Course Syllabus
| Physics S-10: Introduction to Theoretical Physics |
| Harvard Summer School: PHYS S-10 (33198) |
| Summer 2015 |
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Location: Science Center 302 Meeting Time: T., Th., 12-3 |
| This course is an accelerated introduction to the conceptual and mathematical foundations of modern theoretical physics, with a particular emphasis on analytical mechanics, relativity, and quantum theory. Topics include the general structure of physical systems, classical mechanics and field theory, orbital motion, the principle of least action, symmetries and conservation laws, special relativity, probability and information theory, and an extensive introduction to quantum theory. Examples are drawn from many areas of physics, including statistical mechanics, Newtonian mechanics, electromagnetism, general relativity, quantum information, quantum field theory, and string theory. |
| Prerequisites: The course assumes a strong knowledge of high-school algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. The course covers relevant topics from high-school physics, differential/integral calculus, and linear algebra as needed, so a familiarity with these subjects, while very helpful, is not strictly required. |
| Home page on the Harvard Summer School website |
| Course Syllabus: Syllabus.pdf |
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Instructor: Jacob Barandes Office Hours: Mondays, 12-2, Lyman 330 |
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Teaching Fellows: Anjalika Nande, Ana Raclariu Office Hours: Tuesdays, 10-12, Lyman 330 Sections: Wednesdays, 10-1 (Ana) or 2-5 (Anjalika), Lyman 425 |
| If you are shopping this course, please fill out our preliminary survey. (The survey closes Friday, June 26, at 5:00pm.) |
| Final Papers and Presentations: The last section of the course will consist of student presentations on their final projects, and full write-ups are due by 5:00pm (changed to 11:59pm) on Friday, August 7. |
Course Summary:
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