What a whirlwind of emotions! From excitement and anticipation (tinged with some frustration of not really knowing details). Through absolute frustration with the maths and complexity of assignment problems; and almost calling it quits already!
As I reflect on a balmy warm September Sunday – just back from the beach – I think I’m over the pit of despair. I’ve got the calculus stuff back under control (at least for now). And have got back to trying to learn quantum mechanics rather than integrals of e with limits.
It has been interesting to align blocks of knowledge in my head. As well as get some background into why we needed quantum mechanics (to understand the black body radiation problem and why spectrums have spaces – leading us to quanta).
My biggest breakthrough was letting go of classical physics as being the rules of how things work, and re-seeing it as just a model. Quantum physics is another model, one that captures the probability based view rather than deterministic classical one. From that I don’t have to fight to understand the new in terms of the old.
In a way, this is no different to how I re-see value in order to solve our innovation problem.
I feel rather happy with the maths of quantum mechanics (now I’m beyond the calculus struggle). Linear algebra makes perfect sense as a model, and Dirac notation of bra and kets is beginning to sink in.
Even my first feeling about the assignment complexity level has subsided. It’s really just a case of sitting down and getting on with it.
Now I’m comfortable with complex conjugates, Hermitian operators, bras, kets (and their vector forms, including manipulating components).
It’s been a journey!
My recommendation to anyone is to get on with the assignments as soon as possible; going through them was great to solidify knowledge. Even if they look scary at first, just break it down, take it piecewise and you get there.
It is a bit too early to reflect on the teaching approach and tool used.
Did I achieve the objectives?
The week’s objectives were:
I feel I got the first two, less convinced about eigenvalues and eigenfunctions.
There were also hidden objectives, such as can I get myself into a routine of studying again after a hard landing straight from 4 weeks holiday and back into work. Yes I could, but I had no social life this week!,,
Let’s get entangled…