Electrodynamics

Electrodynamics is a cornerstone of every modern education in theoretical physics, as it introduces a geometric picture of the laws of Nature, and is permeated by relativity. Starting from the fundamental phenomenology of Maxwell’s equations, the script treats the construction of Green-functions for solving potential problems, before moving to the dynamics of the electromagnetic field and the Poynting-theorems. Retardation bridges to the notion of light cones and the emergence of relativity, leading to a covariant formulation of Maxwell’s equations. Gauge transformations are treated in detail, as well as the behaviour of Maxwell’s equation under discrete symmetries.