Theory of quantum noise and decoherence, Lecture 1

This semester, as part of the research training group "Quantum mechanical noise in complex systems" (www.rtg1991.uni..., I am giving a course on the theory of quantum noise and decoherence. This course is intended for both theorists and experimentalists alike who have at least some familiarity with basic textbook quantum mechanics. The main objective is to introduce the Lindblad equation, its derivation, solution, and important examples. Here is Lecture 1 in which I give a review of quantum mechanics according to the "Hannover rules" :)
The course will be "not without mathematical rigour", however, the main emphasis will be on physical examples.