Splash Biography

Mostly hidden behind the shroud of the standard mathematics curriculum, complex numbers are actually both simple and elegant. In this class, we will dive into the basic mathematical structure of complex numbers, both from a conceptual and computational perspective. We will draw from examples in physics to see that the imaginary unit $$i$$ is, ironically, one of the most practically useful ideas we have.

Quantum mechanics, along with rocket science and brain surgery, has been canonized as the exclusive domain of nerdy math-abled people who spend their free time solving integrals under a dim desklamp. While there is a tinge of truth to this, the questions posed by quantum mechanics has philosophical relevance to anyone, regardless of background. By posing straightforward questions about seemingly simple systems, we can paradoxically understand the well-stated adage by Richard Feynman: "If you think you understand quantum mechanics then you don't understand quantum mechanics." This course requires no mathematical knowledge and only requires a mild dose of curiosity. Very limited mathematical notation may be utilized, but no prior knowledge is required.

Albert Einstein is well-known for myriads of achievements, with his magnum opus probably being the theories of special and general relativity, which was a fundamental paradigm shift in the way we think about the universe. Relativity is an extremely elegant geometric theory which can be linked to a variety of physical phenomena, including muon decay and microlensing. General relativity ultimately stems from a seemingly mundane fundamental question: why does everything at the Earth's surface, regardless of mass, fall at the same rate? Some knowledge of electromagnetism and linear algebra is somewhat advised, though this should not prevent a curious student from exploring this beautiful subject.