanglement, Bell's inequality, and quantum teleportation | - | - | ||
| FINAL: date, time and room TBD (final exam period: Dec 11 - 17) | ||||||