Professor: Dr. Daniel Mittleman
Office: Brockman Hall, Room 351
Phone: x5452
E-mail: daniel@rice.edu

Course Schedule
This schedule is tentative and may be updated as the semester goes along.

Textbook
The required text is Optics, 4th edition, by Eugene Hecht.  You can buy it used, but be sure to get the 4th edition and not an earlier one.  WARNING: every year, at least one person makes the mistake of purchasing an earlier edition of the book.  Note that the homework problems are not the same in earlier editions!  If you use the wrong book and end up doing the wrong problems (i.e., not the ones that were assigned), you will not get credit or sympathy.

Problem Sets
Problem sets will be handed out on Wednesdays (most weeks), and will usually be due IN CLASS the following Wednesday.  You are permitted to work with fellow students in solving the problems, as long as your collaboration is compatible with the Rice Honor Code (e.g., copying someone else's work is not allowed).

Office Hours
Office hours will be held in my office (Brockman 351), on Tuesdays between 1:00 and 2:30pm.  You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of office hours, especially if you are having difficulty completing the problem sets in a reasonable amount of time.  Additional office hours may be scheduled by appointment.  Email to make an appointment. Please take advantage of this – I am happy to work with you if you are having difficulties.

Words of Advice
Like most classes in the sciences and engineering disciplines, each lecture in this class builds on concepts from the previous ones.  In other words, in week 2 we will rely very heavily on what we discussed in week 1, and so on.  The consequence of this is significant: if you get lost in week 1, you will certainly be lost in weeks 2, 3, 4, etc.  So it is crucial that you don't get lost or fall behind, especially early in the semester.  If you feel that you are failing to grasp something important at any time, but especially during the first several weeks, do not hesitate to ask me for help.

Exams
There will be two midterms and a comprehensive final exam.  In the past, the two midterms have been administered as one-on-one oral exams.  This is likely to be true again in 2012.  More details on the nature of the exams, and the scheduling, will be forthcoming.  If you anticipate that you might miss an exam, let me know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so that an alternative can be arranged for you.  If you have a foreseeable conflict, you MUST let me know in advance of the exam date.  Unforeseeable conflicts will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Grading Policy
Your final grade will be determined according to the following weights:

• Homework:   25%
• Two exams: 25% each
• Final exam: 25%

Graders
Click here for information on the graders.

Regrade policy: If you think a regrade is required on any assignment, you should make an appointment with me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, but not more than one week after the assignment or exam was returned to you.  Except in the event of obvious clerical errors, NO regrades will be considered beyond this deadline.  It is YOUR responsibility to examine your graded papers carefully to check for any grading errors.

Late assignments:  If you have a LEGITIMATE and FORSEEABLE excuse for handing in an assignment late, you will receive permission to do so with no penalty.  These situations will be handled on a case-by-case basis.  Note that a legitimate excuse such as a medical situation requires a confirming note from your physician.  If you do not fall into the aforementioned category, then you can still receive 50% credit on late problem sets, as long as I receive them no later than two weeks after the original due date.  Assignments turned in later than that will receive 25% credit, up to the last day of class.  The idea here is that, even if you cannot hand in an assignment on time, you still get some credit if you do it before the end of the semester.  This is the Better Late Than Never clause.  Obviously, using the homework solutions to complete a late assignment would defeat the whole purpose of this clause, so it is a violation of the Honor Code to do so.

Handicapped students
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with me during the first two weeks of class.  All discussions will remain confidential.  Students with disabilities should also contact Disabled Student Services in the Ley Student Center, at 348-5841.