Nanyang Technological University

This course examines the fundamental concepts and problem-solving skills in in statistical mechanics, including topics such as definition of temperature, microcanonical ensemble, canonical ensemble, grand canonical ensemble, Boltzmann, Bose, and Fermi distributions, paramagnets, harmonic oscillators and Debye solids, blackbody radiation, chemical potential, Gibbs free energy, and phase transitions. The course requires students to take prerequisites.

This course examines selected aspects of computational intelligence methods in-depth and students develop and test intelligent automation systems. Topics include how computational intelligence methods like artificial neural networks, fuzzy systems, deep learning algorithms and computer vision have been extensively applied in the design of intelligent control and automation systems such as autonomous vehicles, visual inspection of industrial products, automated analysis and screening of volumes of medical images. 

This course furthers the fundamental mathematical knowledge and skills that are necessary in engineering. Topics include complex numbers, vectors, matrices, limits and continuity of functions, derivatives and integration and their applications, multivariable calculus, partial derivatives, ordinary differential equations, double integrals in polar coordinates, dot product, and cross product. The course requires students to take prerequisites.

This course consists of a series of lectures, film viewings and workshops, and explores the different genres and practices of the cinematic non-fiction film form. Topics include a brief history and theory of the documentary as political propaganda, investigative essay, personal journal, and cinema verité observation, through the study of documentary auteurs. Students develop an understanding of the ethical precepts and an appreciation of the aesthetics and intellectual rigor of the documentary form. Through practice, students learn the fundamentals of documentary filmmaking. Students develop the ability to identify, conceptualize and research a topic, negotiate access to characters or events, manage a production through efficient budgeting and scheduling, and create a short non-fiction cinematic narrative with coherent artistic vision and intellectual purpose. Students create a documentary film project working in groups of two, where teams write, shoot, direct and edit a video documentary no more than 60 minutes of video per group with the finished film at 4-6 minutes long, complete with titles and credits. This includes oral pitches. The films are to be submitted as self-contained MOV files. Continuous assessment components include both written and studio-based exercises.

This course introduces the essentials of Einstein’s general theory of relativity: its basics concepts, mathematical formulation and observational consequences. Students develop an understanding of the geometrical structure and physical implications of this theory. Topics include the geometrical framework of general relativity and analytical tools used across subjects in theoretical physics and some branches of mathematics. The course requires students to take prerequisites.

This course introduces the theoretical, experimental and production processes of stop motion animation. Students analyze a range of stop motion animations, explore and develop industry-level production methods, and employ these to create a stop motion movie in collaboration with fellow students. This practical approach provides a collection of knowledge and practices that can be applied to contemporary stop motion practice.

This course introduces the theoretical question of the relationship between literature and high culture to the (less-literary) study of popular culture. Students examine the following key terms and sets of oppositions: (i) high culture vs. low culture; (ii) pop culture vs. popular (or mass) culture (the 2 terms are not the same); (iii) popular culture as resistance vs. pop/mass culture as consumption; and (iv) class and popular culture. Topics include debates about the value of cultural texts that are not of high cultural origins and could be treated as commodities within capitalist societies. Questions include 1. What is the impact and significance of commercially produced cultural products? 2. How do sub- and counter-cultural practices attempt to form alternative values systems? 3. What happens when alternative cultural formations become transformed into the mainstream? Students engage with the debate that the course will unveil and apply concepts learned critically. The course requires students to take prerequisites

This course addresses current needs for the statistical modeling of random patterns and structures in spatial contexts, which arise in multiple fields ranging from geophysical, life and earth sciences, to communication engineering and social network analysis. The course approach relies on computational and statistical tools from stochastic geometry. The course requires students to take prerequisites.

This course focuses on the fundamental principles of circuit theorems and circuit elements, DC/AC and three-phase circuits, transient and steady-state responses, circuit analysis using Laplace transforms. Students learn various techniques ('tools') to analyze the operation of real circuits with a focus on the study of the behavior of the circuit, not the creation of circuits, i.e., the engineering design of the circuit. Topics include capacitors and inductors, Fourier series, Laplace transform, and sinusoids and phasors. 

This course introduces fiction film screenwriting. It covers the professional practice of developing, writing and rewriting short film scripts in a collaborative, workshop environment. Upon completing this course, students will have significantly developed their practice in preparation for future screenwriting projects.