Physics

In this course students acquire a broad knowledge base and develop analytical and critical thinking skills. Students actively participate in seminars, read assigned texts and research papers, and analyze research data. Students also discuss results obtained in their own experiments with peers and senior laboratory members.

This course offers a study of fluid dynamics with an emphasis on acoustics. Topics include: fundamentals of fluid mechanics; linear acoustic equations; traveling waves; reflection and transmission of plane waves; resonators, cavities, and waveguides; radiation; dispersion and diffraction; absorption and attenuation; measurement of acoustic parameters.

The course introduces perturbative quantum field theory and some of its applications in modern physics. Main topics include relativistic quantum mechanics, bosonic and fermionic fields, interactions in perturbation theory, Feynman diagram methods, scattering processes and particle decay, and elementary processes in quantum electrodynamics (QED).

The third course of the introductory physics series (Introduction to Physical Science, Classical Physics), this course is designed to study modern physics developed in the 20th century. The course covers special relativity and quantum physics.

Until the recent past, science and food were a combination to be encountered mainly in the food industry. Today, things are changing and we are witnessing a great deal of emerging new scientific ideas about how we (humans) relate to food: neuroscientists trying to understand how our brain creates flavors; physicists attempting to manipulate textures; talented haute-cuisine chefs aiming at creating startling multi-sensorial experiences.

Despite the scientific complexities, cooking is a simple endeavor that can be carried out by anyone. You can open a recipe book, get the ingredients and follow the instructions: a method that is easy to follow, but certainly not the whole story towards culinary success.

Every time you follow a recipe and prepare your favorite food, you are, in effect, performing a scientific experiment. You put matter together, modify the initial structure (for example, texture, flavor, etc.) by means of physical and chemical processes, and evaluate (by eating) the result of the experiment, possibly trying to understand what modifications can improve the result. The "experiment" can be a success or a failure, but understanding the science can increase the chances of success. Viewed like this, the kitchen becomes a science laboratory and cooking an experimental science.

This course embarks on a study of food and science (physics in particular) that is both entertaining and useful. The course explores the new dimension that opens up when the two areas fuse and how this combination can be used to boost creativity as well as critical thinking.

Part 1 of the course (Spring semester) focuses on basic notions such as the properties of food molecules (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) and basic science processes. Part 2 of the course (Fall semester) focuses on more advanced application like gels, emulsions, foams, fermentation, and baking.

This course introduces the mathematical formalism of quantum information theory. Topics include a review of probability theory and classical information theory (random variables, Shannon entropy, coding); formalism of quantum information theory (quantum states, density matrices, quantum channels, measurement); quantum versus classical correlations (entanglement, Bell inequalities, Tsirelson's bound); basic tools (distance measures, fidelity, quantum entropy); basic results (quantum teleportation, quantum error correction, Schumacher data compression); and quantum resource theory (quantum coding theory, entanglement theory, application: quantum cryptography). 

Oscillatory motions and waves are prevalent in natural phenomena. They appear in many physical systems of various materials and scales. The first half of this course explores the properties of simple harmonic motion and a wave equation that describes waves on a string and sound waves. The second half of the course applies Newtonian mechanics to a system of many particles. The course begins an investigation from a rigid body and then relax this condition slightly. Finally, the course studies a system of particles with many degrees of freedom, namely fluid. 

By the end of the course, students are expected to gain familiarity with and understand oscillation phenomena, which include the simple motion of a pendulum and the propagation of waves and their basic properties. Also, students will have acquired knowledge of the basic properties of wave equations and their solutions. The mechanism behind the standing waves, sound waves, beats, the Doppler effect, and shock waves should become clear. Students are also expected to be able to solve the mechanics of static equilibrium for various configurations, including that in fluid with buoyancy. Young's modulus and bulk modulus as a determining factor of wave speed in medium should be clear. Familiarity with a general form of the hydrodynamical equation of motion from which hydrostatic and Bernoulli's equations are obtained under special conditions is also expected.

This course emphasizes hands-on laboratory experience and teaches students research background, relevant theories, and basic laboratory techniques relevant to their field of study. Students formulate a research plan, implement it by conducting experiment-based research, and convey the results in scholarly presentations. Students submit a written research report at the end of the course.

This course provides an introduction to Einstein's relativity theory: Special relativity, four-vectors and tensors. General relativity, spacetime curvature, the equivalence principle, Einstein's equations, experimental tests within the solar system, gravitational waves, black holes, and cosmology.

Most processes in nature are complex and dynamical. This is also true for many problems encountered by engineers and scientists in their professional life. In this course students get tools to analyse such dynamical systems. They learn to determine if, when, and how chaotic behavior occurs. The course focuses on applications in fields such as physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering. The previous experience of the participants is taken into account and made use of in the course and the examples studied.