This is the first course in a two-semester sequence (318/319) covering classical electromagnetic theory at the graduate level. The main purpose is teach students the language and major concepts of electromagnetic theory in forms that are useful for physics research as well as advanced coursework in condensed matter physics, quantum field theory, optical physics, and nuclear physics. The course may also be useful to graduate students in other departments, for example, chemistry and electrical engineering.
The two courses most closely tied to PHY 318 are PHY 230 - a prerequisite covering mathematical methods, and PHY 319 - the second semester of the graduate electromagnetism sequence. The PHY 230 material that is most useful for PHY 318 includes ordinary differential equations, Sturm-Liouville theory, techniques of complex variables (especially contour integration), asymptotic expansions, and familiarity with Mathematica.
The prerequisites for PHY 318/319 are: