MODERN PHYSICS FOR MATHEMATICIANS In the spring semester of 2000 I taught a course on modern physics to graduate / advanced undergraduate students at the Mathematical Institute of Leiden University. My aim was to give an introduction to the highlights of 20th century physics, quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity, in a language that is suitable for a mathematically trained audience. The course was in Dutch; the lecture notes that I made available and that could and can be downloaded from this web page are in English. My original plan for the course was to give a general introduction and then spend equal time on quantum theory and on relativity. Lack of time forced me however to restrict myself to a fairly broad discussion of quantum theory followed by a very short and general review of special and general relativity. This is reflected in the lectures notes: the introduction and the quantum theory part is in a reasonable but by no means complete state while the relativity part is still missing. I am now working on completing these notes, which means filling in the gaps in the quantum theory part and -- the main job -- write chapters on special and general relativity. I expect the complete set to have about 350 pages. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "TOPICS FROM 20TH CENTURY PHYSICS" An introductory course for students in mathematics ................................................................................... Contents: Title page, Preface, Table ofContents, I. Introduction II. Classical Mechanics III. Quantum Theory: Chapters 1 - 6. General principles III. Quantum Theory: Chapters 7 - 9. Quantum mechanics of a single particle III. Quantum Theory: Chapters 10 - 13. Applying symmetry principles (incomplete) III. Quantum Theory: Chapters 14 - ... . Miscellaneous topics (in preparation) IV. The Special Theory of Relativity (in preparation) IV. The General Theory of Relativity (in preparation) Appendix A: Manifolds (incomplete) Appendix B: Hilbert Space Appendix C: Probability Theory Appendix D: Lie Groups and Lie Algebras Appendix E: Biographical Notes (incomplete) Selected References (in preparation) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Remarks, critical or otherwise, will be appreciated. Peter Bongaarts Instituut Lorentz Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Leiden e-mail: bongaart@lorentz.leidenuniv.nl