ECEG 390
Theory and Applications of Electromagnetics

• Main Course Page
• Alternative Textbooks
• Course Description
• Exams
• Homework Assignments
• Instructor Information
• Moodle Site
• Syllabus and Policies
• Web Links

Selected Answers to HW #1 (2/1/2026)

Answers to selected graded problems in HW #1 are now available via a link on the Homework Assignments page.

The purpose of this resource is to help you determine whether you are on the right track with your solutions. Remember that you must show all of the significant steps leading to an answer to receive full credit for a given problem.

I might not be able to post answers for every homework assignment this semester, and/or at times the answers might be posted only a day or two before the assignment is due.

I try to double-check the answers before I post them, but there is a trade-off between speed and accuracy. Errors could be present; there have been in the past. If you believe that one or more of the posted answers is incorrect, please contact me as soon as possible.

Help Sessions for Feb. 2–6 (2/1/2026)

I plan to be available at least at the following times this week:

• Sunday, 9:00–10:00 pm (Zoom)
• Monday, 2:00–3:45 pm (BRKI 368)
• Monday, 9:00–10:00 pm (Zoom)
• Tuesday, 9:00–10:00 pm (Zoom)
• Wednesday, 2:00–3:45 pm (BRKI 368)
• Friday, 2:00–3:45 pm (BRKI 368)

I will usually be available for short consultations on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 4:50 pm in Breakiron 264 or in my office.

Guidelines and additional information:

• Please contact me if you have a conflict with these times and would like to schedule a meeting at a different time.
• The Zoom link is available at the course Moodle site.
• If I am helping another student when you drop by, you may usually join in the conversation.
• If I have been helping you for a relatively long time, I might pause our conversation to help other students who are waiting for assistance.
• For in-person sessions, if I have finished helping you, please move out to the hall or somewhere else so that the chairs in my office are clear for newly arriving students.
• As a courtesy during Zoom sessions, please use your camera.

Reading Assignments for Feb. 2–6 (2/1/2026)

• M: Section 2-6
• W: Section 2-6
• R: Sections 2-7 and 2-8 and the supplemental reading "Equivalent Inductance and Capacitance of Short Transmission Line Stubs"
• F: Sections 2-7 and 2-8 and the supplemental reading "Alternative Formula for Calculating the Forward Voltage Coefficient"

Exam Schedule Confirmed (1/30/2026)

The in-semester exam schedule is now set at the dates and times below:

• Exam #1 - Thursday, February 12, 2026
• Exam #2 - Thursday, March 5, 2026
• Exam #3 - Thursday, April 2, 2026
• Exam #4 - Thursday, April 23, 2026

All four exams will begin at 3:00 pm, and you should have two hours to complete each one. We might move to a room other than Dana 305 for the exams.

HW #1 (1/28/2026)

The assignment for HW #1 is now available on the Homework Assignments page. It is due via a link at the course Moodle site at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, February 3. Please pay attention to the special instructions, notes, and hints at the beginning of every assignment.

Note that some of the problems will not be graded. However, you will be responsible for understanding the concepts addressed by the ungraded problems as well. Make sure that you review their solutions as carefully as those of the graded problems.

In addition to the assigned problems, I recommend that you try working through some or all of the optional problems in complex arithmetic posted at the bottom of the Homework Assignments page. Proficiency in this skill will be vital to your success in this course.

Help Sessions for Jan. 26–Feb. 1 (1/26/2026)

I plan to be available at least at the following times this week.

• Wednesday 2:00–3:45 pm (BRKI 368)
• Thursday, 10:00–11:00 pm (Zoom)
• Friday 2:00–3:45 pm (BRKI 368)
• Sunday, 9:00–10:00 pm (Zoom)

I will usually be available for short consultations on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 4:50 pm in Breakiron 264 or in my office.

Guidelines and additional information:

• Please contact me if you have a conflict with these times and would like to arrange a meeting at a different time.
• The Zoom link is available at the course Moodle site.
• If I am helping another student when you drop by, you may usually join in the conversation.
• If I have been helping you for a relatively long time, I might pause our conversation to help other students who are waiting for assistance.
• For in-person sessions, if I have finished helping you, please move out to the hall or somewhere else so that the chairs in my office are clear for newly arriving students.
• As a courtesy during Zoom sessions, please use your camera.

Practice Problems in Complex Arithmetic (1/23/2026)

A set of practice problems in complex arithmetic with solutions is available at the bottom of the Homework Assignments page. Consider working through at least some of them if you are unsure of your skills in that area. We will be using complex math throughout the semester.

The problems will not be collected or graded, but you may discuss them with me if you have questions about them.

Moodle Site Active (1/23/2026)

The course Moodle site should now be active. The only item that has been posted so far is the supplemental reading listed below, and there are now links to the course web site (this page) and to the Zoom help session.

Reading Assignments for Jan. 26–30 (1/23/2026)

You should complete the following readings in the textbook and the supplemental reading to prepare for the upcoming lectures. This list has also been posted on the Homework Assignments page and will remain there throughout the semester.

• M: Sections 2-2 and 2-3
• W: Sections 2-4 and 2-6
• R: Section 2-6
• F: Section 2-6 and the supplemental reading "Formulas for Capacitance and Inductance Per Unit Length"

The supplemental reading is available at the Moodle site in the "Supplemental Readings" section.

Reading Assignments for Jan. 19–23 (1/23/2026)

You should read the following sections in the textbook to review the material covered in the first week of the course. The assignments have also been posted on the Homework Assignments page. The "M," "W," "R," and "F" designators indicate the topic coverage on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, respectively.

• M: [no class]
• W: [none]
• R: Sections 1-1 through 1-3 and 1-5 through 1-7
• F: Section 2-1

You may skim Sections 1-1 through 1-3 since they consist primarily of background and review material. Sections 1-6 and 1-7 are a review of complex numbers and phasors. You may skim those sections if you are already comfortable with that material.

All reading assignments will remain posted on the Homework Assignments page throughout the semester.

Course Policies and Information (1/21/2026)

An electronic copy of the course policies and information document is now available via the Syllabus and Policies link at left.

Help Sessions for January 19–23 (1/20/2026)

I plan to be available at least at the following times this week.

• Wednesday 2:00–3:45 pm (BRKI 368)
• Friday 2:00–3:45 pm (BRKI 368)

I will also be available after UNIV 213 ends at 4:50 pm MWF.

Guidelines and additional information:

• Please contact me if you have a conflict with these times and would like to schedule a meeting at a different time.
• If I am helping another student when you drop by, you may usually join in the conversation.
• If I have been helping you for a relatively long time, I might pause our conversation to help other students who are waiting for assistance.
• For in-person sessions, if I have finished helping you, please move out to the hall or somewhere else so that the chairs in my office are clear for newly arriving students.

Course Web Site (1/14/2026)

This is the official ECEG 390 course web site. You should check this page at least once per day for important announcements. It is your responsibility to stay informed of assignments and updates.

Each page on this site should refresh automatically every five minutes, but you might want to refresh this page manually anyway. In the past, students have missed assignments because old versions of pages were residing in their browsers' caches.

Textbook (1/6/2025)

The textbook that we will be using this spring is:

Fawwaz T. Ulaby and Umberto Ravaioli, Fundamentals of Applied Electromagnetics, 8th ed., Pearson, 2019.

Older editions of the textbook are acceptable. Very little has changed since the sixth edition. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that you read the relevant section numbers. The e-textbook edition is also acceptable, although you should consider purchasing a print or permanent digital copy to begin forming your personal technical library.

So-called "global editions" might be available. Please be aware that they could be pirated copies of the book, and their section numbering might be different.