Physics and Astronomy - Course Details
PHYS422
— Spring 2026
PHYS422: Waves and Oscillation
Purdue Catalog Entry | Class Times | Exam Schedules
Offering:
Spring, 3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
272H or 241
View Additional Prerequisites
Description:
Physics of waves and oscillations including sound, elastic waves, and electromagnetic waves such as light. Topics range from the theory of simple harmonic oscillators, transverse modes of a continuous string, and physical optics including interference, Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction, and resolution, to diffraction of X-rays and electrons by crystals. Optionally includes topics such as nonlinear waves and surface waves.
Instructor(s):
ROKHINSON, LEONID
Email:
leonid@purdue.edu
Textbook(s) for Spring 2026
| Title | Author | Edition | ISBN | Publisher | Req/Opt | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optics | Eugene Hecht | 5th | 9780133977226 | Pearson | Required | |
| Physics of Light and Optics | Justin Peatross, Michael Ware | 9781611660920 | Optional | |||
| The Feynman Lectures on Physics, boxed set | Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, Matthew Sands | 9780465023820 | Basic Books | Optional | ||
| The Physics of Waves | Howard Georgi | 9780136656210 | Addison Wesley Publishing Company | Optional | ||
| Vibrations and Waves | A.P. French | 1st | 9780748744473 | CRC Press | Required |
Course Admin
Last Updated: May 9, 2023 8:43 AM