Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 19 sessions / 4 weeks, 1.5 hours / session
Prerequisites
18.01 Single Variable Calculus
Course Description
This course is an introduction to Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity. We will have a couple of lectures to introduce his General Theory as well, but the principal focus will be on special relativity, which we will study in quite a bit of detail. If you have hoped to understand the physics of Lorentz contraction, time dilation, the “twin paradox,” and E=mc2, you’re in the right place.
This course is a 9-unit course given in the four weeks of Independent Activities Period (IAP). A 9-unit course is roughly equivalent to 30 hours a week for four weeks, be prepared to work hard! Problem sets will come upon you quickly. So will the midterms and the final. The course will be defined by the lectures. The reading is also an important part of the course.
Format
This course is taught remotely, using the flipped classroom format. Students watch videos and read the textbook at home. They also look at problems at home to check their understanding. They bring their question to the online class sessions and attempt problems together in the group meeting.
Lectures are organized in short videos discussing specific concepts or methods. Each video is supplemented with slides, text, and a few short questions for your own evaluation. Recitation sessions discuss (Q&A) the content of the lectures, show examples, and discuss homework.
Textbooks
French, Anthony Philip. Special Relativity. 1st ed. W. W. Norton & Company, 1968. ISBN: 9780393097931.
Resnick, Robert. Introduction to Special Relativity. 1st ed. Wiley, 1968. ISBN: 9780471717256.
Tsamparlis, Michael. Special Relativity: An Introduction with 200 Problems and Solutions. Springer, 2010. ISBN: 9783642038365.
Einstein, Albert. Relativity: The Special and the General Theory. Translated by Robert W. Lawson. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press/Random House, 1995. ISBN: 9780517884416. Also available online on the Bartleby website.
Grading
Grading will be weighted as follows:
| Activities | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Problem sets | 50% |
| Midterm exams | 30% |
| Final exam | 20% |
Calendar
This course is organized around the following weeks:
| WEEK # & TOPICS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|
| Week 1: Foundations of Special Relativity | Problem set 1 posted |
| Week 2: Spacetime in Special Relativity |
Problem set 2 posted Midterm exam 1 |
| Week 3: Kinematics in Special Relativity |
Problem set 3 posted Midterm exam 2 Problem set 4 posted |
| Week 4: Beyond Special Relativity | Final exam |
