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Honours Mathematics and Physics (81 credits)

Offered by: Physics     Degree: Bachelor of Science

Program Requirements

This is a specialized and demanding program intended for students who wish to develop a strong basis in both Mathematics and Physics in preparation for graduate work and a professional or academic career. Although the program is optimized for theoretical physics, it is broad enough and strong enough to prepare students for further study in either experimental physics or mathematics.

The minimum requirement for entry into the program is completion with high standing of the usual CEGEP courses in physics and in mathematics, or the Physics Program Prerequisites as explained below. In addition, a student who has not completed the equivalent of MATH 222 must take it in the first term without receiving credit toward the 81 credits required in the Honours program.

A student whose average in the required and complementary courses in any year falls below a GPA of 3.00, or whose grade in any individual required or complementary course falls below a C (unless the student improves the grade to a C or higher through a supplemental exam or by retaking the course), may not register in the Honours program the following year, or graduate with the Honours degree, except with the permission of both departments. The student will have two advisers, one from Mathematics and the other from Physics.

Program Prerequisites

Students entering Physics programs from the Freshman program must have successfully completed the courses below or their equivalents. Quebec students must have completed the DEC with appropriate science and mathematics courses.

  • CHEM 110 General Chemistry 1 (4 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : A study of the fundamental principles of atomic structure, radiation and nuclear chemistry, valence theory, coordination chemistry, and the periodic table.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Sirjoosingh, Pallavi; Kakkar, Ashok K; McKeague, Maureen; Denisova, Irina (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Prerequisites/corequisites: College level mathematics and physics or permission of instructor; CHEM 120 is not a prerequisite

    • Each lab section is limited enrolment

  • CHEM 120 General Chemistry 2 (4 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : A study of the fundamental principles of physical chemistry.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Sirjoosingh, Pallavi; Sewall, Samuel Lewis; Wiseman, Paul; Denisova, Irina (Winter)

    • Winter

    • Prerequisites/corequisites: College level mathematics and physics, or permission of instructor: CHEM 110 is not a prerequisite

    • Each lab section is limited enrolment

  • PHYS 131 Mechanics and Waves (4 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The basic laws and principles of Newtonian mechanics; oscillations, waves, and wave optics.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Ragan, Kenneth J (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures; 1 hour tutorial, 3 hours laboratory in alternate weeks; tutorial sessions

    • Corequisite: MATH 139 or higher level calculus course.

    • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking PHYS 101, or who have taken CEGEP objective 00UR or equivalent.

    • Laboratory sections have limited enrolment

  • PHYS 142 Electromagnetism and Optics (4 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The basic laws of electricity and magnetism; geometrical optics.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Guo, Hong (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory in alternate weeks; tutorial sessions

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 131.

    • Corequisite: MATH 141 or higher level calculus course.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking PHYS 102, or who have taken CEGEP objective 00US or equivalent.

    • Laboratory sections have limited enrolment

One of:

  • BIOL 111 Principles: Organismal Biology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biology (Sci) : An introduction to the phylogeny, structure, function and adaptation of unicellular organisms, plants and animals in the biosphere.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Hargreaves, Anna; L'Heureux, Anne-Marie; Shapiro, Benjamin Jesse; Hendry, Andrew; Cristescu, Elena (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 2 hours lecture and 2 hours laboratory

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CEGEP objective 00UK or equivalent; or BIOL 115.

    • This course serves as an alternative to CEGEP objective code 00UK

    • Labs are held weekly, starting from the second week of term. Attendance at the first lab is mandatory to confirm registration in the course.

  • BIOL 112 Cell and Molecular Biology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biology (Sci) : The cell: ultrastructure, division, chemical constituents and reactions. Bioenergetics: photosynthesis and respiration. Principles of genetics, the molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Dent, Joseph Alan; L'Heureux, Anne-Marie; Schöck, Frieder (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 2 hours lecture and 3 hours laboratory

    • Labs are held weekly, starting from the second week of term. Attendance at the first lab is mandatory to confirm registration in the course.

    • This course serves as an alternative to CEGEP objective code 00XU

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking CEGEP objective 00XU or equivalent;or BIOL 115; or AEBI 122

MATH 133 and either MATH 140/141 or MATH 150/151.

  • MATH 133 Linear Algebra and Geometry (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Systems of linear equations, matrices, inverses, determinants; geometric vectors in three dimensions, dot product, cross product, lines and planes; introduction to vector spaces, linear dependence and independence, bases. Linear transformations. Eigenvalues and diagonalization.

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: Macdonald, Jeremy; Ayala, Miguel; Branchereau, Romain; Giard, Antoine (Fall)

    • 3 hours lecture, 1 hour tutorial

    • Prerequisite: a course in functions

    • Restriction(s): 1) Not open to students who have taken CEGEP objective 00UQ or equivalent. 2) Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 123, except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

  • MATH 140 Calculus 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Review of functions and graphs. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications.

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: Sabok, Marcin; Trudeau, Sidney; Kalmykov, Artem (Fall)

    • 3 hours lecture, 1 hour tutorial

    • Prerequisite: High School Calculus

    • Restriction(s): 1) Not open to students who have taken MATH139 or MATH 150 or CEGEP objective 00UN or equivalent. 2) Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122, except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

    • Each Tutorial section is enrolment limited

  • MATH 141 Calculus 2 (4 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : The definite integral. Techniques of integration. Applications. Introduction to sequences and series.

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: Hassan, Hazem; Trudeau, Sidney; Zlotchevski, Andrei (Fall) Trudeau, Sidney (Winter)

    • Prerequisites: MATH 139 or MATH 140 or MATH 150.

    • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken CEGEP objective 00UP or equivalent.

    • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122,except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

    • Each Tutorial section is enrolment limited

  • MATH 150 Calculus A (4 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Functions, limits and continuity, differentiation, L'Hospital's rule, applications, Taylor polynomials, parametric curves, functions of several variables.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Kelome, Djivede (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture, 2 hours tutorial

    • Students with no prior exposure to vector geometry are advised to take MATH 133 concurrently. Intended for students with high school calculus who have not received six advanced placement credits

    • Restriction(s): 1) Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 139 or MATH 140 or CEGEP objective 00UN or equivalent. 2) Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122,except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

    • MATH 150 and MATH 151 cover the material of MATH 139, MATH 140, MATH 141, MATH 222

  • MATH 151 Calculus B (4 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Integration, methods and applications, infinite sequences and series, power series, arc length and curvature, multiple integration.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Roth, Charles (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture; 2 hours tutorial

    • Each Tutorial section is enrolment limited

    • Prerequisite: MATH 150

    • Restriction(s): 1) Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 141 or CEGEP objective 00UP or equivalent. 2) Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122, except by permission of the Department of Mathematic sand Statistics.

U1 Required Courses (27 credits)

  • MATH 235 Algebra 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Sets, functions and relations. Methods of proof. Complex numbers. Divisibility theory for integers and modular arithmetic. Divisibility theory for polynomials. Rings, ideals and quotient rings. Fields and construction of fields from polynomial rings. Groups, subgroups and cosets; homomorphisms and quotient groups.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Sabbagh, Magid (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture; 1 hour tutorial

    • Prerequisite: MATH 133 or equivalent

    • Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 245.

  • MATH 248 Honours Vector Calculus (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Partial derivatives and differentiation of functions in several variables; Jacobians; maxima and minima; implicit functions. Scalar and vector fields; orthogonal curvilinear coordinates. Multiple integrals; arc length, volume and surface area. Line and surface integrals; irrotational and solenoidal fields; Green's theorem; the divergence theorem. Stokes' theorem; and applications.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Mutanguha, Jean Pierre (Fall)

    • Fall and Winter and Summer

    • Prerequisites: MATH 133 and MATH 222 or consent of Department.

    • Restriction: Intended for Honours Physics, Computer Science, Physiology and Engineering students.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 314 or MATH 358.

  • MATH 249 Honours Complex Variables (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Functions of a complex variable; Cauchy-Riemann equations; Cauchy's theorem and consequences. Taylor and Laurent expansions. Residue calculus; evaluation of real integrals; integral representation of special functions; the complex inversion integral. Conformal mapping; Schwarz-Christoffel transformation; Poisson's integral formulas; applications.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Pym, Brent (Winter)

    • Winter

    • Prerequisite(s): MATH 248 or MATH 358 or equivalent.

    • Restriction: Intended for Honours Physics and Engineering students

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 316

  • MATH 325 Honours Ordinary Differential Equations (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : First and second order equations, linear equations, series solutions, Frobenius method, introduction to numerical methods and to linear systems, Laplace transforms, applications.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Lessard, Jean-Philippe (Winter)

    • Fall and Winter

    • (3-0-6)

    • Prerequisite: MATH 222.

    • Restriction: Intended for Honours Mathematics, Physics and Engineering programs.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken MATH 263 (formerly MATH 261), MATH 315

  • PHYS 241 Signal Processing (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Linear circuit elements, resonance, network theorems, diodes, transistors, amplifiers, feedback, integrated circuits.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Hessels, Jason (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 2 hours lectures; 3 hours laboratory alternate weeks

    • Prerequisite: CEGEP physics or PHYS 142.

  • PHYS 251 Honours Classical Mechanics 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Newton's laws, work energy, angular momentum. Harmonic oscillator, forced oscillations. Inertial forces, rotating frames. Central forces, centre of mass, planetary orbits, Kepler's laws.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Chiang, Hsin Cynthia (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: CEGEP physics or PHYS 131.

    • Corequisite: MATH 222

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having taken PHYS 230.

  • PHYS 257 Experimental Methods 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Introductory laboratory work and data analysis as related to mechanics, optics and thermodynamics. Introduction to computers as they are employed for laboratory work, for data analysis and for numerical computation. Previous experience with computers is an asset, but is not required.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Vachon, Brigitte (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 6 hours of laboratory and classroom work

    • Corequisite: PHYS 230 or PHYS 251

  • PHYS 258 Experimental Methods 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Advanced laboratory work and data analysis as related to mechanics, optics and thermodynamics. Computers will be employed routinely for data analysis and for numerical computation, and, particularly, to facilitate the use of Fourier methods.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Cooke, David (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 6 hours of laboratory and classroom work

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 257

  • PHYS 260 Modern Physics and Relativity (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : History of special relativity; Lorentz transformations: kinematics and dynamics; transformation of electric and magnetic forces; introduction to topics in modern physics.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Liu, Adrian (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: CEGEP physics or PHYS 142.

    • Corequisite: MATH 222

U2 Required Courses (24 credits)

  • MATH 255 Honours Analysis 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Basic point-set topology, metric spaces: open and closed sets, normed and Banach spaces, Hölder and Minkowski inequalities, sequential compactness, Heine-Borel, Banach Fixed Point theorem. Riemann-(Stieltjes) integral, Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, Taylor's theorem. Uniform convergence. Infinite series, convergence tests, power series. Elementary functions.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Vetois, Jerome (Winter)

  • MATH 475 Honours Partial Differential Equations (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : First order partial differential equations, geometric theory, classification of second order linear equations, Sturm-Liouville problems, orthogonal functions and Fourier series, eigenfunction expansions, separation of variables for heat, wave and Laplace equations, Green's function methods, uniqueness theorems.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Choksi, Rustum (Fall)

  • PHYS 253 Thermal Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Energy, work, heat; first law. Temperature, entropy; second law. Absolute zero; third law. Equilibrium, equations of state, gases, liquids, solids, magnets; phase transitions.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Grutter, Peter H (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisites: CEGEP physics or PHYS 131, and CEGEP chemistry or CHEM 120.

    • Corequisite: MATH 222

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having taken PHYS 232.

  • PHYS 350 Honours Electricity and Magnetism (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Fundamental laws of electric and magnetic fields in both integral and differential form.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Liu, Adrian (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisites: MATH 248, MATH 325.

    • Restriction: Honours students or permission of the instructor

    • Restriction: Not open to students having taken PHYS 340

  • PHYS 351 Honours Classical Mechanics 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Rigid bodies, angular momentum, gyroscope, moment of inertia, principal axes, Euler's equations. Coupled oscillations and normal modes. Lagrangian mechanics and applications. Hamiltonian mechanics. Topics in advanced analytical mechanics.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Schutz, Katelin (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 251.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken PHYS 451.

  • PHYS 357 Honours Quantum Physics 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Experimental basis for quantum mechanics; wave-packets; uncertainty principle. Hilbert space formalism. Schrodinger equation: eigenvalues and eigenvectors: applications to 1-d problems including the infinite and finite potential wells and the harmonic oscillator. Tunneling. Time independent perturbation theory.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Sievers, Jonathan Le Roy (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisites: MATH 223 or equivalent, and one of PHYS 230, PHYS 251, or CIVE 281

    • Restriction: Honours students or permission of the instructor

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having passed PHYS 346

  • PHYS 362 Statistical Mechanics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Quantum states and ensemble averages. Fermi-Dirac, Bose-Einstein and Boltzmann distribution functions and their applications.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Sankey (Childress), Jack (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisites: MATH 248 or equivalents, PHYS 253.

    • Restriction: Honours students, or permission of the instructor

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having passed PHYS 333

  • PHYS 457 Honours Quantum Physics 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Angular momentum and spin operators. Operator methods in quantum mechanics. Coupling of spin and angular momenta. Variational principles and elements of time dependent perturbation theory (the Golden Rule). Solution of the Schrodinger equation in three dimensions. Applications to the hydrogen and helium atoms and to simple problems in atomic and molecular physics.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Jeon, Sang Yong (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 357

    • Restriction: Honours students or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken PHYS 346

U3 Required Courses (12 credits)

  • MATH 454 Honours Analysis 3 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Measure theory: sigma-algebras, Lebesgue measure in R^n and integration, L^1 functions, Fatou's lemma, monotone and dominated convergence theorem, Egorov’s theorem, Lusin's theorem, Fubini-Tonelli theorem, differentiation of the integral, differentiability of functions of bounded variation, absolutely continuous functions, fundamental theorem of calculus.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Chen, Linan (Fall)

    • Prerequisite(s): MATH 255

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken MATH 354.

  • MATH 458 Honours Differential Geometry (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : In addition to the topics of MATH 320, topics in the global theory of plane and space curves, and in the global theory of surfaces are presented. These include: total curvature and the Fary-Milnor theorem on knotted curves, abstract surfaces as 2-d manifolds, the Euler characteristic, the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for surfaces.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Mutanguha, Jean Pierre (Winter)

  • PHYS 352 Honours Electromagnetic Waves (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Vector and scalar potentials; plane waves in homogeneous media; refraction and reflection; guided waves; radiation from simple systems; dipole and quadrupole radiation; introduction to fields of moving charges; synchrotron radiation; Bremsstrahlung.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Lovejoy, Shaun MacDonald (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 350.

    • Restriction: Honours students, or permission of the instructor

  • PHYS 359 Advanced Physics Laboratory 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Advanced level experiments in physics including quantum effects and some properties of condensed matter physics and modern physics.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Ryan, Dominic (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 6 hours

    • Corequisite: PHYS 457 or PHYS 447 or permission of the instructor.

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 258

    • Students who have taken PHYS 469 will conduct different experiments in this course.

    • Restriction: Open to both Majors and Honours students

Complementary Courses (18 credits)

U1 Complementary Course (3 credits)

  • MATH 247 Honours Applied Linear Algebra (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Matrix algebra, determinants, systems of linear equations. Abstract vector spaces, inner product spaces, Fourier series. Linear transformations and their matrix representations. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, diagonalizable and defective matrices, positive definite and semidefinite matrices. Quadratic and Hermitian forms, generalized eigenvalue problems, simultaneous reduction of quadratic forms. Applications.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Hoheisel, Tim (Winter)

    • Winter

    • Prerequisite: MATH 133 or equivalent.

    • Restriction: Intended for Honours Physics and Engineering students

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 236, MATH 223 or MATH 251

  • MATH 251 Honours Algebra 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Linear equations over a field. Introduction to vector spaces. Linear maps and their matrix representation. Determinants. Canonical forms. Duality. Bilinear and quadratic forms. Real and complex inner product spaces. Diagonalization of self-adjoint operators.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Przytycki, Piotr (Winter)

    • Winter

    • Prerequisites: MATH 235 or permission of the Department

    • Restriction: Not open to students who are taking or have taken MATH 247

U2 Complementary Courses (3 credits)

  • MATH 242 Analysis 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : A rigorous presentation of sequences and of real numbers and basic properties of continuous and differentiable functions on the real line.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Jakobson, Dmitry (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Prerequisite: MATH 141

    • Restriction(s): Not open to students who are taking or who have taken MATH 254.

  • MATH 254 Honours Analysis 1 (3 credits) **

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Properties of R. Cauchy and monotone sequences, Bolzano- Weierstrass theorem. Limits, limsup, liminf of functions. Pointwise, uniform continuity: Intermediate Value theorem. Inverse and monotone functions. Differentiation: Mean Value theorem, L'Hospital's rule, Taylor's Theorem.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Hundemer, Axel W (Fall)

    • Prerequisite(s): MATH 141

    • Restriction(s): Not open to students who are taking or who have taken MATH 242.

** It is strongly recommended that students take MATH 254.

U3 Complementary Courses (12 credits)

12 credits are selected as follows:

3 credits from:

  • MATH 455 Honours Analysis 4 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Review of point-set topology: topological spaces, dense sets, completeness, compactness, connectedness and path-connectedness, separability, Baire category theorem, Arzela-Ascoli theorem, Stone-Weierstrass theorem..Functional analysis: L^p spaces, linear functionals and dual spaces, Hilbert spaces, Riesz representation theorems. Fourier series and transform, Riemann-Lebesgue Lemma,Fourier inversion formula, Plancherel theorem, Parseval’s identity, Poisson summation formula.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Lin, Jessica (Winter)

    • Prerequisite: MATH 454 or equivalent.

    • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken MATH 355.

  • MATH 456 Honours Algebra 3 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Introduction to monoids, groups, permutation groups; the isomorphism theorems for groups; the theorems of Cayley, Lagrange and Sylow; structure of groups of low order. Introduction to ring theory; integral domains, fields, quotient field of an integral domain; polynomial rings; unique factorization domains.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Darmon, Henri (Fall)

6 credits selected from:

  • PHYS 404 Climate Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Nguyen, Giang (Fall)

  • PHYS 432 Physics of Fluids (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The physical properties of fluids. The kinematics and dynamics of flow. The effects of viscosity and turbulence. Applications of fluid mechanics in biophysics, geophysics and engineering.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Jeon, Sang Yong (Winter)

  • PHYS 459D1 Research Thesis (3 credits) *

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Supervised research project and thesis.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Gale, Charles (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Permission of the instructor.

    • 6 hours

    • Restriction: Honours students or permission of instructor

    • Students must register for both PHYS 459D1 and PHYS 459D2.

    • No credit will be given for this course unless both PHYS 459D1 and PHYS 459D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms

  • PHYS 459D2 Research Thesis (3 credits) *

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : See PHYS 459D1 for course description.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Gale, Charles (Winter)

    • Winter

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 459D1

    • No credit will be given for this course unless both PHYS 459D1 and PHYS 459D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms

  • PHYS 479 Physics Research Project (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : A supervised research project.

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: Siwick, Bradley (Fall) Siwick, Bradley (Winter)

    • 6 hours

    • Restriction: U2 or U3 students in a Physics program, or permission of the instructor.

  • PHYS 512 Computational Physics with Applications (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Computational methods in Physics illustrated with realworld applications.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Sievers, Jonathan Le Roy (Fall)

    • U3 or graduate students in Physics, Chemistry, or Engineering, or permission of the instructor. Basic familiarity with computer programming highly recommended.

  • PHYS 514 General Relativity (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Transition from special to general relativity. Non-Euclidian geometry. The basic laws of Physics in co-variant form, Einstein's equations. Gravitational waves; neutron stars; black holes; cosmology.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Cline, James M (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Restriction: U3 Honours students and graduate students, or permission of the instructor.

  • PHYS 519 Advanced Biophysics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : An advanced biophysics course, with a special emphasis on stochastic and out of equilibrium physical processes in living matter.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Wiseman, Paul (Winter)

  • PHYS 521 Astrophysics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : An advanced course in modern astrophysics, covering topics such as the basic tools of astronomy (statistics, mathematical methods, computational tools, and instrumentation); stellar astrophysics (properties, structure, atmospheres, binaries/exoplanets); the interstellar medium, star formation, stellar evolution and endpoints (white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes); and the Milky Way, galaxies, and cosmology.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Raghoonundun, Ambrish (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours

    • Restriction: U3 students and graduate students, or permission of the instructor

  • PHYS 551 Quantum Theory (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : General formulation, scattering theory, WKBJ approximation, time-dependent perturbation, theory and applications, angular momentum, relativistic wave equations.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Dasgupta, Keshav (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Restriction: U3 Honours students and graduate students, or permission of the instructor

  • PHYS 557 Nuclear Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : General nuclear properties, nucleon-nucleon interaction and scattering theory, radioactivity, nuclear models, nuclear reactions.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Gale, Charles (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Restriction: U3 Honours students, graduate students, or permission of the instructor

  • PHYS 558 Solid State Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Properties of crystals; free electron model, band structure; metals, insulators and semi-conductors; phonons; magnetism; selected additional topics in solid-state (e.g. ferroelectrics, elementary transport theory).

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Hilke, Michael (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Restriction: U3 Honours students, graduate students, or permission of the instructor

  • PHYS 559 Advanced Statistical Mechanics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Scattering and structure factors. Review of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics; correlation functions (static); mean field theory; critical phenomena; broken symmetry; fluctuations, roughening.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Reisner, Walter (Winter)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Restriction: U3 Honours students, graduate students, or permission of the instructor

  • PHYS 562 Electromagnetic Theory (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Electrostatics, dielectrics, magnetostatics, timevarying fields, relativity, radiating systems, fields of moving charges.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Rutledge, Robert (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisites (Graduate): U1 or U2 Honours Physics or permission of instructor.

    • Restriction: U3 Honours students, graduate students, or permission of the instructor

  • PHYS 567 Particle Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Survey of elementary particles; hadrons, leptons and hadrons' constituents (quarks). Invariance principles and conservation laws. Detectors and accelerators. Phenomenology of strong, electromagnetic and weak interactions.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Cline, James M (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Restriction: U3 Honours students, graduate students, or permission of the instructor

* Note: PHYS 459D1 and PHYS 459D2 are taken together.

3 credits in Honours Mathematics.

Faculty of Science—2024-2025 (last updated Aug. 21, 2024) (disclaimer)
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