MIT OpenCourseWare (MIT OCW) - Archived Content

15.S21 Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans, January IAP 2014

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

15.S21 Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans, January IAP 2014 Hadzima, Joseph The nuts and bolts of preparing a New Venture Plan and launching the venture will be explored in this twenty-fifth annual course offering. The course is open to members of the MIT Community and to others interested in entrepreneurship. It is particularly recommended for persons who are interested in starting or are involved in a new business or venture. Because some of the speakers will be judges of the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition, persons who are planning to enter the Competition should find the course particularly useful. In the past approximately 50% of the class has been from the Engineering / Science / Architecture Schools and 50% from the Sloan School of Management. The course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

7.344 Cellular Metabolism and Cancer: Nature or Nurture?, Fall 2018

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.344 Cellular Metabolism and Cancer: Nature or Nurture?, Fall 2018 Lau, Allison; Lien, Evan In this course we will explore how altered metabolism drives cancer progression. Students will learn (1) how to read, discuss, and critically evaluate scientific findings in the primary research literature, (2) how scientists experimentally approach fundamental issues in biology and medicine, (3) how recent findings have challenged the traditional “textbook” understanding of metabolism and given us new insight into cancer, and (4) how a local pharmaceutical company is developing therapeutics to target cancer metabolism in an effort to revolutionize cancer therapy.

7.343 Single-Molecule Imaging: Capturing Nanoscale Cellular Machines in Action, Fall 2021

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 Single-Molecule Imaging: Capturing Nanoscale Cellular Machines in Action, Fall 2021 Kose, Hazal B. Did you know that we have approximately 2 meters of DNA packed in our cells, which are less than 10 μm diameter? Or that to replicate DNA it is copied at a rate of 70,000 basepairs per second by a cellular apparatus that coordinates at least six different enzymes? Or that microtubules form greater than 1 meter long “railways” upon which molecular machines transport cargo within nerve cells? In this course, we will explore how single-molecule imaging techniques capture the mega-cellular machines working in real-time. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Immune Cell Migration: On the Move in Response to Pathogens and Cancer Immunotherapy, Fall 2021

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Immune Cell Migration: On the Move in Response to Pathogens and Cancer Immunotherapy, Fall 2021 Fessenden, Timothy The mammalian immune system is sometimes called a “liquid organ,” capable of rapidly initiating and then resolving potent responses to pathogens at almost any location in the organism. What protein machinery drives immune cells’ rapid migration? How do cells make pathfinding decisions around barriers? How do they find rare pathogens or target cells in complex environments? This course will begin by examining the general immunological functions of two major immune cell types—T cells and dendritic cells. Through our readings and discussions, we will examine the connections between immunotherapy as an emerging treatment modality for a variety of cancers and the migration of immune cells. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 Turning Evolutionary Dials: Directed Evolution Techniques for Climate Change and Beyond, Spring 2022

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 Turning Evolutionary Dials: Directed Evolution Techniques for Climate Change and Beyond, Spring 2022 Kizer, Megan; Wilson, Robbie This course will cover the many ways in which we have realized evolution in the laboratory toward functional biomolecules, such as protein and nucleic-acid-based therapeutics, enzymes that catalyze production of synthetic drugs, and carbon-dioxide capture molecules to lessen the impact of climate change. Students will both become familiar with the field of directed molecular evolution and learn how to critically analyze primary research papers, design research experiments, and present data relating to molecular biology and evolution. The importance of directed evolution in biomedical and biotechnological careers, both academic and industrial, will be highlighted. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Synapse Remodeling in Health and Disease, Fall 2022

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Synapse Remodeling in Health and Disease, Fall 2022 Ordonez, Dalila; Boivin, Josiah Our brains are remarkably adaptable throughout our lives. Individual brain cells called neurons form synapses, sites of physical connection and communication between neurons, and then repeatedly rewire those connections in response to new experiences or to neuronal cell death caused by injury, disease, or aging. In this course, we will explore how neurons establish their synapses in the healthy brain during childhood and later in life, and how this process goes awry in disease states. More specifically, we will discuss how the brain forms its synapses early in life, stabilizes a subset of those synapses for long-term maintenance, and continues to add and remove synapses throughout life. We will then explore synapse dysfunction in diseases such as autism and Alzheimer’s disease, which involve abnormal increases or losses of synaptic connections, respectively. We will also consider synapse remodeling, a process of adding and removing synaptic connections to optimize our brain network, in the context of neuroinflammation, recovery from traumatic brain injury, and psychological trauma following prolonged stress. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 How To Build An Animal: Cell Fate and Identity in Development and Disease, Fall 2017

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 How To Build An Animal: Cell Fate and Identity in Development and Disease, Fall 2017 Blanton, Laura V In this course, we will explore how animals determine and maintain cell fate. We will discuss changes to DNA structure and packaging, special proteins (known as "master regulators") with the ability to alter cell fate via transcription, cell-cell signaling, and RNA localization. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 DNA's Sister Does All the Work: The Central Roles of RNA in Gene Expression , Spring 2019

2019-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 DNA's Sister Does All the Work: The Central Roles of RNA in Gene Expression , Spring 2019 Fiszbein, Ana; Jens, Marvin This course will explore the current frontiers of the world of RNA biology with primary research papers to trace how the original odd detail sometimes leads to major discoveries. As we discuss the different transcripts and processing events that enable this exciting diversity of RNA functions, we invite you to read landmark papers with us, think critically, and ask new questions, as we marvel at the wonders of RNA. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 The Microbiome and Drug Delivery: Cross-species Communication in Health and Disease, Spring 2018

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 The Microbiome and Drug Delivery: Cross-species Communication in Health and Disease, Spring 2018 Beyzavi, Ali; Jimenez, Miguel There are more microbes permanently living in our gut than there are cells in the human body. This rich community of bacteria, fungi and viruses, called the microbiome, plays a central role in human health and disease. Recent research has linked this passenger community to nutrition, circadian rhythms, infectious disease, inflammatory disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and even immune system and nervous system development. How can we analyze such a complex system? Can we exploit the microbiome to improve human health? Can interactions with microbes be harnessed for drug delivery? In this course, we will learn to critically assess the primary scientific literature to find answers to these questions and learn to distinguish between correlation and causality. We will learn how mechanistic insights and emerging tools, such as synthetic biology and microfluidics, together are transforming microbiome research, and might lead to new types of therapeutics and drug delivery for improving human health. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 Microbes at War: The Mechanisms That Drive Infectious Diseases, Fall 2022

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 Microbes at War: The Mechanisms That Drive Infectious Diseases, Fall 2022 McLellan, Lisa How can a tick bite cause a meat allergy? And does cranberry juice do anything to help cure a urinary tract infection? To answer these and other questions, we are going to take a dive into the molecular world of microbes. In this class, we will use the primary research literature to explore the molecular interactions between pathogens and their hosts that allow microbes to cause infectious diseases. We will examine the factors that pathogens use to colonize a host and how the host response can impact the outcome of the infection. By the end of the class, students will have both developed critical scientific skills in evaluating scientific literature and an appreciation of the microbes influencing our lives and health every day. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 Biomaterials and Devices for Disease Diagnosis and Therapy, Fall 2018

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 Biomaterials and Devices for Disease Diagnosis and Therapy, Fall 2018 McHugh, Kevin; Beyzavi, Ali Students will learn about the use of biomaterials to create advanced diagnostic tools for detection of infectious and chronic diseases, restore insulin production to supplement lost pancreatic function in diabetes, provide cells with appropriate physical, mechanical, and biochemical cues to direct tissue regeneration, and enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 The Seeds and the Soil: Roles of Tumor Heterogeneity and the Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Metastasis, Fall 2020

2020-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 The Seeds and the Soil: Roles of Tumor Heterogeneity and the Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Metastasis, Fall 2020 Lambert, Arthur; Zhang, Yun Metastatic disease is responsible for the vast majority of deaths associated with cancer, yet our understanding of how metastases arise is still developing. In this course, we will introduce various concepts and models that have been proposed to explain how cancer cells disseminate from a primary tumor to distant anatomical sites. We’ll learn about the critical factors that influence cancer metastasis frontiers through analysis and discussion of relevant primary research articles, with an emphasis on mechanisms of metastasis that can be applied across different cancer types. Students will gain a broad understanding of the field of cancer metastasis, including state-of-the-art techniques that are being used to address pressing questions in the field. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.343 Microbial Megaproducers: Discovery, Biosynthesis, Engineering and Applications of Natural Products, Fall 2020

2020-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 Microbial Megaproducers: Discovery, Biosynthesis, Engineering and Applications of Natural Products, Fall 2020 Ulrich, Emily C; Hetrick, Kenton The natural world is a mega-factory of small molecules, peptides, fatty acids, phospholipids, and a host of other compounds, known as natural products (NPs). Immensely diverse in structure and function, NPs have strongly influenced how we treat infectious disease, cancer, pain, and a host of other conditions. Roughly half of the drugs that have been approved in the past 30 years are NPs, derivatives of NPs or NP-inspired. In this discussion-based course, we will delve into research on discovering NPs from producing organisms, investigating the biochemistry of NP production, and using synthetic biology to create NP derivatives—all with a particular emphasis on how genomic data guides and informs all these studies. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 A Double-Edged Sword: Cellular Immunity in Health and Disease, Fall 2018

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 A Double-Edged Sword: Cellular Immunity in Health and Disease, Fall 2018 Ma, Haiting Immune cells protect our bodies from both self-derived threats and exogenous pathogens, while keeping peace with normal cells and non-harmful commensal microbiota. They have various mechanisms to perform these tasks, a capacity that is essential for maintaining homeostasis. However, these same mechanisms can backfire, resulting in severe disorders such as immunodeficiency, chronic inflammation, allergy, degenerative diseases, and cancer. This course discusses the connections between normal physiology and disease by examining the developmental relationship between innate and adaptive immune cells as well as the functions and malfunctions of immune cells. The course familiarizes students with both basic biological principles (such as cell death and immune cell signaling) and clinical applications (such as immune checkpoint blockade). More generally, students learn to identify relevant primary research literature, critically evaluate experimental data, and reach their own conclusions based on primary data. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

2.008 Design and Manufacturing II, Spring 2003

2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

2.008 Design and Manufacturing II, Spring 2003 Dow, David; Sachs, Emanuel; Chun, Jung-Hoon; McAtamney, Patrick; Sarma, Sanjay Integration of design, engineering, and management disciplines and practices for analysis and design of manufacturing enterprises. Emphasis is on the physics and stochastic nature of manufacturing processes and systems, and their effects on quality, rate, cost, and flexibility. Topics include process physics and control, design for manufacturing, and manufacturing systems. Group project requires design and fabrication of parts using mass-production and assembly methods to produce a product in quantity.

2.008 Design and Manufacturing II, Spring 2004

2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

2.008 Design and Manufacturing II, Spring 2004 Chun, Jung-Hoon; Kim, Sang-Gook This course introduces you to modern manufacturing with four areas of emphasis: manufacturing processes, equipment/control, systems, and design for manufacturing. The course exposes you to integration of engineering and management disciplines for determining manufacturing rate, cost, quality and flexibility. Topics include process physics, equipment design and automation/control, quality, design for manufacturing, industrial management, and systems design and operation. Labs are integral parts of the course, and expose you to various manufacturing disciplines and practices.

14.41 Public Finance and Public Policy, Fall 2010

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

14.41 Public Finance and Public Policy, Fall 2010 Gruber, Jonathan Explores the role of government in the economy, applying tools of basic microeconomics to answer important policy questions such as government response to global warming, school choice by K-12 students, Social Security versus private retirement savings accounts, government versus private health insurance, setting income tax rates for individuals and corporations.

9.301J Neural Plasticity in Learning and Development, Spring 2002

2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

9.301J Neural Plasticity in Learning and Development, Spring 2002 Miller, Earl K; Liu, Guosong; Wilson, Matthew A.; Tonegawa, Susumu; Quinn, William Roles of neural plasticity in learning and memory and in development of invertebrates and mammals. An in-depth critical analysis of current literature of molecular, cellular, genetic, electrophysiological, and behavioral studies. Discussion of original papers supplemented by introductory lectures.

9.110J Neurology, Neuropsychology, and Neurobiology of Aging. Spring 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

9.110J Neurology, Neuropsychology, and Neurobiology of Aging. Spring 2005 Corkin, Suzanne Hammond; Ingram, Vernon M. Lectures and discussions in this course cover the clinical, behavioral, and molecular aspects of the brain aging processes in humans. Topics include the loss of memory and other cognitive abilities in normal aging, as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Discussions based on readings taken from primary literature explore the current research in this field.

9.18 Developmental Neurobiology, Spring 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

9.18 Developmental Neurobiology, Spring 2005 Nedivi, Elly This course considers molecular control of neural specification, formation of neuronal connections, construction of neural systems, and the contributions of experience to shaping brain structure and function. Topics include: neural induction and pattern formation, cell lineage and fate determination, neuronal migration, axon guidance, synapse formation and stabilization, activity-dependent development and critical periods, development of behavior.

9.013J Cell and Molecular Neurobiology, Spring 2008

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

9.013J Cell and Molecular Neurobiology, Spring 2008 Constantine-Paton, Martha; Sheng, Morgan Hwa-Tze; Quinn, William This course explores the major areas of cellular and molecular neurobiology, including excitable cells and membranes, ion channels and receptors, synaptic transmission, cell-type determination, axon guidance, neuronal cell biology, neurotrophin signaling and cell survival, synapse formation and neural plasticity. Material includes lectures and exams, and involves presentation and discussion of primary literature. It focuses on major concepts and recent advances in experimental neuroscience.

9.322J Genetic Neurobiology, Fall 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

9.322J Genetic Neurobiology, Fall 2005 Littleton, J. Troy; Quinn, William This course deals with the specific functions of neurons, the interactions of neurons in development, and the organization of neuronal ensembles to produce behavior. Topics covered include the analysis of mutations, and molecular analysis of the genes required for nervous system function. In particular, this course focuses on research work done with nematodes, fruit flies, mice, and humans.

9.19J Cognitive & Behavioral Genetics, Spring 2001

2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

9.19J Cognitive & Behavioral Genetics, Spring 2001 Nedivi, Elly; Pinker, Steven How genetics can add to our understanding of cognition, language, emotion, personality, and behavior. Use of gene mapping to estimate risk factors for psychological disorders and variation in behavioral and personality traits. Mendelian genetics, genetic mapping techniques, and statistical analysis of large populations and their application to particular studies in behavioral genetics. Topics also include environmental influence on genetic programs, evolutionary genetics, and the larger scientific, social, ethical, and philosophical implications

5.95J Teaching College-Level Science and Engineering, Spring 2009

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

5.95J Teaching College-Level Science and Engineering, Spring 2009 Mahajan, Sanjoy This participatory seminar focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary for teaching science and engineering in higher education. This course is designed for graduate students interested in an academic career, and anyone else interested in teaching. Readings and discussions include: teaching equations for understanding, designing exam and homework questions, incorporating histories of science, creating absorbing lectures, teaching for transfer, the evils of PowerPoint, and planning a course. The subject is appropriate for both novices and those with teaching experience.

7.51 Biochemistry, Fall 2001

2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.51 Biochemistry, Fall 2001 Sauer, Robert T; Solomon, Frank; Baker, Tania The tools and analytical methods that biochemists use to dissect biological problems. Analysis of the mode of action and structure of regulatory, binding, and catalytic proteins.

7.391 Concept-Centered Teaching, Fall 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.391 Concept-Centered Teaching, Fall 2005 Khodor, Julia Do you like teaching, but find yourself frustrated by how little students seem to learn? Would you like to try teaching, but are nervous about whether you will be any good at it? Are you interested in new research on science education? Research in science education shows that the greatest obstacle to student learning is the failure to identify and confront the misconceptions with which the students enter the class or those that they acquire during their studies. This weekly seminar course focuses on developing the participants’ ability to uncover and confront student misconceptions and to foster student understanding and retention of key concepts. Participants read primary literature on science education, uncover basic concepts often overlooked when teaching biology, and lead a small weekly discussion session for students currently enrolled in introductory biology classes. The instructor for this course, Dr. Julia Khodor, is a member of the HHMI Education Group.

7.391 Concept-Centered Teaching, Spring 2006

2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.391 Concept-Centered Teaching, Spring 2006 Kosinski-Collins, Melissa Do you like teaching, but find yourself frustrated by how little students seem to learn? Would you like to try teaching, but are nervous about whether you will be any good at it? Are you interested in new research on science education? Research in science education shows that the greatest obstacle to student learning is the failure to identify and confront the misconceptions with which the students enter the class or those that they acquire during their studies. This weekly seminar course focuses on developing the participants’ ability to uncover and confront student misconceptions and to foster student understanding and retention of key concepts. Participants read primary literature on science education, uncover basic concepts often overlooked when teaching biology, and lead a small weekly discussion session for students currently enrolled in introductory biology classes. The instructor for this course, Dr. Kosinski-Collins, is a member of the HHMI Education Group.

20.010J Introduction to Bioengineering (BE.010J), Spring 2006

2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

20.010J Introduction to Bioengineering (BE.010J), Spring 2006 Lauffenburger, Douglas A; Matsudaira, Paul T.; Belcher, Angela M Bioengineering at MIT is represented by the diverse curricula offered by most Departments in the School of Engineering. This course samples the wide variety of bioengineering options for students who plan to major in one of the undergraduate Engineering degree programs. The beginning lectures describe the science basis for bioengineering with particular emphasis on molecular cell biology and systems biology. Bioengineering faculty will then describe the bioengineering options in a particular engineering course as well as the type of research conducted by faculty in the department,

7.347 Epigenetic Regulation of Stem Cells, Spring 2014

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.347 Epigenetic Regulation of Stem Cells, Spring 2014 Williams, Eric O; Subramanian, Vidya During development a single totipotent cell gives rise to the vast array of cell types present in the adult human body, yet each cell has essentially the same DNA sequence. As cells differentiate, distinct sets of genes must be coordinately activated and repressed, ultimately leading to a cell-type specific pattern of gene expression and a particular cell fate. In eukaryotic organisms, DNA is packaged in a complex protein super structure known as chromatin. Modification and reorganization of chromatin play a critical role in coordinating the cell-type specific gene expression programs that are required as a cell transitions from a pluripotent stem cell to a fully differentiated cell type. Epigenetics refers to such heritable changes that occur in chromatin without altering the primary DNA sequence. This class will focus on the role of epigenetic regulation with respect to developmental fate and also consider the fact that the epigenetic mechanisms discussed have broad implications, including how seemingly normal cells can be transformed into cancerous cells. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.344 Antibiotics, Toxins, and Protein Engineering, Spring 2007

2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

7.344 Antibiotics, Toxins, and Protein Engineering, Spring 2007 Koehrer, Caroline; Sassanfar, Mandana The lethal poison Ricin (best known as a weapon of bioterrorism), Diphtheria toxin (the causative agent of a highly contagious bacterial disease), and the widely used antibiotic tetracycline have one thing in common: They specifically target the cell’s translational apparatus and disrupt protein synthesis. In this course, we will explore the mechanisms of action of toxins and antibiotics, their roles in everyday medicine, and the emergence and spread of drug resistance. We will also discuss the identification of new drug targets and how we can manipulate the protein synthesis machinery to provide powerful tools for protein engineering and potential new treatments for patients with devastating diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

18.05 Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Spring 2014

2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.05 Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Spring 2014 Orloff, Jeremy; Bloom, Jonathan This course provides an elementary introduction to probability and statistics with applications. Topics include: basic combinatorics, random variables, probability distributions, Bayesian inference, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and linear regression. The Spring 2014 version of this subject employed the residential MITx system, which enables on-campus subjects to provide MIT students with learning and assessment tools such as online problem sets, lecture videos, reading questions, pre-lecture questions, problem set assistance, tutorial videos, exam review content, and even online exams.

RES.STR-001 Geographic Information System (GIS) Tutorial, January IAP 2016

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

RES.STR-001 Geographic Information System (GIS) Tutorial, January IAP 2016 MIT GIS Services Group The MIT GIS Services Group at the MIT Libraries hosts a number of tutorial workshops throughout the year. This resource gathers together some of those introductory workshop materials designed to accustom GIS novices to the various available software packages and introduce them to some of the many features included in GIS systems. Topics include an introduction to two GIS applications, spatial data analysis, and spatial statistics.

RES.18-001 Calculus Online Textbook, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

RES.18-001 Calculus Online Textbook, Spring 2005 Strang, Gilbert Published in 1991 by Wellesley-Cambridge Press, the book is a useful resource for educators and self-learners alike. It is well organized, covers single variable and multivariable calculus in depth, and is rich with applications. In addition to the Textbook, there is also an online Instructor's Manual and a student Study Guide. Prof. Strang has also developed a related series of videos, Highlights of Calculus, on the basic ideas of calculus.The 2010 second edition of the Calculus textbook includes a new chapter on "Highlights of Calculus" that connects to the video series of the same name. The new chapter has summaries and practice questions for all of the videos. It also introduces The Exponential Function (e^x) as presented in Prof. Strang's video on this topic.

CMS.930 / 21G.034 Media, Education, and the Marketplace, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.930 / 21G.034 Media, Education, and the Marketplace, Fall 2001 Miyagawa, Shigeru How can we harness the emerging forms of interactive media to enhance the learning process? Professor Miyagawa and prominent guest speakers will explore a broad range of issues on new media and learning - technical, social, and business. Concrete examples of use of media will be presented as case studies. One major theme, though not the only one, is that today's youth, influenced by video games and other emerging interactive media forms, are acquiring a fundamentally different attitude towards media. Media is, for them, not something to be consumed, but also to be created. This has broad consequences for how we design media, how the young are taught in schools, and how mass media markets will need to adjust.

21W.765J / 21L.489J / CMS.845J Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.765J / 21L.489J / CMS.845J Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice, Spring 2006 Coleman, Beth This course covers techniques of creating narratives that take advantage of the flexibility of form offered by the computer. The course studies the structural properties of book-based narratives that experiment with digression, multiple points of view, disruptions of time and of storyline. The class analyzes the structure and evaluates the literary qualities of computer-based narratives including hypertexts, adventure games, and classic artificial intelligence programs like Eliza. With this base, students use authoring systems to model a variety of narrative techniques and to create their own fictions. Knowledge of programming is helpful but not necessary.

CMS.610 / CMS.922 Media Industries and Systems, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.610 / CMS.922 Media Industries and Systems, Spring 2006 Weaver, Christopher This course examines the interplay of art, science, and commerce shaping the production, marketing, distribution, and consumption of contemporary media. It combines perspectives on media industries and systems with an awareness of the creative process, the audience, and trends shaping content. There will be invited discussions with industry experts in various subject areas. Class projects will encourage students to think through the challenges of producing media in an industry context. CMS.610 is for undergraduate credit, whereas CMS.922 is for graduate credit. Though the requirements for graduates are more stringent, the course is intended for both undergraduate and graduate students.

21W.749 / CMS.935 Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of a World in Motion, Spring 2016

2016-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.749 / CMS.935 Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of a World in Motion, Spring 2016 Colen, B. D. In this course, you will be exposed to the work of many great documentary photographers and photojournalists, as well as to writing about the documentary tradition. Further, throughout the term, you will hone your photographic skills and 'eye,' and you will work on a photo documentary project of your own, attempting to reduce a tiny area of the moving world to a set of still images that convey what the viewer needs to know about what you saw—without hearing the sounds, smelling the odors, experiencing what was happening outside the viewfinder, and without seeing the motion.

21G.104 Chinese IV (Regular), Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.104 Chinese IV (Regular), Spring 2006 Wheatley, Julian K. This is the last of the four courses (Chinese I through IV) that make up the foundation level (four semesters over two years in the normal curriculum) of MIT's regular (non-streamlined) Chinese program. Chinese IV is designed to consolidate conversational usage and grammatical and cultural knowledge encountered in the earlier courses, and to expand reading and listening abilities. It integrates the last part of Learning Chinese (two units designed primarily for review of grammatical concepts and vocabulary growth) with material from Madeline Spring's Making Connections, designed to bolster listening skills, and Linda Hsai and Roger Yue's Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, a collection of traditional stories that has been a favorite of students of Chinese for many decades and is used here to focus on reading. Reading for this course is primarily, but not exclusively, in the simplified character set that is the standard on the Mainland; readings in the traditional set that is standard in Taiwan are also assigned. Students who have advanced through Chinese I, II, and III to reach this level, as well as those entering at Chinese IV, should review at least the late material in Chinese III before proceeding. Chinese Sequence on OCW MIT OpenCourseWare now offers a complete sequence of four Chinese language courses, covering beginning to intermediate levels of instruction at MIT. They can be used not just as the basis for taught courses, but also for self-instruction and elementary-to-intermediate review. The four Chinese subjects provide the following materials: an online textbook in four parts, J. K. Wheatley's Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin; audio files of the main conversational and narrative material in this book; and syllabi and day-by-day schedules for each term. Course sequence on OCW. CHINESE COURSES COURSE SITES Chinese I (Fall 2014) 21G.101/151 Chinese II (Spring 2014) 21G.102/152 Chinese III (Fall 2005) 21G.103 Chinese IV (Spring 2006) 21G.104

21G.103 Chinese III (Regular), Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.103 Chinese III (Regular), Fall 2005 Wheatley, Julian K. This is the third of the four courses (Chinese I through IV) in MIT's regular (non-streamlined) Chinese curriculum. The four make use of the textbook, Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin (unpublished, but available online), to which are added various supporting materials as needs arise. The foundation level covers core grammar, linguistic culture, basic conversation, the principles of the writing system, and elementary reading. Reading is primarily in the simplified character set that is the standard on the Mainland, but also in the traditional set that is still standard in Taiwan and many overseas communities. All four subjects in the foundation level are (Chinese I and II) or soon will be (Chinese IV) available on OCW. Students who have advanced through Chinese I and II to reach this level, as well as those entering at Chinese III, should review at least the late material in Chinese II before proceeding. To facilitate review, as well as to orient students who are new to these materials, highlights from all the units in Chinese I and II and a list of the characters formally introduced in Character lessons 1-6 are included in the readings section of this course. Chinese Sequence on OCW OpenCourseWare now offers a complete sequence of four Chinese language courses, covering beginning to intermediate levels of instruction at MIT. They can be used not just as the basis for taught courses, but also for self-instruction and elementary-to-intermediate review. The four Chinese subjects provide the following materials: an online textbook in four parts, J. K. Wheatley's Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin; audio files of the main conversational and narrative material in this book; and syllabi and day-by-day schedules for each term. Course sequence on OCW. CHINESE COURSES COURSE SITES Chinese I (Fall 2014) 21G.101/151 Chinese II (Spring 2015) 21G.102/152 Chinese III (Fall 2005) 21G.103 Chinese IV (Spring 2006) 21G.104

7.02 / 10.702 Experimental Biology & Communication, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.02 / 10.702 Experimental Biology & Communication, Spring 2005 King, Jonathan; Guarente, Leonard; Steiner, Lisa; RajBhandary, Uttam This introductory biology laboratory course covers the application of experimental techniques in microbiology, biochemistry, cell and developmental biology. Emphasis is placed on the integration of factual knowledge with understanding of the design of the experiments and data analysis in order to prepare the students for future research projects. Development of skills critical for writing about scientific findings in modern biology is also covered in the Scientific Communications portion of the curriculum, 7.02CI. Additional Faculty Dr. Katherine Bacon Schneider Dr. Jean-Francois Hamel Ms. Deborah Kruzel Dr. Megan Rokop

14.01 Principles of Microeconomics, Fall 2018

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

14.01 Principles of Microeconomics, Fall 2018 Gruber, Jonathan This introductory undergraduate course covers the fundamentals of microeconomics. Topics include supply and demand, market equilibrium, consumer theory, production and the behavior of firms, monopoly, oligopoly, welfare economics, public goods, and externalities. Chalk Radio Podcast Prof. Jonathan Gruber was featured in an episode of OpenCourseWare's podcast, Chalk Radio. In the episode "Thinking Like an Economist," Prof. Gruber talks about how he engages students in 14.01 with accessible real world examples. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts. MITx Online Version This course is part of the Micromaster’s Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy through MITx Online. The course is entirely free to audit, though learners have the option to pay a fee, which is based on the learner's ability to pay, to take the proctored exam, and earn a course certificate. To access the course, create an MITx Online account and enroll in the course 14.100x Microeconomics.

21G.346 Childhood and Youth in French and Francophone Cultures, Spring 2014

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

21G.346 Childhood and Youth in French and Francophone Cultures, Spring 2014 Perreau, Bruno This course offers an analysis of the keen interest shown by France and the French in North American cultures since the eighteenth century. Not only did France contribute to the construction of both Canadian and American nations but also it has constantly delineated its identity by way of praising or criticizing North American cultures. Taught in French.

21G.321 Childhood and Youth in French and Francophone Cultures, Spring 2013

2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

21G.321 Childhood and Youth in French and Francophone Cultures, Spring 2013 Perreau, Bruno This course studies the transformation of childhood and youth since the 18th century in France, as well as the development of sentimentality within the family in a francophone context. Students will examine the personification of children, both as a source of inspiration for artistic creation and a political ideal aimed at protecting future generations, and consider various representations of childhood and youth in literature (e.g., Pagnol, Proust, Sarraute, Lave, Morgievre), movies (e.g., Truffaut), and songs (e.g., Brel, Barbara). This course is taught entirely in French.

14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics, Spring 2014

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics, Spring 2014 Giavazzi, Francesco This course provides an overview of macroeconomic issues: the determination of output, employment, unemployment, interest rates, and inflation. Monetary and fiscal policies are discussed. Important policy debates such as, the sub-prime crisis, social security, the public debt, and international economic issues are critically explored. The course introduces basic models of macroeconomics and illustrates principles with the experience of the U.S. and foreign economies.

14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics, Fall 2004

2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics, Fall 2004 Caballero, Ricardo J. This course provides an overview of the following macroeconomic issues: the determination of output, employment, unemployment, interest rates, and inflation. Monetary and fiscal policies are discussed, as are public debt and international economic issues. This course also introduces basic models of macroeconomics and illustrates principles with the experience of the United States and other economies

WGS.301J Feminist Thought, Fall 2014

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

WGS.301J Feminist Thought, Fall 2014 Haslanger, Sally This course analyzes theories of gender and politics, especially ideologies of gender and their construction. Also discussed are definitions of public and private spheres, gender issues in citizenship, the development of the welfare state, experiences of war and revolution, class formation, and the politics of sexuality. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.

18.217 Graph Theory and Additive Combinatorics, Fall 2019

2019-01-01T00:00:00Z

18.217 Graph Theory and Additive Combinatorics, Fall 2019 Zhao, Yufei This course examines classical and modern developments in graph theory and additive combinatorics, with a focus on topics and themes that connect the two subjects. The course also introduces students to current research topics and open problems.

RES.12-001 Topics in Fluid Dynamics, Fall 2023

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

RES.12-001 Topics in Fluid Dynamics, Fall 2023 Price, James F. This resource presents a collection of essays developed from the author's experience teaching the course Fluid Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean, offered to graduate students entering the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography. The collection includes the following three essays: Essay 1: Lagrangian and Eulerian Representations of Fluid Flow (revised and expanded in 2024) Part 1: Kinematics and the Equations of Motion Part 2: Advection of Parcels and Fields Essay 2: Dimensional Analysis of Models and Data Sets: Similarity Solutions and Scaling Analysis Essay 3: A Coriolis Tutorial (revised and expanded in 2023) Part 1: The Coriolis Force, Inertial and Geostrophic Motion Part 2: A Rotating Shallow Water Model and Geostrophic Adjustment Part 3: Beta Effects and Western Propagation Part 4: Wind-Driven Ocean Circulation and the Sverdrup Relation Part 5: On the Seasonally-Varying Circulation of the Arabian Sea The goal of this resource is to help each student master the concepts and mathematical tools that make up the foundation of classical and geophysical fluid dynamics. These essays treat these topics in considerably greater depth than a comprehensive fluids textbook can afford, and they are accompanied by data files (MATLAB® and Fortran) to allow some application and experimentation. They should be suitable for self-study.

14.271 Industrial Organization I, Fall 2013

2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

14.271 Industrial Organization I, Fall 2013 Ellison, Glenn The course provides a graduate level introduction to Industrial Organization. It is designed to provide a broad introduction to topics and industries that current researchers are studying as well as to expose students to a wide variety of techniques. It will start the process of preparing economics PhD students to conduct thesis research in the area, and may also be of interest to doctoral students working in other areas of economics and related fields. The course integrates theoretical models and empirical studies.

14.271 Industrial Organization I, Fall 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

14.271 Industrial Organization I, Fall 2005 Ellison, Glenn; Ryan, Stephen The course provides a graduate level introduction to Industrial Organization. It is designed to provide a broad introduction to topics and industries that current researchers are studying as well as to expose students to a wide variety of techniques. The course integrates theoretical models and empirical studies.

18.S096 Matrix Calculus for Machine Learning and Beyond, January IAP 2022

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

18.S096 Matrix Calculus for Machine Learning and Beyond, January IAP 2022 Edelman, Alan; Johnson, Steven G. We all know that calculus courses such as 18.01 Single Variable Calculus and 18.02 Multivariable Calculus cover univariate and vector calculus, respectively. Modern applications such as machine learning require the next big step, matrix calculus. This class covers a coherent approach to matrix calculus showing techniques that allow you to think of a matrix holistically (not just as an array of scalars), compute derivatives of important matrix factorizations, and really understand forward and reverse modes of differentiation. We will discuss adjoint methods, custom Jacobian matrix vector products, and how modern automatic differentiation is more computer science than mathematics in that it is neither symbolic nor based on finite differences.

7.346 Virus-host Interactions in Infectious Diseases, Spring 2013

2013-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.346 Virus-host Interactions in Infectious Diseases, Spring 2013 Sanyal, Sumana; Ashour, Joseph Co-evolution and adaptation between viruses and humans are often portrayed as a zero-sum biological arms race. Viruses enter host cells equipped with an array of mechanisms to evade the host defense responses and replicate. The rapid rate of mutation of viruses permits evolution of various methodologies for infection, which in turn drive development of non-specific but highly effective host mechanisms to restrict infection. This class will discuss the varied solutions each side has developed as a means for survival. We will use examples drawn from human disease-causing pathogens that contribute seriously to the global health burden, including HIV, influenza and dengue virus. Primary research papers will be discussed to help students learn to pose scientific questions and design and conduct experiments to answer the questions and critically interpret data. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

21W.732 / ES.21W732 Science Writing and New Media, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.732 / ES.21W732 Science Writing and New Media, Fall 2010 Custer, David; Page, Elizabeth A. This course introduces writing, graphics, meetings, oral presentation, collaboration, and design as tools for product development. The communication instruction is embedded in design projects that require students to work in teams to conceive, design, prototype and evaluate energy related products. The communication instruction focuses on the communication tasks that are integral to this design process, ranging, across design notebooks, email communications, informal oral presentations, meeting etiquette, literature searches, white papers reports, and formal presentations. In addition to the assignments specific to product development, a few assignments, especially reading and reflection, will address the cultural situation of engineers and engineering in the world at large.

RES.TLL-008 Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC), Fall 2022

2022-12-01T00:00:00Z

RES.TLL-008 Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC), Fall 2022 Shah, Julie; Kaiser, David Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC), a cross-cutting initiative of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, works to train students and facilitate research to assess the broad challenges and opportunities associated with computing, and improve design, policy, implementation, and impacts. This site is a resource for SERC pedagogical materials developed for use in MIT courses. SERC brings together cross-disciplinary teams of faculty, researchers, and students to develop original pedagogical materials that meet our goal of training students to practice responsible technology development through incorporation of insights and methods from the humanities and social sciences, including an emphasis on social responsibility. Materials include the MIT Case Studies Series in Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing, original Active Learning Projects, and lecture materials that provide students hands-on practice and training in SERC, together with other resources and tools found useful in education at MIT. Original homework assignments and in-class demonstrations are specially created by multidisciplinary teams, to enable instructors to embed SERC-related material into a wide variety of existing courses. The aim of SERC is to facilitate the development of responsible “habits of mind and action” for those who create and deploy computing technologies, and fostering the creation of technologies in the public interest.

18.S097 Introduction to Metric Spaces, January IAP 2022

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

18.S097 Introduction to Metric Spaces, January IAP 2022 Bright, Paige This course provides a basic introduction to metric spaces. It covers metrics, open and closed sets, continuous functions (in the topological sense), function spaces, completeness, and compactness.

WGS.101 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Fall 2014

2014-12-01T00:00:00Z

WGS.101 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Fall 2014 Walsh, Andrea; Fox, Elizabeth This course offers an introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary field that asks critical questions about the meanings of sex and gender in society. The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions and debates in Women's and Gender Studies, both historical and contemporary. Gender studies scholarship critically analyzes themes of gendered performance and power in a range of social spheres, such as education, law, culture, work, medicine and the family. WGS. 101 draws on multiple disciplines--such as literature, history, economics, psychology, sociology, philosophy, political science, anthropology and media studies-- to examine cultural assumptions about sex, gender, and sexuality. This course integrates analysis of current events through student presentations, aiming to increase awareness of contemporary and historical experiences of women, and of the multiple ways that sex and gender interact with race, class, nationality and other social identities.

8.323 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.323 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I, Spring 2008 Guth, Alan 8.323, Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I, is a one-term self-contained subject in quantum field theory. Concepts and basic techniques are developed through applications in elementary particle physics, and condensed matter physics.

18.05 Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Spring 2014

2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

RES.12-001 Topics in Fluid Dynamics, Fall 2021

2021-12-01T00:00:00Z

RES.12-001 Topics in Fluid Dynamics, Fall 2021 Price, James F. This collection of three essays was developed from the author's experience teaching the course Fluid Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean, offered to graduate students entering the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography. The essays are: Dimensional Analysis of Models and Data Sets: Similarity Solutions and Scaling Analysis, A Coriolis Tutorial, and Lagrangian and Eulerian Representations of Fluid Flow: Kinematics and the Equations of Motion The goal of this resource is to help each student master the concepts and mathematical tools that make up the foundation of classical and geophysical fluid dynamics. These essays treat these topics in considerably greater depth than a comprehensive fluids textbook can afford, and they are accompanied by data files (MATLAB® and Fortan) that allows some application and experimentation. They should be suitable for self study.

21L.705 Major Authors: Old English and Beowulf, Spring 2014

2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.705 Major Authors: Old English and Beowulf, Spring 2014 Bahr, Arthur hƿæt ƿe gardena in geardagum þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon…. Those are the first words of the Old English epic Beowulf, and in this class you will learn to read them. Besides being the language of Rohan in the novels of Tolkien, Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is a language of long, cold, and lonely winters; of haunting beauty found in unexpected places; and of unshakable resolve in the face of insurmountable odds. It is, in short, the perfect language for MIT students. After learning the basics of grammar and vocabulary, we will read not just excerpts from the great Beowulf but also heartrending laments (The Wanderer, The Wife's Lament), an account of the Crucifixion as narrated by the Cross itself (The Dream of the Rood), and a host of riddles whose solutions range from the sacred to the obscene but are always ingenious. We will also try our hand at composing our own sentences—and maybe even poems—in Old English.

RES.18-001 Calculus Online Textbook, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.771 Development Economics: Microeconomic Issues and Policy Models, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.771 Development Economics: Microeconomic Issues and Policy Models, Fall 2008 Olken, Benjamin; Duflo, Esther; Banerjee, Abhijit Topics include productivity effects of health, private and social returns to education, education quality, education policy and market equilibrium, gender discrimination, public finance, decision making within families, firms and contracts, technology, labor and migration, land, and the markets for credit and savings.

RES.14-001 Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Executive Training: Evaluating Social Programs 2009, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

RES.14-001 Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Executive Training: Evaluating Social Programs 2009, Spring 2009 Duflo, Esther; Glennerster, Rachel; Banerjee, Abhijit This five-day program on evaluating social programs will provide a thorough understanding of randomized evaluations and pragmatic step-by-step training for conducting one's own evaluation. While the course focuses on randomized evaluations, many of the topics, such as measuring outcomes and dealing with threats to the validity of an evaluation, are relevant for other methodologies. About the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab J-PAL's goal is to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is based on scientific evidence. Every day, evidence generated by J-PAL researchers is influencing policy and improving lives, sometimes very directly – for example through the scale-up of effective programs – but also in less direct but equally important ways. To date, our evidence has helped improve the lives of at least 30 million people around the world through the scale-up of highly effective policies and programs. By 2013, J-PAL aims to have positively impacted 100 million lives.

7.02 / 10.702 Experimental Biology & Communication, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.92 Energy, Environment, and Society, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.92 Energy, Environment, and Society, Spring 2007 Conlin, Beth; Tester, Jefferson W.; Steinfeld, Jeffrey; Graham, Amanda "Energy, Environment and Society" is an opportunity for first-year students to make direct contributions to energy innovations at MIT and in local communities. The class takes a project-based approach, bringing student teams together to conduct studies that will help MIT, Cambridge and Boston to make tangible improvements in their energy management systems. Students will develop a thorough understanding of energy systems and their major components through guest lectures by researchers from across MIT and will apply that knowledge in their projects. Students are involved in all aspects of project design, from the refinement of research questions to data collection and analysis, conclusion drawing and presentation of findings. Each student team will work closely with experts including local stakeholders as well as leading technology companies throughout the development and implementation of their projects. Projects in this course center on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

5.33 Advanced Chemical Experimentation and Instrumentation, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.33 Advanced Chemical Experimentation and Instrumentation, Fall 2007 Gheorghiu, Mircea; Tokmakoff, Andrei 5.33 focuses on advanced experimentation, with particular emphasis on chemical synthesis and the fundamentals of quantum chemistry, illustrated through molecular spectroscopy. The written and oral presentation of experimental results is also emphasized in the course. Acknowledgements The materials for 5.33 reflect the work of many faculty members associated with this course over the years. WARNING NOTICE The experiments described in these materials are potentially hazardous and require a high level of safety training, special facilities and equipment, and supervision by appropriate individuals. You bear the sole responsibility, liability, and risk for the implementation of such safety procedures and measures. MIT shall have no responsibility, liability, or risk for the content or implementation of any of the material presented. Legal Notice

7.13 Experimental Microbial Genetics, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.13 Experimental Microbial Genetics, Fall 2003 Melvold, Janis; Lessard, Philip; Sinskey, Anthony Also referred to as the Microbial Genetics Project Lab, this is a hands-on research course designed to introduce the student to the strategies and challenges associated with microbiology research. Students take on independent and original research projects that are designed to be instructive with the goal of advancing a specific field of research in microbiology.

17.874 Quantitative Research Methods: Multivariate, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.874 Quantitative Research Methods: Multivariate, Spring 2004 Ansolabehere, Stephen This course is the second semester in the statistics sequence for political science and public policy offered in the Political Science Department at MIT. The intellectual thrust of the course is a presentation of statistical models for estimating causal effects of variables. The model of an effect is a conditional mean (though we might imagine other effect). The notion of causality is the effect of one variable on another holding all else constant.

17.872 Quantitative Research in Political Science and Public Policy, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.872 Quantitative Research in Political Science and Public Policy, Spring 2004 Ansolabehere, Stephen This course provides students with a rigorous introduction to Statistics for Political Science. Topics include basic mathematical tools used in social science modeling and statistics, probability theory, theory of estimation and inference, and statistical methods, especially differences of means and regression. The course is often taken by students outside of political science, especially those in business, urban studies, and various fields of public policy, such as public health. Examples draw heavily from political science, but some problems come from other areas, such as labor economics.

17.471 American National Security Policy, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.471 American National Security Policy, Fall 2002 Meyer, Steve This course examines the problems and issues confronting American national security policymakers and the many factors that influence the policies that emerge. But this is not a course about "threats," military strategies, or the exercise of military power. What threatens those interests? How should the U.S. defend those interests? What kind of military should we build? Should the U.S. enter into alliances with other countries? Do we need a larger Navy? How much should we spend on weapons procurement? The course has four broad goals: to demonstrate that definitions of national security and the specification of vital interests are subjective and fluid and that they are as much functions of domestic politics as they are responses to international politics and "objective threats"; to demonstrate that policy decisions involve complex tradeoffs among political, social, economic, military, legal, and ethical goals and values; to explore how the many organizations, institutions, and individuals that participate in American national security policymaking affect policy formulation, implementation, and outcomes; and to better understand the historical context, evolution, and linkages of national security problems and solutions. The course is organized along an historical time line. Beginning with the final days of World War II we follow American national security policy from the first stirrings of confrontation with the Soviet Union and China, into two hot wars in Asia that cost over 100,000 American lives and spawned social upheavals, through a close encounter with nuclear war, stumbling into the era of arms control, and conclude with the collapse of the communism. Selective case studies, memoirs, and original documents act as windows into each period. What were US national security decision makers thinking? What were they worried about? How did they see their options?

21W.765J / 21L.489J / CMS.845J Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.765J / 21L.489J / CMS.845J Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice, Spring 2004 Fendt, Kurt This course explores the properties of non-linear, multi-linear, and interactive forms of narratives as they have evolved from print to digital media. Works covered in this course range from the Talmud, classics of non-linear novels, experimental literature, early sound and film experiments to recent multi-linear and interactive films and games. The study of the structural properties of narratives that experiment with digression, multiple points of view, disruptions of time, space, and of storyline is complemented by theoretical texts about authorship/readership, plot/story, properties of digital media and hypertext. Questions that will be addressed in this course include: How can we define 'non-linearity/multi-linearity', 'interactivity', 'narrative'. To what extend are these aspects determined by the text, the reader, the digital format? What kinds of narratives are especially suited for a nonlinear/ interactive format? Are there stories that can only be told in a digital format? What can we learn from early non-digital examples of non-linear and interactive story telling?

14.23 Government Regulation of Industry, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.23 Government Regulation of Industry, Spring 2003 Pollitt, Michael The objective of this course is to introduce you to the role of government in markets where competitive equilibria “fail.” In this course we will emphasize the importance of market structure and industrial performance, including the strategic interaction of firms. We will examine the behavior of individual markets in some detail, focusing on cost analysis, the determinants of market demand, investment behavior, market power, and the implications of government regulatory behavior. The course will be broken into three parts. In the first part, we will review firm behavior and the theory of the market. Here, we will discuss perfectly competitive markets (our “benchmark”), efficiency, market structure, strategic competition, and productivity. Once the foundations of the market are well understood, we will then move on to the second part of the course, where we will study “economic” regulation. Here, we will look at the behavior of natural monopolies and regulatory options for dealing with them. And in the third part of the course, we will study “social” regulation—focusing on environmental, health, and safety regulation.

21W.730-2 The Creative Spark, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-2 The Creative Spark, Fall 2004 Boiko, Karen "Creative activity (isn't) the icing on the cake. Human creativity is the cake." (Jerry Hirschberg) Creativity - "the mastery of information and skills in the service of dreams" (Hirschberg) - is much prized in the arts, science, business and the classroom. What does the creative process look like? Under what conditions does it flourish - what ignites the creative spark? Attempting to answer these questions, this class explores ways creativity has been understood in Western culture: what we prize and fear about creativity and its wellsprings; how writers, artists, scientists and inventors have described their own creative processes; how psychologists and philosophers have theorized it; ways in which creativity has been represented in Western culture, particularly in 20th century films; and creativity in everyday life, including our own lives. Readings include portions of psychologist Rollo May's The Courage To Create, and essays by Joan Didion, John Updike, Alice Walker, Oliver Sacks, and others. In addition, we'll watch video profiles of choreographer Paul Taylor, architect Maya Lin, and jazz musician Dave Brubeck. We'll keep journals in which we note our own observations and reflections on creative process. We will also watch a film together as a class one evening early in the term.

24.01 Classics in Western Philosophy, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.01 Classics in Western Philosophy, Spring 2006 Langton, Rae This course will introduce you to the Western philosophical tradition, through the study of major figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, and Kant. You will get to grips with questions that have been significant to philosophy from its beginnings: questions about the nature of the mind or soul, the existence of God, the foundations of knowledge, ethics and the good life. In the process of evaluating the arguments of these philosophers, you will develop your own philosophical and analytical skills. You will also observe changes of intellectual outlook over time, and the effect of scientific, religious and political concerns on the development of philosophical ideas. Lecture handouts will be supplied for Lec #1-8, and #16-25. For the section on Descartes' Meditations, Lec #9-15, my separate Study Guide to Descartes' Meditations is available in the study materials section.

17.41 Introduction to International Relations, Spring 2018

2018-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.41 Introduction to International Relations, Spring 2018 Hayes, Jarrod This course provides an introduction to the causes of international conflict and cooperation. Topics include war initiation, crisis bargaining, international terrorism, nuclear strategy, interstate economic relations, economic growth, international law, human rights, and environmental politics.

7.340 Ubiquitination: The Proteasome and Human Disease, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.340 Ubiquitination: The Proteasome and Human Disease, Fall 2004 Rubio, Marta This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. This seminar provides a deeper understanding of the post-translational mechanisms evolved by eukaryotic cells to target proteins for degradation. Students learn how proteins are recognized and degraded by specific machinery (the proteasome) through their previous tagging with another small protein, ubiquitin. Additional topics include principles of ubiquitin-proteasome function, its control of the most important cellular pathways, and the implication of this system in different human diseases. Finally, speculation on the novel techniques that arose from an increased knowledge of the ubiquitin-proteosome system and current applications in the design of new pharmacological agents to battle disease is also covered.

24.241 Logic I, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.241 Logic I, Fall 2005 McGee, Vann This course provides an introduction to the aims and techniques of formal logic. Logic is the science of correct argument, and our study of logic will aim to understand what makes a correct argument good, that is, what is it about the structure of a correct argument that guarantees that, if the premises are all true, the conclusion will be true as well? Our subject (though, to be sure, we can only scratch the surface) will be truth and proof, and the connection between them.

24.201 Topics in the History of Philosophy: Kant, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.201 Topics in the History of Philosophy: Kant, Fall 2005 Langton, Rae In this course we shall study the Critique of Pure Reason with special focus on questions about idealism, about our ignorance of things in themselves, and about what, if anything, idealism has to do with this kind of ignorance. Along the way we shall consider Kant's distinctive account of space, matter, and force, all of which had a significant role to play in his own philosophy, and in the historical evolution of field theory. In the last part of the course we shall look at an alternative, and unorthodox, interpretation of Kant's distinction between phenomena and things in themselves (as argued for in my own book, Kantian Humility).

14.127 Behavioral Economics and Finance, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.127 Behavioral Economics and Finance, Spring 2004 Gabaix, Xavier This course surveys research which incorporates psychological evidence into economics. Topics include: prospect theory, biases in probabilistic judgment, self-control and mental accounting with implications for consumption and savings, fairness, altruism, and public goods contributions, financial market anomalies and theories, impact of markets, learning, and incentives, and memory, attention, categorization, and the thinking process.

21W.732-2 Introduction to Technical Communication: Ethics in Science and Technology, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.732-2 Introduction to Technical Communication: Ethics in Science and Technology, Fall 2006 Doherty, Robert This section of Introduction to Technical Communication deals with ethical issues associated with the design, use, and propagation of technology. At virtually all stages of development and use, any technology can carry with it ethical dilemmas for both creators and users. Of particular interest is how such dilemmas are resolved (or complicated) according to how effectively they are communicated to stakeholders.

17.32 Environmental Politics and Policy, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.32 Environmental Politics and Policy, Spring 2003 Meyer, Steve "Environmental Politics & Policy" explores the workings of environmental policymaking in the United States. What are the big issues facing environmental policy? How did we end up with the policies we have today? Why does it take a crisis to move environmental policy forward? Why do political factors - economic interests, social and political values, bureaucratic styles, ideologies, elections, etc. - always seem to overwhelm sound scientific and engineering judgment in determining policy outcomes? Case studies ranging from cleaning up toxic waste pollution to endangered species protection probe the clashes between science and politics at local, state, and federal levels.

14.129 Advanced Contract Theory, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.129 Advanced Contract Theory, Spring 2005 Izmalkov, Sergei This course focuses on recent developments in contract theory. Topics include: advanced models of moral hazard, adverse selection, mechanism design and incomplete contracts with applications to theory of the firm, organizational design, and financial structure.

21W.730-3 Writing and the Environment, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-3 Writing and the Environment, Spring 2005 Taft, Cynthia B. Environmentalists have traditionally relied upon the power of their prose to transform the thoughts and behavior of their contemporaries. In this class, we will do our best to follow in their footsteps. We will consider the strategies of popular science writers, lesser-known geologists, biologists, and hydrologists, and famous environmentalists. Students will have a chance to try out several ways of characterizing and explaining natural environments. Weekly writing exercises will help students develop and explore material for the longer papers.

7.349 Biological Computing: At the Crossroads of Engineering and Science, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.349 Biological Computing: At the Crossroads of Engineering and Science, Spring 2005 Khodor, Julia Imagine you are a salesman needing to visit 100 cities connected by a set of roads. Can you do it while stopping in each city only once? Even a supercomputer working at 1 trillion operations per second would take longer than the age of the universe to find a solution when considering each possibility in turn. In 1994, Leonard Adleman published a paper in which he described a solution, using the tools of molecular biology, for a smaller 7-city example of this problem. His paper generated enormous scientific and public interest, and kick-started the field of Biological Computing, the main subject of this discussion based seminar course. Students will analyze the Adleman paper, and the papers that preceded and followed it, with an eye for identifying the engineering and scientific aspects of each paper, emphasizing the interplay of these two approaches in the field of Biological Computing. This course is appropriate for both biology and non-biology majors. Care will be taken to fill in any knowledge gaps for both scientists and engineers.This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting.

RES.CD-001 Leadership and Empowerment: Resources from Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT), Spring 2012

2012-06-01T00:00:00Z

RES.CD-001 Leadership and Empowerment: Resources from Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT), Spring 2012 Members and Guest Speakers, GWAMIT Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT) is an institute-wide, student-led group founded in 2009. Its mission is to promote the personal and professional development of MIT's graduate women. GWAMIT welcomes all members of the MIT community, including men. This OCW site features selected videos from the two conferences GWAMIT runs each academic year: a Leadership Conference in the fall and an Empowerment Conference in the spring. It also provides a list of related readings and other resources.

CMS.998 / CMS.600 New Media Literacies, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.998 / CMS.600 New Media Literacies, Spring 2007 Robison, Alice This course serves as an in-depth look at literacy theory in media contexts, from its origins in ancient Greece to its functions and changes in the current age of digital media, participatory cultures, and technologized learning environments. Students will move quickly through traditional historical accounts of print literacies; the majority of the semester will focus on treating literacy as more than a functional skill (i.e., one's ability to read and write) and instead as a sophisticated set of meaning-making activities situated in specific social spaces. These new media literacies include the practices and concepts of: fan fiction writing, online social networking, videogaming, appropriation and remixing, transmedia navigation, multitasking, performance, distributed cognition, and collective intelligence. Assignments include weekly reading and writing assignments and an original research project. Readings will include Plato, Goody and Watt, Scribner and Cole, Graff, Brandt, Heath, Lemke, Gee, Alvermann, Jenkins, Hobbs, Pratt, Leander, Dyson, Levy, Kress, and Lankshear and Knobel.

14.11 Insights from Game Theory into Social Behavior, Fall 2013

2013-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.11 Insights from Game Theory into Social Behavior, Fall 2013 Hoffman, Moshe; Yoeli, Erez We will apply insights from game theory to explain human social behavior, focusing on novel applications which have heretofore been the realm of psychologists and philosophers—for example, why people speak indirectly, in what sense beauty is socially constructed, and where our moral intuitions come from—and eschewing traditional economic applications such as industrial organization or auctions. We will employ standard games such as the prisoners dilemma, coordination, hawk-dove, and costly signaling, and use standard game theory tools such as Nash Equilibria, Subgame Perfection, and Perfect Bayesian Equilibria. These tools will be taught from scratch and no existing knowledge of game theory, economics, or mathematics is required. At the same time, students familiar with these games and tools will not find the course redundant because of the focus on non-orthodox applications.

21A.230J / WGS.456J The Contemporary American Family, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.230J / WGS.456J The Contemporary American Family, Spring 2004 Jackson, Jean We begin by considering briefly the evolution of the family, its cross-cultural variability, and its history in the West. We next examine how the family is currently defined in the U.S., discussing different views about what families should look like. Class and ethnic variability and the effects of changing gender roles are discussed in this section. We next look at sexuality, traditional and non-traditional marriage, parenting, divorce, family violence, family economics, poverty, and family policy. Controversial issues dealt with include day care, welfare policy, and the "Family Values" debate.

5.68J / 10.652J Kinetics of Chemical Reactions, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.68J / 10.652J Kinetics of Chemical Reactions, Spring 2003 Steinfeld, Jeffrey; Green Jr., William This course deals with the experimental and theoretical aspects of chemical reaction kinetics, including transition-state theories, molecular beam scattering, classical techniques, quantum and statistical mechanical estimation of rate constants, pressure-dependence and chemical activation, modeling complex reacting mixtures, and uncertainty/sensitivity analyses. Reactions in the gas phase, liquid phase, and on surfaces are discussed with examples drawn from atmospheric, combustion, industrial, catalytic, and biological chemistry.

21W.730-4 Expository Writing: Analyzing Mass Media, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-4 Expository Writing: Analyzing Mass Media, Spring 2001 Walsh, Andrea This course focuses on developing and refining the skills that will you need to express your voice more effectively as an academic writer. As a focus for our writing this semester, this course explores what it means to live in the age of mass media. We will debate the power of popular American media in shaping our ideas of self, family and community and in defining social issues. Throughout the semester, students will focus on writing as a process of drafting and revising to create essays that are lively, clear, engaging and meaningful to a wider audience.

5.451 Chemistry of Biomolecules I, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.451 Chemistry of Biomolecules I, Fall 2005 O’Connor, Sarah 5.451 is a half-semester introduction to natural product biosynthetic pathways. The course covers the assembly of complex polyketide, peptide, terpene and alkaloid structures. Discussion topics include chemical and biochemical strategies used to elucidate natural product pathways.

24.251 Introduction to Philosophy of Language, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.251 Introduction to Philosophy of Language, Spring 2005 Holton, Richard In this introductory course on the philosophy of language, we examine views on the nature of meaning, reference, truth, and their relationships. Other topics may include relationships between language and logic, language and knowledge, language and reality, language and acts performed through its use. No knowledge of logic or linguistics presupposed.

17.037 / 17.038 American Political Thought, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.037 / 17.038 American Political Thought, Spring 2004 Song, Sarah This course surveys American political thought from the colonial era to the present. Required readings are drawn mainly from primary sources, including writings of politicians, activists, and theorists. Topics include the relationship between religion and politics, rights, federalism, national identity, republicanism versus liberalism, the relationship of subordinated groups to mainstream political discourse, and the role of ideas in politics. We will analyze the simultaneous radicalism and weakness of American liberalism, how the revolutionary ideas of freedom and equality run up against persistent patterns of inequality. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through suggested reading and individual research.

17.315 Comparative Health Policy, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.315 Comparative Health Policy, Fall 2004 Sapolsky, Harvey This course examines in comparative prospective the health care policy problems facing the United States including providing adequate access to medical services for all, the control of rising health care costs, and the assurance that the quality of health care services is high and improving. It explores the market and regulatory policy options being debated politically in the United States to solve these problems and compares possible foreign models for reform including those offered by the Canadian, British, Japanese, and German systems. The course shows how the historical development of the American health care system limits greatly policy options that can be considered and creates pressures that favor a continuing emphasis on technology and structural decentralization. The course also examines important health risks and the political and organizational factors that distort the public's understanding of these risks.

17.03 Introduction to Political Thought, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.03 Introduction to Political Thought, Spring 2004 Song, Sarah This course examines major texts in the history of political thought and the questions they raise about the design of the political and social order. It considers the ways in which thinkers have responded to the particular political problems of their day, and the ways in which they contribute to a broader conversation about human goods and needs, justice, democracy, and the proper relationship of the individual to the state. One aim will be to understand the strengths and weaknesses of various regimes and philosophical approaches in order to gain a critical perspective on our own. Thinkers include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, and Tocqueville.

24.221 Metaphysics: Free Will, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.221 Metaphysics: Free Will, Fall 2004 Holton, Richard This course is a study of free will. It explores the main topic through the lenses of the consequence argument, unavoidability, law breaking, libertarianism, the concept of the person, moral responsibility, action, intention, choice, social psychology, and addiction.

11.255 Negotiation and Dispute Resolution in the Public Sector, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.255 Negotiation and Dispute Resolution in the Public Sector, Spring 2005 Susskind, Lawrence This course investigates social conflict and distributional disputes in the public sector. While theoretical aspects of conflict are considered, the focus of the class is on the practice of dispute resolution. Comparisons between unassisted and assisted negotiation are reviewed along with the techniques of facilitation and mediation.

24.03 Relativism, Reason, and Reality, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.03 Relativism, Reason, and Reality, Spring 2005 Yablo, Stephen Are moral standards relative to cultures and/or moral frameworks? Are there incompatible or non-comparable ways of thinking about the world that are somehow equally good? Is science getting closer to the truth? Is rationality--the notion of a good reason to believe something--relative to cultural norms? What are selves? Is there a coherent form of relativism about the self? Guided by the writings of Thomas Kuhn, Gilbert Harman, Judith Thomson, John Perry and Derek Parfit, we attempt to make these vague questions precise, and we make a start at answering them.

CMS.600 / CMS.998 Videogame Theory and Analysis, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.600 / CMS.998 Videogame Theory and Analysis, Fall 2007 Robison, Alice This course will serve as an introduction to the interdisciplinary academic study of videogames, examining their cultural, educational, and social functions in contemporary settings. By playing, analyzing, and reading and writing about videogames, we will examine debates surrounding how they function within socially situated contexts in order to better understand games' influence on and reflections of society. Readings will include contemporary videogame theory and the completion of a contemporary commercial videogame chosen in consultation with the instructor.

STS.042J / 8.225J Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman: Physics in the 20th Century, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

STS.042J / 8.225J Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman: Physics in the 20th Century, Spring 2011 Kaiser, David This course covers the role of physics and physicists during the 20th century, focusing on Einstein, Oppenheimer, and Feynman. Beyond just covering the scientific developments, institutional, cultural, and political contexts will also be examined.

24.401 Proseminar in Philosophy II, Spring 2020

2020-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.401 Proseminar in Philosophy II, Spring 2020 Byrne, Alex; White, Roger This course is an advanced study of the basic problems of philosophy and is intended for first-year graduate students in philosophy. It is an intensive seminar on selected highlights of analytic philosophy from roughly 1960 to the present. The seminar is divided into five sections: Language, Metaphysics, Mind, Epistemology, and Moral/Political Philosophy.

14.04 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.04 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, Fall 2006 Izmalkov, Sergei This course focuses on the following topics: basic theory of consumer behavior; production and costs; partial equilibrium analysis of pricing in competitive and monopolistic markets; general equilibrium; welfare; and externalities. It is recommended for students planning to apply to graduate school in economics, accounting, or finance.

5.S16 Advanced Kitchen Chemistry, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.S16 Advanced Kitchen Chemistry, Spring 2002 Christie, Patricia This seminar will be a scientific exploration of the food we eat and enjoy. Each week we shall have a scientific edible experiment that will explore a specific food topic. This will be a hands-on seminar with mandatory attendance of at least 85%. Topics include, but are not limited to, what makes a good experiment, cheese making, joys of tofu, food biochemistry, the science of spice, what is taste? This course is the second in a series of two courses in kitchen chemistry. The prerequisite to Advanced Kitchen Chemistry is ES.287 Kitchen Chemistry, which is also on OCW.

RES.14-002 Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Executive Training: Evaluating Social Programs 2011, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

RES.14-002 Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Executive Training: Evaluating Social Programs 2011, Spring 2011 Glennerster, Rachel; Banerjee, Abhijit; Duflo, Esther This five-day program on evaluating social programs will provide a thorough understanding of randomized evaluations and pragmatic step-by-step training for conducting one's own evaluation. While the course focuses on randomized evaluations, many of the topics, such as measuring outcomes and dealing with threats to the validity of an evaluation, are relevant for other methodologies. About the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab J-PAL's goal is to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is based on scientific evidence. Every day, evidence generated by J-PAL researchers is influencing policy and improving lives, sometimes very directly – for example through the scale-up of effective programs – but also in less direct but equally important ways. To date, our evidence has helped improve the lives of at least 30 million people around the world through the scale-up of highly effective policies and programs. By 2013, J-PAL aims to have positively impacted 100 million lives.

21W.730-3 Expository Writing: Autobiography - Theory and Practice, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-3 Expository Writing: Autobiography - Theory and Practice, Spring 2001 Fox, Elizabeth Focus: What can we believe when we read an autobiography? How do writers recall, select, shape, and present their lives to construct life stories? Readings that ground these questions include selections from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Linda Brent (pseudonym for Harriet Jacobs), "A Sketch of the Past" by Virginia Woolf, Notes of A Native Son by James Baldwin, "The Achievement of Desire" by Richard Rodriguez, The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, and "Our Secret" by Susan Griffin. Discussion, papers, and brief oral presentations will focus on the content of the life stories as well as the forms and techniques authors use to shape autobiography. We will identify masks and stances used to achieve various goals, sources and interrelationships of technical and thematic concerns, and "fictions" of autobiographical writing. Assignments will allow students to consider texts in terms of their implicit theories of autobiography, of theories we read, and of students' experiences; assignments also allow some autobiographical writing.

14.33 Economics Research and Communication, Spring 2012

2012-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.33 Economics Research and Communication, Spring 2012 Ellison, Sara This course will guide students through the process of forming economic hypotheses, gathering the appropriate data, analyzing them, and effectively communicating their results.

14.33 Economics Research and Communication, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.33 Economics Research and Communication, Spring 2005 Greenstone, Michael This course is for students interested in conducting original research on economics questions. There will be an emphasis on choice of research topics, primary sources, data sources, and research methods. The primary activities are oral presentations, the preparation of a paper, and providing constructive feedback on classmates' research projects.

8.03 Physics III, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.03 Physics III, Spring 2003 Mavalvala, Nergis; Greytak, Thomas Mechanical vibrations and waves, simple harmonic motion, superposition, forced vibrations and resonance, coupled oscillations and normal modes, vibrations of continuous systems, reflection and refraction, phase and group velocity. Optics, wave solutions to Maxwell's equations, polarization, Snell's law, interference, Huygens's principle, Fraunhofer diffraction, and gratings.

7.28 / 7.58 Molecular Biology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.28 / 7.58 Molecular Biology, Spring 2005 Faculty, Biology Department This course covers a detailed analysis of the biochemical mechanisms that control the maintenance, expression, and evolution of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. The topics covered in lectures and readings of relevant literature include gene regulation, DNA replication, genetic recombination, and mRNA translation. In particular, the logic of experimental design and data analysis is emphasized.

24.400 Proseminar in Philosophy I, Fall 2013

2013-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.400 Proseminar in Philosophy I, Fall 2013 Byrne, Alex; Yablo, Stephen This course is an intensive seminar on the foundations of analytic philosophy for first-year graduate students. A large selection of classic texts, such as Frege's Foundations of Arithmetic, Russell's Problems of Philosophy, and Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations, is covered in this course.

24.500 Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Self-Knowledge, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.500 Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Self-Knowledge, Spring 2005 Byrne, Alex This is a seminar on "self-knowledge" -- knowledge of one's own mental states. In addition to reading some of the classic papers on self-knowledge, we will look at some very recent work on the topic. There will be no lectures. Each week I will spend half an hour or so introducing the assigned reading, and the rest of the time will be devoted to discussion.

24.805 Topics in Epistemology: Self-Knowledge, Fall 2015

2015-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.805 Topics in Epistemology: Self-Knowledge, Fall 2015 Byrne, Alex; Paul, Sarah K. This course is a graduate seminar surveying recent work on self-knowledge. Some questions that will be explored and discussed are: What is the distinctive philosophical interest of self-knowledge? Is self-knowledge really an epistemic achievement? Is it plausible that there is a uniform explanation of all distinctively first-personal self-knowledge?

14.381 Statistical Method in Economics, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.381 Statistical Method in Economics, Fall 2006 Chernozhukov, Victor This course is divided into two sections, Part I and Part II. Part I provides an introduction to statistical theory and can be found by visiting 14.381 Fall 2018. Part II, found here, prepares students for the remainder of the econometrics sequence. The emphasis of the course is to understand the basic principles of statistical theory. A brief review of probability will be given; however, this material is assumed knowledge. The course also covers basic regression analysis. Topics covered include probability, random samples, asymptotic methods, point estimation, evaluation of estimators, Cramer-Rao theorem, hypothesis tests, Neyman Pearson lemma, Likelihood Ratio test, interval estimation, best linear predictor, best linear approximation, conditional expectation function, building functional forms, regression algebra, Gauss-Markov optimality, finite-sample inference, consistency, asymptotic normality, heteroscedasticity, and autocorrelation.

5.311 Introductory Chemical Experimentation, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.311 Introductory Chemical Experimentation, Fall 2005 Schrenk, Janet; Berkowski, Kimberly; Gheorghiu, Mircea 5.311 is the first of a three-term laboratory subject sequence for chemistry majors. Experimental work emphasizes development of fundamental laboratory skills and techniques: volumetric and colorimetric analysis; nuclear magnetic resonance; preparation, purification, and characterization of chemical substances; and data analysis. Acknowledgements The experiments for 5.311 have evolved over a period of many years and include contributions from past instructors, course textbooks, and others affiliated with the course. Thus for many of the lab documents, no single source can be attributed. WARNING NOTICE The experiments described in these materials are potentially hazardous and require a high level of safety training, special facilities and equipment, and supervision by appropriate individuals. You bear the sole responsibility, liability, and risk for the implementation of such safety procedures and measures. MIT shall have no responsibility, liability, or risk for the content or implementation of any of the material presented. Legal Notice

5.46 Organic Structure Determination, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.46 Organic Structure Determination, Spring 2007 Simpson, Jeff; Jamison, Timothy F. This course covers modern and advanced methods of elucidation of the structures of organic molecules, including NMR, MS, and IR (among others). The fundamental physical and chemical principles of each method will be discussed. The major emphasis of this course is on structure determination by way of interpreting the data (generally in the form of a spectrum or spectra) that each method provides.

5.32 Intermediate Chemical Experimentation, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.32 Intermediate Chemical Experimentation, Spring 2003 Gheorghiu, Mircea; Klibanov, Alexander 5.32 involves more advanced experimental work than 5.310 or 5.311. The course emphasizes organic synthesis assisted by chiral catalysis, purification, and analysis of organic compounds employing such methods as IR, 1D and 2D NMR, UV spectroscopies and mass spectrometry, and thin layer and non-chiral and chiral gas chromatography. In 5.32, experiments also involve enzyme purification, characterization and assays, as well as molecular modeling in organic synthesis and in biochemical systems. WARNING NOTICE The experiments described in these materials are potentially hazardous and require a high level of safety training, special facilities and equipment, and supervision by appropriate individuals. You bear the sole responsibility, liability, and risk for the implementation of such safety procedures and measures. MIT shall have no responsibility, liability, or risk for the content or implementation of any of the material presented. Legal Notice

24.500 Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Perceptual Experience, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.500 Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Perceptual Experience, Spring 2007 Siegel, Susanna; Byrne, Alex This course is a survey of recent philosophy of perception. The main topics discussed are the following: the transparency of perceptual experience, disjunctivism, the content of perceptual experience, perceptual consciousness, thought ownership and thought disorders (focussing on schizophrenia), introspection, and the perception of sound. Questions raised by these topics include "In what way is imagination distinct from perception?", "Is there a perceptual relation?", "What is the view that perceptual experiences have representational content?", "In what way is introspection distinct from perception?", "What does the phenomenon of 'thought insertion' show about the ownership of thoughts?", and "What is a sound?". We explore these topics through reading, writing, and presentations by the instructors and guests.

7.340 Nano-life: An Introduction to Virus Structure and Assembly, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.340 Nano-life: An Introduction to Virus Structure and Assembly, Fall 2005 Kosinski-Collins, Melissa; Weigele, Peter Watson and Crick noted that the size of a viral genome was insufficient to encode a protein large enough to encapsidate it and reasoned, therefore that a virus shell must be composed of multiple, but identical subunits. Today, high resolution structures of virus capsids reveal the basis of this genetic economy as a highly symmetrical structure, much like a geodesic dome composed of protein subunits. Crystallographic structures and cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions combined with molecular data are beginning to reveal how these nano-structures are built. Topics covered in the course will include basic principles of virus structure and symmetry, capsid assembly, strategies for enclosing nucleic acid, proteins involved in entry and exit, and the life cycles of well understood pathogens such as HIV, influenza, polio, and Herpes. A review of cutting edge structural methods is also covered. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting.

24.251 Introduction to Philosophy of Language, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.251 Introduction to Philosophy of Language, Spring 2006 Rayo, Agustin This course is an introduction to the philosophy of language. It examines different views on the nature of meaning, truth and reference, with special focus on the problem of understanding how linguistic communication works.

CMS.997 / CMS.602 Topics in Comparative Media: American Pro Wrestling, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.997 / CMS.602 Topics in Comparative Media: American Pro Wrestling, Spring 2007 Ford, Sam This class will explore the cultural history and media industry surrounding the masculine drama of professional wrestling. Beginning with wrestling's roots in sport and carnival, the class examines how new technologies and changes in the television industry led to evolution for pro wrestling style and promotion and how shifts in wrestling characters demonstrate changes in the depiction of American masculinity. The class will move chronologically in an examination of how wrestling characters and performances have changed, focusing particularly on the 1950s to the present. Students may have previous knowledge of wrestling but are not required to, nor are they required to be a fan (although it is certainly not discouraged, either). Special thanks to the WWE for allowing us to use various materials and for their participation and help with the course.

RES.STR-001 Geographic Information System (GIS) Tutorial, January IAP 2016

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

5.04 Principles of Inorganic Chemistry II, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.04 Principles of Inorganic Chemistry II, Fall 2008 Nocera, Daniel This course provides a systematic presentation of the chemical applications of group theory with emphasis on the formal development of the subject and its applications to the physical methods of inorganic chemical compounds. Against the backdrop of electronic structure, the electronic, vibrational, and magnetic properties of transition metal complexes are presented and their investigation by the appropriate spectroscopy described.

21G.506 Advanced Japanese II, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.506 Advanced Japanese II, Spring 2005 Nagaya, Yoshimi This course covers Lessons 27 through 30 of Japanese: The Spoken Language by Eleanor H. Jordan with Mari Noda. The goal of the course is to continue expanding grammar and vocabulary by further developing four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The goal is to acquire the ability to use Japanese appropriately with increasing spontaneity emphasized, and to be prepared to become an independent learner to the point where you are capable of handling authentic Japanese by yourself, without fear or hesitation.

18.218 Probabilistic Method in Combinatorics, Spring 2019

2019-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.218 Probabilistic Method in Combinatorics, Spring 2019 Zhao, Yufei This course is a graduate-level introduction to the probabilistic method, a fundamental and powerful technique in combinatorics and theoretical computer science. The essence of the approach is to show that some combinatorial object exists and prove that a certain random construction works with positive probability. The course focuses on methodology as well as combinatorial applications.

21W.730-1 Expository Writing: Social and Ethical Issues in Print, Photography and Film, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-1 Expository Writing: Social and Ethical Issues in Print, Photography and Film, Fall 2005 Walsh, Andrea This section of Expository Writing provides the opportunity for students- as readers, viewers, writers and speakers - to engage with social and ethical issues that they care deeply about. Through discussing selected documentary and feature films and the writings of such authors as Maya Angelou, Robert Coles, Charles Dickens, Barbara Ehrenreich, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jonathan Kozol, and Alice Walker, we will explore different perspectives on a range of social problems such as poverty, homelessness, and racial and gender inequality. In assigned essays, students will have the opportunity to write about social and ethical issues of their own choice. This course aims to help students to grow significantly in their ability to understand and grapple with arguments, to integrate secondary print and visual sources and to craft well-reasoned and elegant essays. Students will also keep a reader-writer notebook and give at least one oral presentation. In class we will discuss assigned films and readings, explore strategies for successful academic writing, freewrite and critique one another's essays. Satisfies Phase I and CI Writing Requirements.

21W.730-5 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Imagining the Future, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-5 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Imagining the Future, Fall 2007 Faery, Rebecca Blevins Turn-of-the-century eras have historically been times when people are more than usually inclined to scrutinize the present and speculate about the future. Now, the turn not just of a century but of a millennium having recently passed, such scrutiny and speculations inevitably intensify. What will the future that awaits us in this twenty-first century and beyond be like? And how do visions of that future reflect and respond to the world we live in now? In this course we will read and write about how some writers and filmmakers have responded to the present as a way of imagining—and warning about—possible worlds to come. Guided by our reading and discussion, we will scrutinize our own present and construct our own visions of the future through close readings of the texts as well as of some aspects of contemporary culture—urban and environmental crises, economic imperialism, sexual and reproductive politics, the ethics of biotechnologies, issues of race and gender, the romance of technology, robotics and cyborg cultures, media saturation, language and representation—and the persistent questions they pose about what it means to be human at this start of a new millennium.

17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics, Spring 2014

2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics, Spring 2014 Lawson, Chappell This course examines why democracy emerges and survives in some countries rather than in others; how political institutions affect economic development; and how American politics compares to that of other countries.

21G.505 Advanced Japanese I, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.505 Advanced Japanese I, Fall 2005 Nagaya, Yoshimi; Nagatomi, Ayumi This course covers lessons 22 through 27 of Japanese: The Spoken Language by Eleanor H. Jordan with Mari Noda. The goal of the course is to continue to build oral proficiency by expanding your knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Class hours will be devoted to developing speaking skills in a variety of circumstances; making requests, invitations, apologies, suggestions, dealing with problems, expressing your opinions, etc. Grammatical and social appropriateness on your utterances will be stressed. Keep in mind that daily tape-work is essential.

14.11 Putting Social Sciences to the Test: Field Experiments in Economics, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.11 Putting Social Sciences to the Test: Field Experiments in Economics, Spring 2006 Autor, David; Duflo, Esther 14.11 is a new class on the topic of field (that is, 'in situ') and laboratory experiments in the social sciences - both what these experiments have taught and can teach us and how to conduct them.

21W.746 Humanistic Perspectives on Medicine: From Ancient Greece to Modern America, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.746 Humanistic Perspectives on Medicine: From Ancient Greece to Modern America, Spring 2005 Lioi, Anthony This course is designed to explore the human side of medicine: the nature of the physician's identity and obligations; the history and philosophy of the Western medical tradition; the experience of being ill and being a patient; and the challenges of medical ethics. The writing in this class is therefore conceived as an instrument of exploration, and is an integral part of the class's activities.

CMS.610 / CMS.922 Media Industries and Systems, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.881 / 17.882 Game Theory and Political Theory, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.881 / 17.882 Game Theory and Political Theory, Fall 2004 Snyder, James Increasingly, political scientists are using game theory to analyze strategic interactions across many different settings. Each of the sub-fields, to differing degrees, has seen game theoretic concepts enter its vocabulary, and students entering the profession will need to understand the potential and limits of game theory. This course aims to give students an entry-level understanding of the basic concepts of game theory, and how these concepts have been applied to the study of political phenomena. Because an important component of game theory in political science and political economy is the analysis of substantive political phenomena, we will cover illustrative examples each week in combination with methodological developments. The political and economic phenomena that we will examine include legislative rules, nuclear deterrence, electoral competition, and imperfect markets.

5.44 Organometallic Chemistry, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.44 Organometallic Chemistry, Fall 2004 Fu, Gregory This course examines important transformations of organotransition-metal species with an emphasis on basic mechanisms, structure-reactivity relationships, and applications in organic synthesis.

21W.789 Communicating with Mobile Technology, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.789 Communicating with Mobile Technology, Spring 2011 Barrett, Edward C.; Bentley, Frank Students work in small collaborative design teams to propose, build, and document a semester-long project focused on mobile applications for cell phones. Additional assignments include creating several small mobile applications such as context-aware mobile media capture and games. Students document their work through a series of written and oral proposals, progress reports, and final reports. This course covers the basics of J2ME and explores mobile imaging and media creation, GPS location, user-centered design, usability testing, and prototyping. Java experience is recommended.

CMS.930 / 21G.034 Media, Education, and the Marketplace, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.302 Introduction to Experimental Chemistry, January IAP 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

5.302 Introduction to Experimental Chemistry, January IAP 2005 Schrenk, Janet 5.302 is a 3-unit course intended to provide freshmen with a stimulating and enjoyable "hands-on" experience with chemical phenomena. The aim of this course is to provide freshmen with an opportunity to get "up close and personal" with the chemical phenomena introduced in 5.111, 5.112 and 3.091. Interesting and dramatic experiments have been selected to illustrate and reinforce the concepts and principles introduced in the chemistry core lecture courses. WARNING NOTICE The experiments described in these materials are potentially hazardous and require a high level of safety training, special facilities and equipment, and supervision by appropriate individuals. You bear the sole responsibility, liability, and risk for the implementation of such safety procedures and measures. MIT shall have no responsibility, liability, or risk for the content or implementation of any of the material presented. Legal Notice

24.500 Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Mental Content, Spring 2015

2015-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.500 Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Mental Content, Spring 2015 Byrne, Alex; Rayo, Agustin Propositions are everywhere in the philosophy of mind. Believing, hoping, and intending (for example) are said to be "propositional attitudes", mental states that involve relations to propositions. The seminar will examine issues at the heart of the dispute between the proposition-aficionados and their detractors. The course will be divided into five parts, covering: (1) de se thought; (2) propositions; (3) knowing how; (4) perceptual content; (5) the knowledge argument.

24.221 Metaphysics, Spring 2015

2015-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.221 Metaphysics, Spring 2015 Khoo, Justin This course is a study of basic metaphysical issues concerning existence, the mind-body problem, personal identity, and causation plus its implications for freedom. This class features classical as well as contemporary readings and it provides practice in written and oral communication.

24.201 Topics in the History of Philosophy: Justice & Political Economy, Spring 2016

2016-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.201 Topics in the History of Philosophy: Justice & Political Economy, Spring 2016 Haslanger, Sally; McKinney, Rachel This course will provide a selective historical survey of some philosophical approaches to questions of political economy and justice. Political economy is the integrated study of the relationships of government, political processes, property, production, markets, trade, and distribution from the standpoint of assessing these arrangements with respect to human welfare and justice.

21G.504 Japanese IV, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.504 Japanese IV, Spring 2009 Shingu, Ikue; Nagaya, Yoshimi; Nagatomi, Ayumi This course covers Japanese: The Spoken Language lessons 17 through 22. It will further develop the four basic skills, speaking, listening, reading and writing, that students have acquired through Japanese I, II and III courses, with emphasis on oral communication skills in various practical situations. Students will learn approximately 100 Kanji characters in this course. Sessions in English cover grammar explanation, socio-cultural information and other important issues for using the language, while Japanese lessons focus on the actual use of the language, integrating students' prior knowledge with newly learned patterns, and communicating within the frame given in the class.

21W.765J / 21L.489J / CMS.845J Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.022 Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.022 Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism, Fall 2002 Katsavounidis, Erik; Fisher, Peter Parallel to 8.02: Physics II, but more advanced mathematically. Some knowledge of vector calculus assumed. Maxwell's equations, in both differential and integral form. Electrostatic and magnetic vector potential. Properties of dielectrics and magnetic materials. In addition to the theoretical subject matter, several experiments in electricity and magnetism are performed by the students in the laboratory.

RES.12-001 Topics in Fluid Dynamics, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

RES.12-001 Topics in Fluid Dynamics, Spring 2010 Price, James F. This collection of three essays was developed from the author's experience teaching the course Fluid Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean, offered to graduate students entering the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography. The essays are: 1. Dimensional Analysis of Models and Data Sets: Similarity Solutions and Scaling Analysis,2. A Coriolis Tutorial, and3. Lagrangian and Eulerian Representations of Fluid Flow: Kinematics and the Equations of Motion The goal of this resource is to help each student master the concepts and mathematical tools that make up the foundation of classical and geophysical fluid dynamics. These essays treat these topics in considerably greater depth than a comprehensive fluids textbook can afford, and they are accompanied by data files (MATLAB® and Fortan) that allows some application and experimentation. They should be suitable for self study.

18.785 Number Theory I, Fall 2019

2019-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.785 Number Theory I, Fall 2019 Sutherland, Andrew This is the first semester of a one-year graduate course in number theory covering standard topics in algebraic and analytic number theory. At various points in the course, we will make reference to material from other branches of mathematics, including topology, complex analysis, representation theory, and algebraic geometry.

6.00SC Introduction to Computer Science and Programming, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.00SC Introduction to Computer Science and Programming, Spring 2011 Guttag, John This subject is aimed at students with little or no programming experience. It aims to provide students with an understanding of the role computation can play in solving problems. It also aims to help students, regardless of their major, to feel justifiably confident of their ability to write small programs that allow them to accomplish useful goals. The class will use the Python programming language.

6.00 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.00 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming, Fall 2008 Grimson, Eric; Guttag, John This subject is aimed at students with little or no programming experience. It aims to provide students with an understanding of the role computation can play in solving problems. It also aims to help students, regardless of their major, to feel justifiably confident of their ability to write small programs that allow them to accomplish useful goals. The class will use the Python™ programming language.

2.60 / 2.62J / 10.392J / 22.40J / 10.390J Fundamentals of Advanced Energy Conversion, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.60 / 2.62J / 10.392J / 22.40J / 10.390J Fundamentals of Advanced Energy Conversion, Spring 2004 Tester, Jefferson W.; Kazimi, Mujid S.; Shao-Horn, Yang; Ghoniem, Ahmed F. This course covers fundamentals of thermodynamics, chemistry, flow and transport processes as applied to energy systems. Topics include analysis of energy conversion in thermomechanical, thermochemical, electrochemical, and photoelectric processes in existing and future power and transportation systems, with emphasis on efficiency, environmental impact and performance. Systems utilizing fossil fuels, hydrogen, nuclear and renewable resources, over a range of sizes and scales are discussed. Applications include fuel reforming, hydrogen and synthetic fuel production, fuel cells and batteries, combustion, hybrids, catalysis, supercritical and combined cycles, photovoltaics, etc. The course also deals with different forms of energy storage and transmission, and optimal source utilization and fuel-life cycle analysis.

8.022 / ES.8022 Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.022 / ES.8022 Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism, Fall 2006 Shaw, Michael This course runs parallel to 8.02, but assumes that students have some knowledge of vector calculus. The class introduces Maxwell's equations, in both differential and integral form, along with electrostatic and magnetic vector potential, and the properties of dielectrics and magnetic materials. This class was taught by an undergraduate in the Experimental Study Group (ESG). Student instructors are paired with ESG faculty members, who advise and oversee the students' teaching efforts.

CMS.998 / CMS.600 Videogame Theory and Analysis, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.998 / CMS.600 Videogame Theory and Analysis, Fall 2006 Robison, Alice This course is an introduction to the interdisciplinary study of commercial videogames as texts, examining their cultural, educational, and social functions in contemporary settings. Students play and analyze videogames while examining debates surrounding how games function within socially situated contexts. Readings include contemporary game theory (Gee, Squire, Steinkuehler, Jenkins, Klopfer, Zimmerman and Salen, Juul, Bartle, Taylor, Aarseth) and the completion of a contemporary commercial videogame chosen in consultation with the instructor.

24.921 Special Topics in Linguistics: Genericity, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.921 Special Topics in Linguistics: Genericity, Spring 2007 Menéndez-Benito, Paula This course will investigate the semantics of generic sentences, i.e., sentences that are used to talk about habits, tendencies, dispositions, or kinds. For instance: Dogs are good pets. The giant panda is an endangered species. A soccer player makes lots of money. Mary smokes after dinner. This machine crushes oranges. This is a half-semester course.

24.953 Argument Structure and Syntax, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.953 Argument Structure and Syntax, Spring 2003 Miyagawa, Shigeru; Marantz, Alec This course is a detailed investigation of the major issues and problems in the study of lexical argument structure and how it determines syntactic structure. Its empirical scope is along three dimensions: typology, lexical class, and theoretical framework. The range of linguistic types include English, Japanese, Navajo, and Warlpiri. Lexical classes include those of Levin's English Verb Classes and others producing emerging work on diverse languages. The theoretical emphasis of this course is on structural relations among elements of argument structure.

24.979 Topics in Semantics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.979 Topics in Semantics, Fall 2002 Kennedy, Christopher; Heim, Irene This seminar will investigate the expression of gradability, comparison and degree in natural language. The course will address the following major issues, though we may also include other topics according to the interests and direction of the class: The underlying semantic representation of expressions of degree and the linguistic significance of scalar representations The logical form of comparative constructions, and the implications of comparatives for other aspects of the grammar The semantics of degree and the role of scalar representations in grammatical categories other than gradable adjectives

18.783 Elliptic Curves, Spring 2019

2019-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.783 Elliptic Curves, Spring 2019 Sutherland, Andrew This graduate-level course is a computationally focused introduction to elliptic curves, with applications to number theory and cryptography.

21M.065 Introduction to Musical Composition, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21M.065 Introduction to Musical Composition, Fall 2005 Robison, Brian Through a progressive series of composition projects, this course investigates the sonic organization of musical works and performances, focusing on fundamental questions of unity and variety. Aesthetic issues are considered in the pragmatic context of the instructions that composers provide to achieve a desired musical result, whether these instructions are notated in prose, as graphic images, or in symbolic notation. No formal training is required. Weekly listening, reading, and composition assignments draw on a broad range of musical styles and intellectual traditions, from various cultures and historical periods.

CMS.603 / CMS.995 American Soap Operas, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.603 / CMS.995 American Soap Operas, Spring 2008 Ford, Sam The television landscape has changed drastically in the past few years; nowhere is this more prevalent than in the American daytime serial drama, one of the oldest forms of television content. This class examines the history of these "soap operas" and their audiences by focusing on the production, consumption, and media texts of soaps. The class will include discussions of what makes soap operas a unique form, the history of the genre, current experimentation with transmedia storytelling, the online fan community, and comparisons between daytime dramas and primetime serials from 24 to Friday Night Lights, through a study of Procter & Gamble's As the World Turns.

24.502 Topics in Metaphysics and Ethics, Fall 2014

2014-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.502 Topics in Metaphysics and Ethics, Fall 2014 Khoo, Justin; Spencer, Jack This is a class about 'ought' and ought—you can think of it as a class in philosophy of language and metaphysics in which the focus is the ethical sphere. Some of the questions that we will broach include: How should we give a semantics for 'ought' generally? Is there anything special about the ethical 'ought'? Is there anything that you ethically ought to do, e.g., give to charity or refrain from stealing?

24.500 Other Minds, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.500 Other Minds, Spring 2003 Byrne, Alex This is a seminar on issues connected with the traditional "problem of other minds". In addition to reading some of the classic papers on other minds, we will look at recent work on related topics. There will be no lectures. Each week I will spend half an hour or so introducing the assigned reading, and the rest of the time will be devoted to discussion.

24.729 Topics in Philosophy of Language: Vagueness, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.729 Topics in Philosophy of Language: Vagueness, Fall 2005 Rayo, Agustin The objective of the graduate-level course is to give people a sense of what "accounting for vagueness" is all about, why it's hard, and why it's important. This will involve surveying some prominent accounts of vagueness.

24.729 Topics in Philosophy of Language: Modeling Representation, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.729 Topics in Philosophy of Language: Modeling Representation, Spring 2009 Rayo, Agustin The seminar will be devoted to understanding what we're up to when we ascribe contents to a person's assertions and mental attitudes. We seek to make clear the rules of the game for the philosophy of language. We'll survey classic discussions of the issue by Field, Lewis and Stalnaker. But much of the emphasis of the class will be on getting clear about the limitations of our theoretical tools. I'd like to focus on places where our theorizing runs into trouble, or breaks down altogether.

24.810 Topics in Philosophy of Science: Social Science, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.810 Topics in Philosophy of Science: Social Science, Fall 2006 Haslanger, Sally This course offers an advanced survey of current debates about the ontology, methodology, and aims of the social sciences.

24.805 Topics in Theory of Knowledge: A Priori Knowledge, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.805 Topics in Theory of Knowledge: A Priori Knowledge, Spring 2005 Haslanger, Sally The seminar will explore the phenomenon of a priori knowledge. We'll consider some notable attempts to account for a priori knowledge in the history of philosophy (e.g., by Plato, Descartes, Hume, and Kant), some influential critiques of the notion; we will end by considering some contemporary approaches to the a priori.

21A.337J / CMS.917J Documenting Culture, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.337J / CMS.917J Documenting Culture, Spring 2004 Walley, Christine How — and why — do people seek to capture everyday life on film? What can we learn from such films? This course challenges distinctions commonly made between documentary and ethnographic films to consider how human cultural life is portrayed in both. It considers the interests, which motivate such filmmakers ranging from curiosity about "exotic" people to a concern with capturing "real life" to a desire for advocacy. Students will view documentaries about people both in the U.S. and abroad and will consider such issues as the relationship between film images and "reality," the tensions between art and observation, and the ethical relationship between filmmakers and those they film.

24.892 Classification, Natural Kinds, and Conceptual Change: Race as a Case Study, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.892 Classification, Natural Kinds, and Conceptual Change: Race as a Case Study, Spring 2004 Maglo, Koffi; Haslanger, Sally This course will consider the claim that there is no such thing as race, with a particular emphasis on the question whether races should be thought of as natural kinds: is our concept of race a natural kind concept? Is the term 'race' a natural kind term? If so, is Appiah right to conclude that there are no races? How should one go about "analyzing" the concept of race?

24.260 Topics in Philosophy: David Lewis, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.260 Topics in Philosophy: David Lewis, Spring 2008 Rayo, Agustin The class will be devoted to the work of David Lewis, one of the most exciting and influential philosophers of the late twentieth century. We will have seminar-style discussions about his work on counterfactuals, time, causation, probability, and decision-theory.

7.343 Photosynthesis: Life from Light, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 Photosynthesis: Life from Light, Fall 2006 Weigele, Peter; Wang, Yongting In this course, you will journey through the web of physical, chemical, and biological reactions that collectively constitute photosynthesis. We will begin with light harvesting and follow photons to the sites of primary photochemistry: the photoreaction centers. A molecular-scale view will show in atomic detail how these protein complexes capture and energize electrons. Then we will follow the multiple pathways electrons take as they carry out their work. Consequent reactions, such as the synthesis of ATP and the reduction of CO2 during the synthesis of carbohydrates, will also be discussed in structural detail. Lastly, we will delve into the evolution of these systems and also discuss other photosynthetic strategies, such as light-driven proton pumps and anoxygenic photosynthesis. The course will include a visit to an electron microscope to allow students to directly observe proteins involved in photosynthesis. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.343 Protein Folding, Misfolding and Human Disease, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 Protein Folding, Misfolding and Human Disease, Fall 2004 Kosinski-Collins, Melissa This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. The instructor for this course, Dr. Kosinski-Collins, is a member of the HHMI Education Group. Maintenance of the complex three-dimensional structure adopted by a protein in the cell is vital for function. Oftentimes, as a consequence of environmental stress, genetic mutation, and/or infection, the folded structure of a protein gets altered and multiple proteins stick and fall out of solution in a process known as aggregation. In many protein aggregation diseases, incorrectly folded proteins self-associate, forming fiber-like aggregates that cause brain cell death and dementia. In this course, the molecular and biochemical basis of the prion diseases, which include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease), Creutzfedt-Jakob disease and kuru will be examined. Also discussed are other classes of misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. The proteins involved in all of these disorders and how the proteins' three dimensional structures change during the course of these afflictions is covered as well as why prions from certain species cannot infect animals from other species based on protein sequence and structure. The course will then address possible detection methods and therapies that are under development to treat some of the protein aggregation diseases.

7.346 Synaptic Plasticity and Memory, from Molecules to Behavior, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.346 Synaptic Plasticity and Memory, from Molecules to Behavior, Fall 2007 Kamsler, Ariel In this course we will discover how innovative technologies combined with profound hypotheses have given rise to our current understanding of neuroscience. We will study both new and classical primary research papers with a focus on the plasticity between synapses in a brain structure called the hippocampus, which is believed to underlie the ability to create and retrieve certain classes of memories. We will discuss the basic electrical properties of neurons and how they fire. We will see how firing properties can change with experience, and we will study the biochemical basis of these changes. We will learn how molecular biology can be used to specifically change the biochemical properties of brain circuits, and we will see how these circuits form a representation of space giving rise to complex behaviors in living animals. A special emphasis will be given to understanding why specific experiments were done and how to design experiments that will answer the questions you have about the brain. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

17.910 Reading Seminar in Social Science: International Political Economy, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.910 Reading Seminar in Social Science: International Political Economy, Fall 2006 Singer, David Andrew This course examines the politics of international economic relations. We begin with a discussion of the analytical "lenses" through which we can view the global economy. We then examine the politics of trade policy, multinational corporations, and international monetary and financial relations. We will also examine third-world development, communist transition, and the debate over "globalization." Finally we will explore the fight against terrorist financing and money laundering, the proper role of international financial institutions (including the IMF), and the impact of the global economy on the ability of governments to make policy within their own borders.

7.343 The Radical Consequences of Respiration: Reactive Oxygen Species in Aging and Disease, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 The Radical Consequences of Respiration: Reactive Oxygen Species in Aging and Disease, Fall 2007 Rai, Priyamvada This course will start with a survey of basic oxygen radical biochemistry followed by a discussion of the mechanisms of action of cellular as well as dietary antioxidants. After considering the normal physiological roles of oxidants, we will examine the effects of elevated ROS and a failure of cellular redox capacity on the rate of organismal and cellular aging as well as on the onset and progression of several major diseases that are often age-related. Topics will include ROS-induced effects on stem cell regeneration, insulin resistance, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. The role of antioxidants in potential therapeutic strategies for modulating ROS levels will also be discussed. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

17.906 / 17.951 Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.906 / 17.951 Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy, Spring 2007 Leverett, Flynt; Staniland, Paul This course focuses on strategic and political implications of ongoing trends in global energy markets, particularly markets for crude oil and natural gas. The course examines the world's major oil and natural gas producing regions: the Middle East, the Caspian Region, Russia, Venezuela, and the North Sea. Producer-consumer relationships are considered for China, India, Japan, and the United States. United States foreign policy implications, especially with respect to China, are discussed.

17.922 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. IAP Design Seminar, January IAP 2013

2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

17.922 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. IAP Design Seminar, January IAP 2013 Weiner, Tobie This seminar facilitates the design and construction of installations and other community projects in conjunction with and beyond MIT's celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During the first half of the class, MIT and Wellesley students develop in-depth understanding of the history of US racial issues as well as past and present domestic and international political struggles. In the second half, the students work as a group to complete the installations and projects which serve as models for connecting academics with real life problems and struggle.This seminar is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

17.042 Citizenship and Pluralism, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.042 Citizenship and Pluralism, Fall 2003 Song, Sarah This course will serve as both an introduction to contemporary political philosophy and a way to explore issues of pluralism and multiculturalism. Racial and ethnic groups, national minorities, aboriginals, women, sexual minorities, and other groups have organized to highlight injustice and demand recognition and accommodation on the basis of their differences. In practice, democratic states have granted a variety of group-differentiated rights, such as exemptions from generally applicable laws, special representation rights, language rights, or limited self-government rights, to different types of groups. This course will examine how different theories of citizenship address the challenges raised by different forms of pluralism. We will focus in particular on the following questions: Does justice require granting group-differentiated rights? Do group-differentiated rights conflict with liberal and democratic commitments to equality and justice for all citizens? What, if anything, can hold a multi-religious, multicultural society together? Why should the citizens of such a society want to hold together?

17.460 Defense Politics, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.460 Defense Politics, Spring 2006 Sapolsky, Harvey This course focuses on the institutional relationships that affect the raising, maintenance and use of military forces in the United States. It is about civil/military, government/industry, military/science and military service/military service relations. The course examines how politicians, defense contractors, and military officers determine the military might of the United States. It analyzes the military strategies of the nation and the bureaucratic strategies of the armed services, contractors, and defense scientists. It offers a combination of military sociology, organizational politics, and the political economy of defense.

17.245 Constitutional Law: Structures of Power and Individual Rights, Spring 2013

2013-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.245 Constitutional Law: Structures of Power and Individual Rights, Spring 2013 Warshaw, Christopher This course examines American constitutional law in historical and modern context. It focuses closely on the constitutional text and Supreme Court case law. It explores the allocation of decision-making authority among government institutions, including the distribution of power across the branches of the federal government and between the federal and state governments. The course also examines the guarantees of individual rights and liberties stemming from the due process, equal protection, and other clauses in the Bill of Rights and post Civil War amendments.AcknowledgmentsProfessor Warshaw would like to acknowledge the training in Constitutional Law he received from Gary J. Jacobsohn, Kathleen Sullivan, and Norman Spaulding.

7.06 Cell Biology, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.06 Cell Biology, Spring 2007 Ploegh, Hidde; Orr-Weaver, Terry This course deals with the biology of cells of higher organisms: The structure, function, and biosynthesis of cellular membranes and organelles; cell growth and oncogenic transformation; transport, receptors, and cell signaling; the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, and cell movements; chromatin structure and RNA synthesis.

7.340 Under the Radar Screen: How Bugs Trick Our Immune Defenses, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.340 Under the Radar Screen: How Bugs Trick Our Immune Defenses, Spring 2007 Grotenbreg, Gijsbert; Paquet, Marie-Eve In this course, we will explore the specific ways by which microbes defeat our immune system and the molecular mechanisms that are under attack (phagocytosis, the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway, MHC I/II antigen presentation). Through our discussion and dissection of the primary research literature, we will explore aspects of host-pathogen interactions. We will particularly emphasize the experimental techniques used in the field and how to read and understand research data. Technological advances in the fight against microbes will also be discussed, with specific examples. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.340 Unusual Biology: The Science of Emerging Pathogens, Spring 2013

2013-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.340 Unusual Biology: The Science of Emerging Pathogens, Spring 2013 Camejo, Ana; Gold, Daniel Infectious diseases represent a serious global public health problem. They have the potential to kill millions of people, whether they emerge naturally as outbreaks or pandemics, or deliberately through bioterrorism. Some examples of diseases caused by emerging pathogens are the Bubonic Plague, Toxoplasmosis, African Sleeping Sickness, and Chagas Disease. Each day, infectious disease scientists serve on the front lines protecting us from such threats. In this course students will learn how to design and critique experiments through the discussion of primary research articles that explore the molecular basis of disease caused by emerging pathogens. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.340 Learning and Memory: Activity-Controlled Gene Expression in the Nervous System, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.340 Learning and Memory: Activity-Controlled Gene Expression in the Nervous System, Fall 2009 Loebrich, Sven The mammalian brain easily outperforms any computer. It adapts and changes constantly. Most importantly, the brain enables us to continuously learn and remember. What are the molecular mechanisms that lead to learning and memory? What are the cellular roles that activity-regulated gene products play to implement changes in the brain?How do nerve cells, their connections (synapses), and brain circuits change over time to store information? We will discuss the molecular mechanisms of neuronal plasticity at the synaptic, cellular and circuit levels, especiallysynapse formation,synaptic growth and stabilization,synaptic transmission,axonal and dendritic outgrowth, andcircuit formationWe will learn about the roles of some activity-regulated genes as well as the tools and techniques employed in modern neuroscience. Our goal will be to understand molecular mechanisms the brain employs to accomplish learning and memory.This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.340 Avoiding Genomic Instability: DNA Replication, the Cell Cycle, and Cancer, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.340 Avoiding Genomic Instability: DNA Replication, the Cell Cycle, and Cancer, Fall 2006 Randell, John; Tanny, Robyn In this class we will learn about how the process of DNA replication is regulated throughout the cell cycle and what happens when DNA replication goes awry. How does the cell know when and where to begin replicating its DNA? How does a cell prevent its DNA from being replicated more than once? How does damaged DNA cause the cell to arrest DNA replication until that damage has been repaired? And how is the duplication of the genome coordinated with other essential processes? We will examine both classical and current papers from the scientific literature to provide answers to these questions and to gain insights into how biologists have approached such problems. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.340 Immune Evasion: How Sneaky Pathogens Avoid Host Surveillance, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.340 Immune Evasion: How Sneaky Pathogens Avoid Host Surveillance, Spring 2004 Halme, Dina Gould Every infection consists of a battle between the invading pathogen and the resisting host. To be successful, a pathogen must escape the many defenses of the host immune system until it can replicate and spread to another host. A pathogen must prevent one of three stages of immune function: detection, activation, or effector function. Examples of disease-specific immune evasion and the mechanisms used by pathogens to prevail over their hosts' immune systems are discussed. Also considered is what these host-pathogen interactions reveal about the normal function of the immune system and basic cell biological processes, such as protein maturation and degradation.

7.341 Of Mice and Men: Humanized Mice in Cancer Research, Spring 2015

2015-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 Of Mice and Men: Humanized Mice in Cancer Research, Spring 2015 Kaur, Mandeep This course will act as an introduction to the latest developments in the fields of cancer biology and immunotherapy. Almost everyone knows someone whose life has been affected by cancer. Why is cancer such a difficult disease to treat? What is the best system to model the development of a human tumor? How can new treatment modalities, especially immune-based therapies that harness the natural ability of immune cells to kill target cells, be developed to treat cancer? These and other questions will be addressed in this course. We will explore the concepts of mouse models for human cancer, humanized cancer mice and cancer immunotherapy by reading recent and classic research articles. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 Host Hacking: Parasitic Manipulations from a Micro- to a Macroscopic Scale, Fall 2016

2016-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 Host Hacking: Parasitic Manipulations from a Micro- to a Macroscopic Scale, Fall 2016 Harding, Clare; Huet, Diego Parasites require a hospitable organism to reproduce and spread and have evolved multiple strategies to subvert their hosts. Parasites scavenge nutrients directly from host cells, evade the host immune system and even modify host behavior to increase their transmission. This course will explore the strategies used by a ubiquitous and harmful class of parasites to hijack the biology of their host cells. We will discuss pathogens such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma, responsible for some of the deadliest and most pervasive infectious diseases on the planet.By exploring how these pathogens invade a host cell and replicate while evading the immune system, students will gain a broad understanding of basic cell biology, biochemistry and immunology, as well as learn techniques commonly used in cell biology. Students will be challenged to think creatively and flexibly to understand, critique, interpret, and design scientific experiments in the field of host-pathogen interactions.

7.341 Bench to Bedside: Molecularly Targeted Therapies in Blood Disorders and Malignancy, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 Bench to Bedside: Molecularly Targeted Therapies in Blood Disorders and Malignancy, Fall 2009 Flygare, Johan; Wong, Bill Where do new drugs and treatments come from? This class will take you from the test tubes and mice of the laboratory to the treatment of patients with deadly blood disorders. Students will learn how to think as a scientist through discussion of primary research papers describing the discoveries of several novel treatments. Topics such as gene therapy, the potential of drugs based on RNA interference and the reprogramming of somatic cells into stem cells for regenerative medicine will be discussed. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 The DNA Damage Response as a Target for Anti-Cancer Therapy, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 The DNA Damage Response as a Target for Anti-Cancer Therapy, Fall 2008 Reinhardt, Hans Christian Cellular responses to DNA damage constitute one of the most important fields in cancer biology. In this class we will analyze classical and recent papers from the primary research literature to gain a profound understand of cell cycle regulation and DNA damage checkpoints that act as powerful emergency brakes to prevent cancer. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 Brightening up Life: Harnessing the Power of Fluorescence Imaging to Observe Biology in Action, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 Brightening up Life: Harnessing the Power of Fluorescence Imaging to Observe Biology in Action, Fall 2006 Howarth, Mark; Leung, Anthony One summer in the 1960s a young Japanese researcher, with the help of a few high school students, chopped up ten thousand jellyfish. As a by-product of this harvest, they isolated a green fluorescent protein (GFP). Since then, GFP has triggered a revolution in our understanding of gene expression and signaling in live cells. In this seminar, we will examine how this small protein generates fluorescence, i.e. absorbs light of one wavelength and emits light of a longer wavelength. We will discuss how the color palette has been extended from green to blue, red and many other colors, based on protein engineering of GFP and the study of vividly colorful coral reefs. We will then investigate how these fluorescent proteins can be used to track the motion of DNA, RNA and protein in living cells, as well as to see waves of signaling molecules propagate across a cell. GFP is also a powerful tool for fluorescent imaging of whole organisms, from worms to mice, and we will see how it has been used in tracking the spread of cancer cells, controlling malaria and in understanding how neuronal connections form. In this seminar, we will explore this wonderful protein as well as other important methods and reagents for fluorescent imaging. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 The RNA Revolution: At the Frontiers of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Fall 2016

2016-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 The RNA Revolution: At the Frontiers of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Fall 2016 Garg, Salil; Ward, Amanda In this course, we will investigate the diverse types and functions of different RNA species, with a focus on "non-coding RNAs," i.e. those that do not directly encode proteins. The course will convey both the exciting discoveries in and frontiers of RNA research that are propelling our understanding of cell biology as well as the intellectual and experimental approaches responsible.The molecular biology revolution firmly established the role of DNA as the primary carrier of genetic information and proteins as the primary effector molecules of the cell. The intermediate between DNA and proteins is RNA, which initially was regarded as the "molecule in the middle" of the central dogma. This view has been transformed over the past two decades, as RNA has become recognized as a critical regulator of cellular processes.

7.342 Pluripotent Stem Cells and Genome Engineering for Modeling Human Diseases, Spring 2015

2015-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Pluripotent Stem Cells and Genome Engineering for Modeling Human Diseases, Spring 2015 Cohen, Malkiel; Wert, Katherine One of the major priorities in biomedical research is understanding the molecular events that establish the complex processes involved in human development and the relationships of these processes to human disease and disease progression. In this class, we will explore stem cell biology and the way in which it has developed and shaped our ability to study complex human disease. We will introduce the field of stem cell biology and genome engineering through critical reading of both the classical and newest primary research literature. In addition, this course will discuss specific disease model systems and their benefits / limitations for understanding the disease and treating human patients. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Sweet Discoveries: Unraveling the Complex World of Sugars in Health and Disease, Fall 2014

2014-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Sweet Discoveries: Unraveling the Complex World of Sugars in Health and Disease, Fall 2014 Silverman, Julie M; Walvoort, Maria Glycans, which are complex assemblies of sugars, are the most prevalent class of macromolecules, surpassing nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Glycans are essential for life, as they are a required energy source, provide protection against cellular stresses and shape cellular structure. During this course, we will explore the many roles glycans play in human health and disease. For example, we will learn about the healthy glycosylation patterns of many mammalian proteins and the dynamic changes that glycan structures undergo during early development and cancer metastasis, the influence of dietary carbohydrates on glycan metabolism, and the role of densely glycosylated proteins involved in HIV infectivity. Concurrently, we will learn about the chemical and biological techniques used to detect and visualize glycans by in vitro and whole-animal metabolic labeling approaches, how to profile protein-glycan interactions using high-throughput glycan arrays, and about the development of new carbohydrate-based therapeutics and vaccines to target HIV, influenza and bacterial pathogens. The course will focus on the primary research literature, and we will learn practical laboratory techniques, experimental design and how to interpret data and critique the conclusions offered by authors.This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Personal Genomics and Medicine: What's in Your Genome?, Spring 2014

2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Personal Genomics and Medicine: What's in Your Genome?, Spring 2014 Herskovits, A. Zara Human genome sequencing has revolutionized our understanding of disease susceptibility, drug metabolism and human ancestry. This course will explore how these advances have been made possible by revolutionary new sequencing methodologies that have decreased costs and increased throughput of genome analysis, making it possible to examine genetic correlates for a variety of biological processes and disorders. The course will combine discussions of primary scientific research papers with hands-on data analysis and small group presentations. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Cell-material Crosstalk: Engineering Cell-Instructive Biomaterials, Fall 2013

2013-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Cell-material Crosstalk: Engineering Cell-Instructive Biomaterials, Fall 2013 Lavin, Danya; Webber, Matthew Biomaterials are substances that have been designed to direct the course of any therapeutic or diagnostic procedure by controlling interactions with biological systems. A large toolbox of non-biological materials has been engineered to study cell behavior at the cell-material interface. In this course, we will examine how this interface can be leveraged to study cellular systems and generate novel therapeutics. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 To Divide or Not To Divide: Control of Cell Cycle and Growth by Extracellular Cues, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 To Divide or Not To Divide: Control of Cell Cycle and Growth by Extracellular Cues, Fall 2012 Werven, Folkert van; Goranov, Alexi Cells, regardless of whether they are in an organ in the human body or a component of a bacterial colony, can sense the chemical composition of the environment, the presence of neighboring cells, and even the types of their neighboring cells. Depending on the identity of a cell and the information it receives from its environment, it can grow (increase in size), proliferate (make more cells), become quiescent (stop growing and dividing), differentiate (make different types of cells), or die. How cells achieve the astonishing feat of appropriately sensing and responding to their environment has been a major question in biology. In this course we will read and critically discuss the primary scientific literature with the goal of highlighting the basic principles of cell growth, adaptation, and differentiation. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 The Biology of Aging: Age-Related Diseases and Interventions, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 The Biology of Aging: Age-Related Diseases and Interventions, Fall 2011 Lamming, Dudley W.; Bell, Eric L. Aging involves an intrinsic and progressive decline in function that eventually will affect us all. While everyone is familiar with aging, many basic questions about aging are mysterious. Why are older people more likely to experience diseases like cancer, stroke, and neurodegenerative disorders? What changes happen at the molecular and cellular levels to cause the changes that we associate with old age? Is aging itself a disease, and can we successfully intervene in the aging process?This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Powerhouse Rules: The Role of Mitochondria in Human Diseases, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Powerhouse Rules: The Role of Mitochondria in Human Diseases, Spring 2011 Ferullo, Daniel The primary role of mitochondria is to produce 90% of a cell's energy in the form of ATP through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. A variety of clinical disorders have been shown to include "mitochondrial dysfunction," which loosely refers to defective oxidative phosphorylation and usually coincides with the occurrence of excess Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production, placing cells under oxidative stress. A known cause and effect of oxidative stress is damage to and mutation of mitochondrial DNA. We will use this class to explore issues relating to mitochondrial DNA integrity and how it can be damaged, repaired, mutated, and compromised in human diseases. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Systems and Synthetic Biology: How the Cell Solves Problems, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Systems and Synthetic Biology: How the Cell Solves Problems, Fall 2010 Youk, Hyun A millennial challenge in biology is to decipher how vast arrays of molecular interactions inside the cell work in concert to produce a cellular function. Systems biology, a new interdisciplinary field of science, brings together biologists and physicists to tackle this grand challenge through quantitative experiments and models. In this course, we will discuss the unifying principles that all organisms use to perform cellular functions. We will also discuss key challenges faced by a cell in both single and multi-cellular organisms. Finally, we will discuss how researchers in the field of synthetic biology are using the new knowledge gained from studying naturally-occurring biological systems to create artificial gene networks capable of performing new functions. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Systems Biology: Stochastic Processes and Biological Robustness, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Systems Biology: Stochastic Processes and Biological Robustness, Fall 2008 Gore, Jeff; Raj, Arjun In this seminar, we will discuss some of the main themes that have arisen in the field of systems biology, including the concepts of robustness, stochastic cell-to-cell variability, and the evolution of molecular interactions within complex networks. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 The X in Sex: A Genetic, Medical, and Evolutionary View of the X Chromosome, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 The X in Sex: A Genetic, Medical, and Evolutionary View of the X Chromosome, Fall 2009 Mueller, Jacob This course will explore a diverse collection of striking biological phenomena associated with the X chromosome. We will examine the genetic basis and significance of several X-linked mutations. We will also discuss why men are more likely than women to display X-linked traits. We will look at the different mechanisms by which X chromosome gene expression is equalized in mammals, flies, and worms and how these mechanisms can yield unusual phenotypes. Throughout our discussions of the X chromosome we will use both recent and classic primary research papers to learn about this chromosome's fascinating biology. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Developmental and Molecular Biology of Regeneration, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Developmental and Molecular Biology of Regeneration, Spring 2008 Petersen, Christian How does a regenerating animal "know" what's missing? How are stem cells or differentiated cells used to create new tissues during regeneration? In this class we will take a comparative approach to explore this fascinating problem by critically examining classic and modern scientific literature about the developmental and molecular biology of regeneration. We will learn about conserved developmental pathways that are necessary for regeneration, and we will discuss the relevance of these findings for regenerative medicine. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Chronic Infection and Inflammation: What are the Consequences on Your Health?, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Chronic Infection and Inflammation: What are the Consequences on Your Health?, Fall 2007 Frickel, Eva; Gredmark, Sara In this course we will explore the new emerging field of pathogen-induced chronic diseases. Work in this field has redefined the causes of some major disorders, such as ulcers. By reading the primary research literature we will learn about the molecular mechanisms through which pathogens cause disease. The diseases that we cover will be introduced with a short patient case study. We will discuss the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and gastric disease, HPV and cervical cancer, hepatitis C virus and liver disease, Epstein-Barr virus and lymphoma, Cytomegalovirus and atherosclerosis, as well as diabetes and multiple sclerosis. We will study technical advances in the fight against microbes and explore future directions for new treatment strategies of chronic infections and inflammation. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 G-Protein Coupled Receptors: Vision and Disease, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 G-Protein Coupled Receptors: Vision and Disease, Spring 2007 Kota, Parvathi How do we communicate with the outside world? How are our senses of vision, smell, taste and pain controlled at the cellular and molecular levels? What causes medical conditions like allergies, hypertension, depression, obesity and various central nervous system disorders? G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) provide a major part of the answer to all of these questions. GPCRs constitute the largest family of cell-surface receptors and in humans are encoded by more than 1,000 genes. GPCRs convert extracellular messages into intracellular responses and are involved in essentially all physiological processes. GPCR dysfunction results in numerous human disorders, and over 50% of all prescription drugs on the market today directly or indirectly target GPCRs. In this course, we will discuss GPCR signal transduction pathways, GPCR oligomerization and the diseases caused by GPCR dysfunction. We will study the structure and function of rhodopsin, a dim-light photoreceptor and a well-studied GPCR that converts light into electric impulses sent to the brain and leads to vision. We will also discuss how mutations in rhodopsin cause retinal degeneration and congenital night blindness. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Reading the Blueprint of Life: Transcription, Stem Cells and Differentiation, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Reading the Blueprint of Life: Transcription, Stem Cells and Differentiation, Fall 2006 Guenther, Matthew; Kumar, Roshan In this course, we will address how transcriptional regulators both prohibit and drive differentiation during the course of development. How does a stem cell know when to remain a stem cell and when to become a specific cell type? Are there global differences in the way the genome is read in multipotent and terminally differentiated cells? We will explore how stem cell pluripotency is preserved, how master regulators of cell-fate decisions execute developmental programs, and how chromatin regulators control undifferentiated versus differentiated states. Additionally, we will discuss how aberrant regulation of transcriptional regulators produces disorders such as developmental defects and cancer.This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.342 Cancer Biology: From Basic Research to the Clinic, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.342 Cancer Biology: From Basic Research to the Clinic, Fall 2004 Kim, Carla; Haigis, Kevin This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. In 1971, President Nixon declared the "War on Cancer," but after three decades the war is still raging. How much progress have we made toward winning the war and what are we doing to improve the fight? Understanding the molecular and cellular events involved in tumor formation, progression, and metastasis is crucial to the development of innovative therapy for cancer patients. Insights into these processes have been gleaned through basic research using biochemical, molecular, and genetic analysis in yeast, C. elegans, mice, and cell culture models. We will explore the laboratory tools and techniques used to perform cancer research, major discoveries in cancer biology, and the medical implications of these breakthroughs. A focus of the class will be critical analysis of the primary literature to foster understanding of the strengths and limitations of various approaches to cancer research. Special attention will be made to the clinical implications of cancer research performed in model organisms and the prospects for ending the battle with this devastating disease.

7.343 Biological Bases of Learning and Memory, Spring 2014

2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 Biological Bases of Learning and Memory, Spring 2014 Makuch, Lauren A.; Subramanian, Jaichandar How does the brain come to learn whether a stimulus is annoying, rewarding or neutral? How does remembering how to ride a bicycle differ from remembering scenes from a movie? In this course, students will explore the concept that learning and memory have a physical basis that can be observed as biochemical, physiological and/or morphological changes to neural tissue. Our goal will be to understand the strategies and techniques biologists use to search for the memory trace: the "holy grail" of modern neuroscience. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.343 Sophisticated Survival Skills of Simple Microorganisms, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 Sophisticated Survival Skills of Simple Microorganisms, Spring 2008 Dolberry, Adrienne In this course, we will discuss the microbial physiology and genetics of stress responses in aquatic ecosystems, astrobiology, bacterial pathogenesis and other environments. We will learn about classical and novel methods utilized by researchers to uncover bacterial mechanisms induced under both general and environment-specific stresses. Finally, we will compare and contrast models for bacterial stress responses to gain an understanding of distinct mechanisms of survival and of why there are differences among bacterial genera. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting.

7.343 Network Medicine: Using Systems Biology and Signaling Networks to Create Novel Cancer Therapeutics, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 Network Medicine: Using Systems Biology and Signaling Networks to Create Novel Cancer Therapeutics, Fall 2012 Lee, Michael In this course, we will survey the primary systems biology literature, particularly as it pertains to understanding and treating various forms of cancer. We will consider various computational and experimental techniques being used in the field of systems biology, focusing on how systems principles have helped advance biological understanding. We will also discuss the application of the principles of systems biology and network biology to drug development, an emerging discipline called "network medicine." This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.343 An RNA Safari: Exploring the Surprising Diversity of Mammalian Transcriptomes, Spring 2016

2016-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 An RNA Safari: Exploring the Surprising Diversity of Mammalian Transcriptomes, Spring 2016 Pai, Athma; Taliaferro, Matthew The aim of this class is to introduce the exciting and often under appreciated discoveries in RNA biology by exploring the diversity of RNAs—encompassing classical molecules such as ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) as well as newer species, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). For each new class of RNA, we will evaluate the evidence for its existence as well as for its proposed function. Students will develop both a deep understanding of the field of RNA biology and the ability to critically assess new papers in this fast-paced field.This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.343 When Development Goes Awry: How Cancer Co-opts Mechanisms of Embryogensis, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 When Development Goes Awry: How Cancer Co-opts Mechanisms of Embryogensis, Fall 2009 Meylan, Etienne; Oliver, Trudy During this course, we will study the similarities between cancer and normal development to understand how tumors co-opt normal developmental processes to facilitate cancer initiation, maintenance and progression. We will examine critical signaling pathways that govern these processes and, importantly, how some of these pathways hold promise as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. We will discuss how future treatments might be personalized to target cancer cells in specific patients. We will also consider examples of newly-approved drugs that have dramatically helped patients combat this devastating disease. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.343 Neuron-glial Cell Interactions in Biology and Disease, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 Neuron-glial Cell Interactions in Biology and Disease, Spring 2007 Akten, Bikem The main goal of this seminar will be to study the nervous system from the perspective of neuron-glia interactions. In each class, we will focus on one type of glial cell and discuss its origin, classification and function within the nervous system. Current findings concerning diseases associated with each type of glial cell will be discussed. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.343 A Love-Hate Relationship: Cholesterol in Health and Disease, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.343 A Love-Hate Relationship: Cholesterol in Health and Disease, Fall 2005 Yesilaltay, Ayce In this class, we will examine cholesterol's role in the cell and in the body as a whole, from its function as a structural component of the membrane to its function in signaling. We will discuss mechanisms of cholesterol sensing, mechanisms of feedback regulation in cells, cholesterol in the brain, cholesterol in the circulation, 'good cholesterol' and 'bad cholesterol,' cholesterol-related human disorders, and the drugs that deal with some of these disorders. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.340 Regenerative Medicine: from Bench to Bedside, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.340 Regenerative Medicine: from Bench to Bedside, Spring 2010 Simic, Petra Regenerative medicine involves the repair and regeneration of tissues for therapeutic purposes, such as replacing bone marrow in leukemia, cartilage in osteoarthritis or cells of the heart after a heart attack. In this course, we will explore basic mechanisms of how cells differentiate into specific tissues in response to a variety of biologic signaling molecules. We will discuss the use of such factors for in vitro tissue production. We will also study the cellular mechanisms involved in the cloning of animals and how Scottish researchers produced the sheep Dolly using the nucleus of a mammary gland cell from an adult sheep. We will read papers describing organ production, such as the in vitro formation of beating heart cells. We will also consider the molecular bases of cellular tissue remodeling to correct these changes. We will discuss how studies of the developmental, cellular and molecular biology of regeneration have led to the discovery of new drugs. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 Designer Immunity: Lessons in Engineering the Immune System, Spring 2014

2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 Designer Immunity: Lessons in Engineering the Immune System, Spring 2014 Szeto, Gregory; Tokatlian, Talar The immune system is one of the most complex and powerful of human body systems. It is highly dynamic and flexible, yet strictly regulates homeostasis and protects our bodies from both foreign and self-derived challenges. As basic understanding of immune function is growing, researchers are rapidly designing clever and diverse strategies to manipulate immunology to improve human health. In this course, we will explore important advances rooted in engineering principles to harness the power of the immune system, focusing on how engineering has fueled or inspired research concerning (1) vaccines, (2) immunotherapies, and (3) systems immunology. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.341 Harnessing the Biosphere: Natural Products and Biotechnology, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 Harnessing the Biosphere: Natural Products and Biotechnology, Fall 2012 Brigham, Christopher J.; Plassmeier, Jens K. What do the organisms of the biosphere, specifically microorganisms, have to offer to biotechnological endeavors? In this course we will focus on the production of biomolecules using microbial systems. We will discuss potential growth substrates (such as agricultural waste and carbon dioxide) that can be used and learn about both established and cutting-edge manipulation techniques in the field of synthetic biology. We will also cover the production of biofuels, bioplastics, amino acids (e.g. lysine), food additives (e.g. monosodium glutamate, MSG), specialty chemicals (e.g. succinate), and biopharmaceuticals (e.g. plasmids for gene therapy). This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.344 Treating Infertility-- From Bench to Bedside and Bedside to Bench, Spring 2015

2015-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.344 Treating Infertility-- From Bench to Bedside and Bedside to Bench, Spring 2015 Hersch, Jana; Carmell, Michelle In the western world, approximately 10–15% of couples suffer from subfertility. Consequently, over 5 million babies have been born thanks to assisted reproductive technologies, and more than half of those have been born in the past six years alone. This class will cover the basic biology behind fertility and explore the etiology of infertility. We will highlight open questions in reproductive biology, familiarize students with both tried-and-true and emerging reproductive technologies, and explore the advantages and pitfalls of each. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.344 Tumor Suppressor Gene p53: How the Guardian of our Genome Prevents Cancer, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.344 Tumor Suppressor Gene p53: How the Guardian of our Genome Prevents Cancer, Fall 2010 Xue, Wen Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Cancer involves uncontrolled cell growth, resistance to cell death, failure to differentiate into a particular cell type, and increased cellular motility. A family of gate-keeper genes, known as tumor suppressor genes, plays important roles in preventing the initiation and progression of cancer. Among these, p53 is the most famous. Because of its essential role in maintaining genomic integrity, p53 is often called the guardian of the genome. During this course, we will study how p53 serves as a pivotal tumor suppressor gene in preventing cancer.This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.344 Directed Evolution: Engineering Biocatalysts, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.344 Directed Evolution: Engineering Biocatalysts, Spring 2008 Love, Kerry Directed evolution has been used to produce enzymes with many unique properties. The technique of directed evolution comprises two essential steps: mutagenesis of the gene encoding the enzyme to produce a library of variants, and selection of a particular variant based on its desirable catalytic properties. In this course we will examine what kinds of enzymes are worth evolving and the strategies used for library generation and enzyme selection. We will focus on those enzymes that are used in the synthesis of drugs and in biotechnological applications. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.344 The Fountain of Life: From Dolly to Customized Embryonic Stem Cells, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.344 The Fountain of Life: From Dolly to Customized Embryonic Stem Cells, Fall 2007 Meissner, Alexander During development, the genetic content of each cell remains, with a few exceptions, identical to that of the zygote. Most differentiated cells therefore retain all of the genetic information necessary to generate an entire organism. It was through pioneering technology of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) that this concept was experimentally proven. Only 10 years ago the sheep Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult organism, demonstrating that the differentiated state of a mammalian cell can be fully reversible to a pluripotent embryonic state. A key conclusion from these experiments was that the difference between pluripotent cells such as embryonic stem (ES) cells and unipotent differentiated cells is solely a consequence of reversible changes. These changes, which have proved to involve reversible alterations to both DNA and to proteins that bind DNA, are known as epigenetic, to distinguish them from genetic alterations to DNA sequence. In this course we will explore such epigenetic changes and study different approaches that can return a differentiated cell to an embryonic state in a process referred to as epigenetic reprogramming, which will ultimately allow generation of patient-specific stem cells and application to regenerative therapy. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.344 RNA Interference: A New Tool for Genetic Analysis and Therapeutics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.344 RNA Interference: A New Tool for Genetic Analysis and Therapeutics, Fall 2004 Kissler, Stephane; Ventura, Andrea This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. To understand and treat any disease with a genetic basis or predisposition, scientists and clinicians need effective ways of manipulating the levels of genes and gene products. Conventional methods for the genetic modification of many experimental organisms are technically demanding and time consuming. Just over 5 years ago, a new mechanism of gene-silencing, termed RNA interference (RNAi), was discovered. In addition to being a fascinating biological process, RNAi provides a revolutionary technology that has already changed the way biomedical research is done and that may even prove useful for genetic interventions in a clinical context. In this course, students learn how RNAi was discovered, how it works, and what its physiological relevance might be. How RNAi can be harnessed to modulate gene expression and perform genetic screens, both in cells and in various organisms is also covered. Finally, this course examines the first attempts to use RNAi for the treatment of models of human diseases in experimental animals.

7.345 The War on Superbugs: Antibiotic Development and the Emergence of Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Fall 2015

2015-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.345 The War on Superbugs: Antibiotic Development and the Emergence of Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Fall 2015 Silverman, Julie M; Musial-Siwek, Monika Bacteria and fungi have produced antibiotics, small molecules that can prevent the growth of or kill bacteria by inhibiting essential biological pathways, as a defense mechanism long before humans walked the earth. The discovery of antibiotics and their implementation in the clinic radically changed modern medicine, saving countless lives by treating infections that were once difficult to cure, such as syphilis, strep throat and tuberculosis. During this course, we will cover many aspects of antibiotics including techniques used to discover these inhibitors, their mode of action and use in medicine. For example, we will learn about the techniques used to discover antibiotics, such as penicillin and vancomycin. We will discuss antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance, including horizontal gene transfer, point mutations and efflux pumps. Additionally, we will learn about pioneering work to treat infections with engineered antimicrobial peptides and microbiome replacement therapies. The course will focus on the primary research literature, and we will learn practical laboratory techniques, experimental design and how to interpret data and critique the conclusions offered by authors. Students will have the opportunity to visit a local hospital to learn about the process of treatment with antibiotics and what is being done to avoid the continuous emergence of antibiotic resistance.This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.345 The Science of Sperm, Fall 2014

2014-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.345 The Science of Sperm, Fall 2014 Lesch, Bluma (Bibi); George, Renee Sperm are tiny, haploid cells with a supremely important job: They deliver the paternal genome to the egg, helping create a zygote that develops into a new individual. For a human male, however, only a small fraction of the sperm produced will ever fertilize an egg. Sperm thus experience intense selective pressure: They must compete against each other, navigate a foreign environment in the female reproductive tract, and interact specifically and appropriately with the surface of the egg. These selective pressures can drive extreme changes in morphology and gene function over short evolutionary time scales, resulting in amazing diversity among species. In this course, we will explore the ways in which these unique evolutionary forces contribute to incredible specializations of sperm form and function, including hook-shaped heads and multiple tails. Students will learn from the primary research literature with an emphasis on rigorously interpreting experimental data and critiquing analyses and conclusions. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.345 Non-coding RNAs: Junk or Critical Regulators in Health and Disease?, Spring 2012

2012-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.345 Non-coding RNAs: Junk or Critical Regulators in Health and Disease?, Spring 2012 Dimitrova, Nadya; Papagiannakopoulos, Thales Every time we scientists think that we have dissected the precise biological nature of a process, an incidental finding, a brilliantly designed experiment, or an unexpected result can turn our world upside down. Until recently thought by many to be cellular "junk" because they do not encode proteins, non-coding RNAs are gaining a growing recognition for their roles in the regulation of a wide scope of processes, ranging from embryogenesis and development to cancer and degenerative disorders. The aim of this class is to introduce the diversity of the RNA world, inhabited by microRNAs, lincRNAs, piRNAs, and many others. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.345 Survival in Extreme Conditions: The Bacterial Stress Response, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.345 Survival in Extreme Conditions: The Bacterial Stress Response, Fall 2010 Peterson, Celeste Bacteria survive in almost all environments on Earth, including some considered extremely harsh. From the steaming hot springs of Yellowstone to the frozen tundra of the arctic to the barren deserts of Chile, microbes have been found thriving. Their tenacity to survive in such extreme and varied conditions allows them to play fundamental roles in global nutrient cycling. Microbes also cause a wide range of human diseases and can survive inhospitable conditions found in the human body. In this course, we will examine the molecular systems that bacteria use to adapt to changes in their environment. We will consider stresses commonly encountered, such as starvation, oxidative stress and heat shock, and also discuss how the adaptive responses affect the evolution of the bacteria. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.345 Using Simple Organisms to Model Human Diseases, Spring 2013

2013-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.345 Using Simple Organisms to Model Human Diseases, Spring 2013 Harris, Katie How do scientists discover the basic biology underlying human diseases? Simple organisms such as baker’s yeast, nematodes, fruit flies, zebrafish, mice and rats have allowed biologists to investigate disease at multiple levels, from molecules to behavior. In this course students will learn strategies of disease modeling by critically reading and discussing primary research articles. We will explore current models of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, childhood genetic diseases such as Fragile X syndrome, as well as models of deafness and wound healing. Our goal will be to understand the strategies biologists use to build appropriate models of human disease and to appreciate both the power and limitations of using simple organisms to analyze human disease. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.345 Vascular Development in Life, Disease and Cancer Medicine, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.345 Vascular Development in Life, Disease and Cancer Medicine, Fall 2009 Naba, Alexandra; Turner, Christopher The growth of blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis, is one of the earliest events in mammalian development and is regulated by a sensitive interplay of growth factors and other molecules. In this course, we will discuss the key molecular regulators of blood vessel development as well as the techniques and experimental systems that have been utilized by vascular biologists. We will also examine the success of several anti-angiogenic treatments that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), that inhibit the pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF, and that are now being used to treat age-related macular degeneration. Finally, we will explore how during the course of cancer progression, establishment of a blood supply into a tumor can lead to the growth and spread of cancer cells to secondary sites. We will discuss the caveats and potential pitfalls of targeting tumor blood vessels to starve cancer cells and prevent the spread of cancer, which remains one of the leading causes of death in the USA. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.345 Evolution of the Immune System, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.345 Evolution of the Immune System, Spring 2005 Danilova, Nadia In this course, evolutionary pathways that have led to the development of innate and adaptive immunity are analyzed, the conserved and unique features of the immune response from bacteria to higher vertebrates is traced, and factors, such as adaptive changes in pathogens that have shaped the evolution of immune system are identified.This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting.

7.346 DNA Wars: How the Cell Strikes Back to Avoid Disease after Attacks on DNA, Fall 2013

2013-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.346 DNA Wars: How the Cell Strikes Back to Avoid Disease after Attacks on DNA, Fall 2013 Jordan, Jennifer; Nagel, Zachary A never-ending molecular war takes place in the nucleus of your cells, with DNA damage occurring at a rate of over 20,000 lesions per cell per day. Where does this damage come from, and what are its consequences? What are the differences in the molecular blueprint between individuals who can sustain attacks on DNA and remain healthy compared to those who become sick? This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.346 Fine-Tuning the Synapse: Synaptic Functions and Dysfunction, Fall 2014

2014-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.346 Fine-Tuning the Synapse: Synaptic Functions and Dysfunction, Fall 2014 Banerjee, Abhishek; Cho, Richard The synapse is the fundamental element by which neurons transmit, receive and transform information in the brain. Synapses are functionally diverse, and a single neuron in the brain receives up to 10,000 synapses. Given the enormous complexity of the nervous system, how does a neuron integrate, encode and retrieve information? How is information processed beyond a single cell within the context of a neuronal circuit? Fundamental synaptic mechanisms underlie expression of higher-order brain functions, such as learning and memory, and cognition. Conversely, the disruption of synaptic processes contributes to the development of neurological disorders. In this course, students will learn to critically analyze the primary research literature to explore how synapses are studied and to understand how synapses integrate information to perform higher-order behavior. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.346 RNAi: A Revolution in Biology and Therapeutics, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.346 RNAi: A Revolution in Biology and Therapeutics, Spring 2010 Gurtan, Allan; Goldberg, Michael Despite centuries of effort, modern medicine still struggles to find the source of disease and to provide specific treatment without side effects. Both traditional small molecules and protein-based therapeutics have achieved only limited success. What is the next therapeutic frontier? The answer may be RNA interference. In this course, we will focus on the therapeutic potential of RNAi. We will discuss its discovery functions in normal biological processes, utility as an experimental tool, potential for therapeutic use, and pursuit by the biotechnology industry. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.346 Cellular Garbage Disposal: Misfolded Proteins in Normal Biology and Human Disease, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.346 Cellular Garbage Disposal: Misfolded Proteins in Normal Biology and Human Disease, Fall 2011 Sanyal, Sumana The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) orchestrates different cellular processes by which proteins are synthesized, correctly folded, modified and ultimately transported to their final destinations. As part of this crucial biosynthetic process, proteins that are not properly folded and consequently detrimental to normal cellular function are constantly generated. A common signature of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, is accumulation and deposition of misfolded proteins that arise when the ability of cells to deal with the burden of misfolded proteins is compromised. In this course, we will explore how the ER quality control machinery ensures that only properly assembled proteins exit the ER while distinguishing between nascent proteins en route to their biologically active folded state from those that are terminally misfolded.

7.347 Peptides as Biological Signaling Molecules and Novel Drugs, Spring 2016

2016-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.347 Peptides as Biological Signaling Molecules and Novel Drugs, Spring 2016 Shabab, Mohammed How do we sense hunger? How do we sense pain? What causes growth in our bodies? How are we protected from pathogens? The answer to many of these questions involves small polymers of amino acids known as peptides. Peptides are broadly used as signal molecules for intercellular communication in prokaryotes, plants, fungi, and animals. Peptide signals in animals include vast numbers of peptide hormones, growth factors and neuropeptides. In this course, we will learn about molecular bases of peptide signaling. In addition, peptides potentially can be used as potent broad-spectrum antibiotics and hence might define novel therapeutic agents. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.347 Fueling Sustainability: Engineering Microbial Systems for Biofuel Production, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.347 Fueling Sustainability: Engineering Microbial Systems for Biofuel Production, Spring 2011 O'Malley, Michelle The need to identify sustainable forms of energy as an alternative to our dependence on depleting worldwide oil reserves is one of the grand challenges of our time. The energy from the sun converted into plant biomass is the most promising renewable resource available to humanity. This seminar will examine each of the critical steps along the pathway towards the conversion of plant biomass into ethanol. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.347 Living Dangerously: How the Immune System Maintains Peace with Trillions of Commensal Bacteria while Preventing Pathogenic Invasions, Fall 2015

2015-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.347 Living Dangerously: How the Immune System Maintains Peace with Trillions of Commensal Bacteria while Preventing Pathogenic Invasions, Fall 2015 Truttmann, Matthias; Bilate, Angelina In this course, we will examine how the immune system acts to destroy pathogenic invaders while tolerating colonization by necessary commensal bacteria. As a counterpoint, we will also explore sophisticated strategies that help some bacteria evade our immune system. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.349 Stem Cells: A Cure or Disease?, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.349 Stem Cells: A Cure or Disease?, Spring 2011 Bilodeau, Steve; Welstead, Grant Have you ever considered going to a pharmacy to order some new cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) for your ailing heart? It might sound crazy, but recent developments in stem cell science have made this concept not so futuristic. In this course, we will explore the underlying biology behind the idea of using stem cells to treat disease, specifically analyzing the mechanisms that enable a single genome to encode multiple cell states ranging from neurons to fibroblasts to T cells. Overall, we hope to provide a comprehensive overview of this exciting new field of research and its clinical relevance. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

7.349 From Molecules to Behavior: Synaptic Neurophysiology, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.349 From Molecules to Behavior: Synaptic Neurophysiology, Spring 2010 Chubykin, Alex Like transistors in a computer, synapses perform complex computations and connect the brain's non-linear processing elements (neurons) into a functional circuit. Understanding the role of synapses in neuronal computation is essential to understanding how the brain works. In this course students will be introduced to cutting-edge research in the field of synaptic neurophysiology. The course will cover such topics as synapse formation, synaptic function, synaptic plasticity, the roles of synapses in higher cognitive processes and how synaptic dysfunction can lead to disease. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

17.000J / 24.611J Political Philosophy: Global Justice, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.000J / 24.611J Political Philosophy: Global Justice, Spring 2003 Cohen, Joshua; Scanlon, Thomas; Sen, Amartya This course explores the foundations and content of norms of justice that apply beyond the borders of a single state. We examine issues of political justice, economic justice, and human rights. Topics include the case for skepticism about global justice; the idea of global democracy; intellectual property rights; the nature of distributive justice at the global level; pluralism and human rights; and rights to control borders. It meets jointly with Harvard's Philosophy 271, and is taught by Professors Joshua Cohen, Thomas Scanlon, and Amartya Sen. Readings are from Kant, Habermas, Rawls, Sen, Beitz, Nussbaum, Stiglitz, Ignatieff, Walzer, among others.

17.267 Democracy in America, Fall 2013

2013-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.267 Democracy in America, Fall 2013 Warshaw, Christopher This course examines the functioning of democracy in the U.S. beginning with the theoretical foundations of democratic representation. It explores how the views of the public influence policy making. It also examines factors, such as malapportionment, that lead to non-majoritarian outcomes. Evidence on how well policy outcomes reflect public opinion is reviewed, and whether certain groups are over or under-represented in the policy process. Also discussed are reforms that might make our democracy more responsive to the American public.

17.908 Reading Seminar in Social Science: Intelligence and National Security, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.908 Reading Seminar in Social Science: Intelligence and National Security, Fall 2005 Vickers, Robert This course will examine the origins, structure and functions of the U.S. Intelligence Community and its relationship to national security policy. It will look in some detail at the key intelligence agencies and the functions they perform, including collection, analysis, counterintelligence and covert action. It will also look at some of the key intelligence missions, such as strategic warning, counterterrorism, counterproliferation, and counterinsurgency. Finally, it will examine some of the major controversies concerning intelligence, including its successes and failures, relationship to policymakers, congressional oversight, and the need for reform.

17.960 Foundations of Political Science, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.960 Foundations of Political Science, Fall 2004 Cohen, Joshua This subject, required of all first-year PhD students in political science, introduces fundamental ideas, theories, and methods in contemporary political science through the study of a small number of major books and articles that are intrinsically good and have been influential in the field. The first semester focuses principally on issues of political theory and international relations, while the second focuses principally on American and comparative politics. Readings in the fall semester from Rawls, A Theory of Justice; Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty; Arrow Social Choice and Individual Values; Olson, The Logic of Collective Action; Waltz, Theory of International Relations; Bull, The Anarchical Society; Foucault, Discipline and Punish; Elster, Cement of Society; Keohane, After Hegemony, Allison and Zelikow, The Essence of Decision, and Doyle, "Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs."

17.422 Field Seminar in International Political Economy, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.422 Field Seminar in International Political Economy, Fall 2003 Choucri, Nazli This field seminar in international political economy covers major theoretical, empirical, and policy perspectives. The basic orientation is disciplinary and comparative (over time and across countries, regions, firms), spanning issues relevant to both industrial and developing states. Special attention is given to challenges and dilemmas shaped by the macro-level consequences of micro-level behavior, and by micro-level adjustments to macro-level influences.

17.420 Advances in International Relations Theory, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.420 Advances in International Relations Theory, Spring 2003 Choucri, Nazli This course offers a critical analysis of contending theories of international relations. Focus is on alternative theoretical assumptions, different analytical structures, and a common core of concepts and content. It also focuses on a comparative analysis of realism(s), liberalism(s), institutionalism(s), and new emergent theories. It also presents a discussion of connections between theories of international relations and major changes in international relations.

17.405 / 17.406 Seminar on Politics and Conflict in the Middle East, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.405 / 17.406 Seminar on Politics and Conflict in the Middle East, Fall 2003 Choucri, Nazli This course focuses on evolution of contemporary politics and economics. The subject is divided into four parts: Context: historical and strategic perspectives, theoretical issues, and sources and forms of conflict; Continuity: detailed analysis conflicts systems and their persistence, as well as regional competition and recent wars – focusing on specific countries and cases; Complexity: highlighting situation specific strategic gains and losses; and Convergence: focusing future configurations of conflict and cooperation. Throughout the course, special attention is given to sources and transformations of power, population dynamics and migration, resources and energy, as well as implications of technological change.

17.959 Organizational Analysis, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.959 Organizational Analysis, Fall 2005 Sapolsky, Harvey This reading course seeks to provide students with frameworks for understanding organizational behavior and research tools for studying them. It offers an overview of major theories and approaches, and an opportunity to discuss major and classic works on military and non-military organizations. For advanced graduate students, preferably those selecting a dissertation topic.

17.960 Foundations of Political Science, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.960 Foundations of Political Science, Spring 2005 Petersen, Roger This course continues from the fall semester. The course introduces students to the fundamental theories and methods of modern political science through the study of a small number of major books and articles that have been influential in the field. This semester, the course focuses on American and comparative politics.

17.432 Causes of War: Theory and Method, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.432 Causes of War: Theory and Method, Fall 2003 Van Evera, Stephen This course explores the causes of modern war with a focus on preventable causes. Course readings cover theoretical, historical, and methodological topics. Major theories of war are explored and assessed in the first few weeks of the class, asking at each stage "are these good theories?" and "how could they be tested?" Basic social scientific inference -- what are theories? What are good theories? How should theories be framed and tested? -- and case study methodology are also discussed. The second half of the course explores the history of the outbreak of some major wars. We use these cases as raw material for case studies, asking "if these episodes were the subject of case studies, how should those studies be performed, and what could be learned from them?"

17.878 Qualitative Research: Design and Methods, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.878 Qualitative Research: Design and Methods, Spring 2005 Meyer, Steve This seminar explores the development and application of qualitative research designs and methods in political analysis. It considers a broad array of approaches, from exploratory narratives to focused-comparison case studies, for investigating plausible alternative hypotheses. The focus is on analysis, not data collection.

17.878 Qualitative Research: Design and Methods, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.878 Qualitative Research: Design and Methods, Fall 2007 Locke, Richard This course is intended for graduate students planning to conduct qualitative research in a variety of different settings. Its topics include: Case studies, interviews, documentary evidence, participant observation, and survey research. The primary goal of this course is to assist students in preparing their (Masters and PhD) dissertation proposals.

17.812J / 14.296J Collective Choice I, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.812J / 14.296J Collective Choice I, Fall 2008 Snyder, James This is an applied theory course covering topics in the political economy of democratic countries. This course examines political institutions from a rational choice perspective. The now burgeoning rational choice literature on legislatures, bureaucracies, courts, and elections constitutes the chief focus. Some focus will be placed on institutions from a comparative and/or international perspective.

17.556 Political Economy of Development, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.556 Political Economy of Development, Spring 2003 Steinfeld, Edward This course examines theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding the process of late development. Topics include the role of the state in alleviating or exacerbating poverty, the politics of industrial policy and planning and the relationship between institutional change and growth. How over the past century have some of the world's poorest nations achieved wealth? How have others remained mired in poverty? What are the social consequences for alternative strategies of development?

17.554 Political Economy of Latin America, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.554 Political Economy of Latin America, Fall 2002 Lawson, Chappell This class explores the politics of economic reform in Latin America. Topics addressed include: Dependency, Development, and Bureaucratic-Authoritarianism; The Political Consequences of Market-Oriented Reform in Venezuela; The Mexican Peso Crisis; Transitions from Authoritarian Rule in the Southern Cone; Civil-Military Relations; Limits of Democratization; Parties and Elections in Latin America; Religion, Political Mobilization, and Civil Society; and Revolution.

17.552 / 17.551 Political Economy of Chinese Reform, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.552 / 17.551 Political Economy of Chinese Reform, Spring 2003 Steinfeld, Edward This course focuses on China's transition from plan to market. What has the trajectory of institutional change in China been, and how has growth been achieved? Is that growth sustainable? Subject examines specific aspects of reform (enterprise, fiscal, financial, social welfare), and the systemic consequences of interaction between various reform measures. Additional topics include the interaction between political and economic change, the transformation of state-society relations, and the generalizability of China's reform experience. Graduate students are expected to explore the subject in greater depth.

17.547 Government and Politics of China, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.547 Government and Politics of China, Fall 2002 Steinfeld, Edward This course analyzes contemporary Chinese politics, both pre-Communist and Communist. It focuses on the process of modernization and political development of Chinese civilization. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject at greater depth through reading and individual research.

17.544 Comparative Politics and China, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.544 Comparative Politics and China, Fall 2002 Steinfeld, Edward This graduate seminar has two main goals: to explore the main theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of contemporary Chinese politics; and to relate those approches to broader trends in the field of comparative politics. What has the study of China contributed to the field of comparative politics, and vice versa? What are the most effective ways to integrate area studies, broader comparative approaches, and theory? Seminar presumes a basic understanding of the history and politics of contemporary China.

17.53 Democratization in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.53 Democratization in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Fall 2001 Lawson, Chappell; Schaffer, Frederic Recent years have seen an astonishing spread of democracy to many African, Asian, and Latin American countries. What caused these dramatic political transitions? What challenges do democratizing countries in the Third World face? Will these new democracies endure? We will take up these questions using film, fiction, and popular journalism, as well as scholarly research. We will also focus on a small number of countries (Brazil, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Singapore, and Sri Lanka) in order to explore in greater depth some of the most important political challenges faced by developing countries. Although the class focuses on the developing world, many of the lessons should "travel" to democratizing countries in other regions.

17.508 / 17.507 The Rise and Fall of Democracy/ Regime Change, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.508 / 17.507 The Rise and Fall of Democracy/ Regime Change, Spring 2002 Lawson, Chappell Coups, civil wars, revolutions, and peaceful transitions are the "real stuff" of political science. They show us why politics matters, and they highlight the consequences of political choices in times of institutional crisis. This course will help you understand why democracies emerge and why they die, from ancient times to the recent wave of democratization in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and the developing world. Few things are more dramatic than the collapse of a political system, whether through violent conflict or the peaceful negotiation of new political institutions. Explaining why regimes break down, why new ones emerge, and how these new regimes are consolidated are among the most important questions in political science. Not surprisingly, regime change has obsessed scholars for centuries, from Aristotle to Machiavelli to Marx to current theorists of democratization. You will review several broad explanations for regime change before turning to more detailed examination of some of history's most famous and theoretically interesting political transitions: the collapse of the Weimar Republic in Germany; democratic breakdown, the consolidation of military dictatorship, and re-democratization in Chile; the breakdown of British colonial rule in the Massachussets Bay Colony; and protracted political transition in Mexico. There will be shorter discussions of democratization in Spain, South Africa, and South Korea; as well as democratic collapse in Brazil, Austria, and Italy.

17.466 Organization Theory and the Military, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.466 Organization Theory and the Military, Spring 2003 Sapolsky, Harvey This course explores organizational concepts and research methods that explain the performance and development of military organizations in peace and war. Classic studies are reviewed. Approaches to current policy problems based on theoretical insights into military organizations and practices are also considered. The class stresses development of new theory.

17.158 Political Economy of Western Europe, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.158 Political Economy of Western Europe, Spring 2003 Berger, Suzanne Examines role of European states in postwar period of rapid economic growth and current crisis. Includes analysis of different state traditions ("etatist," liberal, authoritarian); government's role in decline of some economies and rise of others; why and where Keynesianism, indicative planning, and state enterprises were introduced; alternative conceptions of contemporary economic problems (new international division of labor? too few producers? oil shock?); and of policies to deal with them (industrial policy? monetarism? protectionism?).

17.424 International Political Economy of Advanced Industrial Societies, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.424 International Political Economy of Advanced Industrial Societies, Fall 2011 Singer, David Andrew This graduate class is designed as a Ph.D.-level overview of international political economy (IPE), with an emphasis on the advanced industrial countries. It also serves as preparation for the IPE portion of the International Relations general exam. An important goal of the course is to use economic theories to identify the welfare effects, distributional consequences, and security implication of foreign economic policy decisions, and to use the tools of political science to analyze how interest groups, voters, political parties, electoral institutions, ideas, and power politics interact to share policy outcomes.

21W.785 Communicating in Cyberspace, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.785 Communicating in Cyberspace, Fall 2003 Barrett, Edward C. This class covers the analysis, design, implementation and testing of various forms of digital communication based on group collaboration. Students are encouraged to think about the Web and other new digital interactive media not just in terms of technology but also broader issues such as language (verbal and visual), design, information architecture, communication and community. Students work in small groups on a semester-long project of their choice.

21W.772 Digital Poetry, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.772 Digital Poetry, Fall 2005 Barrett, Edward C. This class investigates theory and practice of digital or new media poetry with emphasis on workshop review of digital poetry created by students. Each week students examine published examples of digital poetry in a variety of forms including but not limited to soundscapes, hypertext poetry, animation, code poems, interactive games, location-based poems using handheld devices, digital video and wikis.

21W.765J / 21L.489J / CMS.845 Theory and Practice of Non-linear and Interactive Narrative, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.765J / 21L.489J / CMS.845 Theory and Practice of Non-linear and Interactive Narrative, Spring 2003 Barrett, Edward C. This class covers a range of topics including hypertext, interactive cinema, games, installation art, and soundscapes. It examines the potential for dynamic narrative in traditional media like novels and films and as well as in computer-based stories and games. The course focuses on the creation of electronic stories and games using simple authoring systems and multimedia software tools. Students present and constructively critique one another's work in progress in a workshop setting aimed at expanding the representational powers of a new creative medium.

21W.745 / WGS.576 Advanced Essay Workshop, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.745 / WGS.576 Advanced Essay Workshop, Spring 2008 Faery, Rebecca Blevins This course is a workshop for students with some experience in writing essays, nonfiction prose. Our focus will be negotiating and representing identities grounded in gender, race, class, nationality, sexuality, and other categories of identity, either our own or others', in prose that is expository, exploratory, investigative, persuasive, lyrical, or incantatory. We will read nonfiction prose works by a wide array of writers who have used language to negotiate and represent aspects of identity and the ways the different determinants of identity intersect, compete, and cooperate.

21W.732-5 Introduction to Technical Communication: Explorations in Scientific and Technical Writing, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.732-5 Introduction to Technical Communication: Explorations in Scientific and Technical Writing, Fall 2006 Unger, Donald N. S. This course is designed to help you develop skills that will enable you to produce clear and effective scientific and technical documents. We will focus on basic principles of good writing-which scientific and technical writing shares with other forms of writing-and on types of documents common in scientific and technical fields and organizations. While the emphasis will be on writing, oral communication of scientific and technical information will form an important component of the course, as well.

21W.732-2 Intro to Tech Communication, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.732-2 Intro to Tech Communication, Fall 2002 De Vries, Kimberly An information-based society necessitates good writing in all careers. Many scientists and technical professionals must write progress reports, analyses, literature reviews, or other documents to communicate within their workplaces, and many must also address more general audiences in grant proposals, conference papers, articles, and so on. This course is designed to serve as a basic introduction to the practice of technical writing for those who work as scientists and technical researchers. Because scientific and technical fields are becoming more interdisciplinary and more globally connected everyday, we will also consider intercultural communication issues at some length.

17.188J / 11.414J Labor and Politics, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.188J / 11.414J Labor and Politics, Fall 2005 Locke, Richard This graduate research and reading seminar examines an array of issues facing labor in today's global world. The premise of this course is that recent developments (e.g., globalization, liberalization, privatization, etc.) have created a mix of opportunities and risks for labor in most developing countries.

17.125 The Politics of Global Financial Relations, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.125 The Politics of Global Financial Relations, Fall 2007 Singer, David Andrew This course explores effects of globalization of finance on international relations and domestic politics. Topics include international institutions and global governance; the multi-nationalization of production; effects of international capital markets on domestic politics; global finance and the developing world; and financial crises. Discussion of the interplay between politics and economics and the future of the nation-state.

14.386 New Econometric Methods, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.386 New Econometric Methods, Spring 2007 Newey, Whitney This course focuses on recent developments in econometrics, especially structural estimation. The topics include nonseparable models, models of imperfect competition, auction models, duration models, and nonlinear panel data. Results are illustrated with economic applications.

21W.731-4 Writing and Experience, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.731-4 Writing and Experience, Spring 2002 Fox, Elizabeth MIT students bring rich cultural backgrounds to their college experience. This course explores the splits, costs, confusions, insights, and opportunities of living in two traditions, perhaps without feeling completely at home in either. Course readings include accounts of growing up Asian-American, Hispanic, Native American, and South-East Asian-American, and of mixed race. The texts include selections from Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior, Kesaya E. Noda's "Growing Up Asian in America," Sandra Cisneros's Woman Hollering Creek, Gary Soto's "Like Mexicans," Sherman Alexie's The Toughest Indian in the World, Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, the movies Smoke Signals and Mississippi Masala, Danzy Senna's Caucasia, and others. We will also use students' writings as ways to investigate our multiple identities, exploring the constraints and contributions of cultural and ethnic traditions. Students need not carry two passports in order to enroll; an interest in reading and writing about being shaped by multiple influences suffices.

CMS.S61 Special Subject: The Rise of Film Noir, January IAP 2012

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.S61 Special Subject: The Rise of Film Noir, January IAP 2012 Marks, Martin This class explores the development of Hollywood Film Noir. There will be a focus on émigré directors who moved to Hollywood when the Nazis rose to power. Assignments will include short response papers about three of the films in the series, and reports by students on examples of "neo-noir" films from recent decades.This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

21W.730-5 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Culture Shock! Writing, Editing, and Publishing in Cyberspace, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-5 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Culture Shock! Writing, Editing, and Publishing in Cyberspace, Fall 2008 Faery, Rebecca Blevins This course is an introduction to writing prose for a public audience—specifically, prose that is both critical and personal, that features your ideas, your perspective, and your voice to engage readers. The focus of our reading and your writing will be American popular culture, broadly defined. That is, you will write essays that critically engage elements and aspects of contemporary American popular culture and that do so via a vivid personal voice and presence. In the coming weeks we will read a number of pieces that address current issues in popular culture. These readings will address a great many subjects from the contemporary world to launch and elaborate an argument or position or refined observation. And you yourselves will write a great deal, attending always to the ways your purpose in writing and your intended audience shape what and how you write. The end result of our collaborative work will be a new edition, the seventh, of Culture Shock!, an online magazine of writings on American popular culture, which we will post on the Web for the worldwide reading public to enjoy.

21W.731-2 Writing and Experience: Crossing Borders, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.731-2 Writing and Experience: Crossing Borders, Fall 2010 Faery, Rebecca Blevins In this era of globalization, many of us have multi- or bi-cultural, multilingual or bilingual backgrounds, and even if we don't have such a background, we need urgently to understand the experiences of people who do. You will very likely work outside the United States at some point in your future; you will almost certainly work with people who speak more than one language, whose ancestry or origins are in a country other than the U.S., who have crossed borders of nation, language, culture, class to amalgamate into the large and diverse culture that is America. In this class we will read the personal narratives of bilingual and bicultural writers, some of whom have struggled to assimilate, others of whom have celebrated their own contributions to a culture of diversity. You will write four personal essays of your own for the class, each of which will receive workshop discussion in class and response from me; you will then revise the essays to polish them for possible publication. One of your essays will be an investigative one, where you will focus on a subject of your choice, investigate it thoroughly, and then write with authority about it. The process of the class will encourage you to both improve your writing significantly and gain a greater understanding of experiences of people who are in some way like you as well as those who are in some way different.

21W.730-1 Expository Writing: Exploring Social and Ethical Issues through Film and Print, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-1 Expository Writing: Exploring Social and Ethical Issues through Film and Print, Fall 2002 Walsh, Andrea This section of Expository Writing provides the opportunity for students- as readers, viewers, writers and speakers - to engage with social and ethical issues that they care deeply about. Through discussing selected documentary and feature films and the writings of such authors as Maya Angelou, Robert Coles, Charles Dickens, Barbara Ehrenreich, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jonathan Kozol, and Alice Walker, we will explore different perspectives on a range of social problems such as poverty, homelessness, and racial and gender inequality. In assigned essays, students will have the opportunity to write about social and ethical issues of their own choice. This course aims to help students to grow significantly in their ability to understand and grapple with arguments, to integrate secondary print and visual sources and to craft well-reasoned and elegant essays. Students will also keep a reader-writer notebook and give at least one oral presentation. In class we will discuss assigned films and readings, explore strategies for successful academic writing, freewrite and critique one another's essays. Satisfies Phase I and CI Writing Requirements.

21W.730-4 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Food for Thought: Writing and Reading about the Cultures of Food, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-4 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Food for Thought: Writing and Reading about the Cultures of Food, Fall 2008 Boiko, Karen "What people do with food is an act that reveals how they construe the world." - Marcella Hazan, The Classic Italian Cookbook If you are what you eat, what are you? Food is at once the stuff of life and a potent symbol; it binds us to the earth, to our families, and to our cultures. In this class, we explore many of the fascinating issues that surround food as both material fact and personal and cultural symbol. We read essays by Toni Morrison, Michael Pollan, Wendell Berry, and others on such topics as family meals, eating as an "agricultural act" (Berry), slow food, and food's ability to awaken us to "our own powers of enjoyment" (M. F. K. Fisher). We will also read Pollan's most recent book, In Defense of Food, and discuss the issues it raises as well as its rhetorical strategies. Assigned essays will grow out of memories and the texts we read, and may include personal narrative as well as essays that depend on research. Revision of essays and workshop review of writing in progress are an important part of the class. Each student will make one oral presentation in this class.

21W.730-3 Consumer Culture, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-3 Consumer Culture, Fall 2002 Boiko, Karen What is the good life, and can you shop there? Would you want that life if you couldn't? Has shopping replaced working as the activity that gives the most meaning to our lives? The theme for this Expository Writing class is Consumer Culture. The class will explore what it means to belong to a consumer society—to think of ourselves, as Douglas Rushkoff puts it, less as citizens than as consumers. Readings will serve both as examples of effective writing techniques and as springboards for discussion. We’ll read essays that explore a variety of cultural meanings of shopping and that analyze the way advertising works. We will also read essays that critique consumer culture from several perspectives, including those of psychology, gender, art, environmentalism and ethics. Readings and essay assignments will invite you to reflect on personal, familial and cultural meanings of shopping; to analyze advertisements; and to join in conversation with critics of consumer culture and offer your own critiques.

CMS.S60 / CMS.S96 Technopanics: Moral Panics about Technology, Spring 2013

2013-06-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.S60 / CMS.S96 Technopanics: Moral Panics about Technology, Spring 2013 Szablewicz, Marcella Therese Hacking and trolling; mass murders and bullying. What do these have in common? One theory holds that these are all "deviant" social behaviors, occurring both online and off, which have purportedly been brought about or exacerbated by our new media environment. Such aberrant behaviors seemingly give us ample reason to fear digital and social media. But is technology to blame? We will grapple with this question as we investigate how our understanding of new technologies and media is socially shaped and, in turn, how new media might influence our social behavior. We will begin by studying how similar panics about "old" media (books, film, television and even the written word itself) set historical precedents for these current fears. Along the way we will establish and explore issues embedded in debates about new media, including questions of class, gender, youth, sex, and violence. Such topics will be placed in cross-cultural perspective, allowing us to compare the nature of panics over contemporary events and issues—e.g. the Columbine school shootings, cyber-bullying, Japanese otaku, and the Chinese "Human Flesh Search Engine"—occurring within both the United States and East Asia. Students will read essays, keep media journals and watch films pertaining to weekly topics.

21W.749 / CMS.935 Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of a World in Motion, Spring 2016

2016-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.784 Becoming Digital: Writing about Media Change, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.784 Becoming Digital: Writing about Media Change, Fall 2009 Miller, Ben "Becoming Digital" traces the change in practice, theory and possibility as mechanical and chemical media are augmented or supplanted by digital media. These changes will be grounded in a semester length study of "reports from the front." These reports, found and introduced by students throughout the semester, are the material produced by and about soldiers and civilians on the battlefield from the introduction of wet photography during the Crimean and Civil Wars to contemporary digital content posted daily to Web 2.0 sites from areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan and possibly even the games and simulations they've inspired. Students will work through the ethical, aesthetic, technical and cultural problems raised by the primary content and secondary readings in three papers, a group project written with Inform 7, a presentation, and frequent discussion.

21W.780 Communicating in Technical Organizations, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.780 Communicating in Technical Organizations, Spring 2005 Evens, Aden This course has two parallel aims: To improve student writing about technical subject matters, including forms of writing commonly employed in technical organizations, and Critically to examine the nature of technologically-assisted communication, focusing somewhat on professional communication among scientists and engineers. We will often combine these two goals, by practicing critical investigation of communications technologies in written formats (and other media) that employ communications technologies.

21W.783 Science and Engineering Writing for Phase II, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.783 Science and Engineering Writing for Phase II, Fall 2002 Custer, David 21W.783 is a series of seminars focusing on common writing problems faced by professional engineers and scientists. Participants will tune up their writing skills and prepare a pair of technical documents under the guidance of the instructor. The writing assignments focus on a single topic of the student's choosing, preferably one for which the necessary research has been done, or is in the process of being done. In addition to the writing component, students will deliver an oral presentation based on the written work.

CMS.876 History of Media and Technology: Sound, the Minority Report -- Radical Music of the Past 100 Years, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.876 History of Media and Technology: Sound, the Minority Report -- Radical Music of the Past 100 Years, Spring 2006 Coleman, Beth This course looks at the history of avant-garde and electronic music from the early twentieth century to the present. The class is organized as a theory and production seminar for which students may either produce audio/multimedia projects or a research paper. It engages music scholarship, cultural criticism, studio production, and multi-media development, such as recent software, sound design for film and games, and sound installation. Sound as a media tool for communication and sound as a form of artistic expression are subjects under discussion. The artists' work reviewed in the course includes selections from audio innovators such as the Italian Futurists, Edgard Varèse, John Cage, King Tubby, Brian Eno, Steve Reich, Afrika Bambaataa, Kraftwerk, Merzbow, Aphex Twin, Rza, Björk, and others.

14.475 Environmental Economics and Government Responses to Market Failure, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.475 Environmental Economics and Government Responses to Market Failure, Spring 2005 Greenstone, Michael This course explores the theory behind and evidence on regulatory, tax, and other government responses to problems of market failure. Special emphasis is given to developing and implementing tools to evaluate environmental policies. Other topics include cost-benefit analysis, measurement of the benefits of non-market goods and costs of regulations, and the evaluation of the impact of regulations in areas such as financial markets, workplace health and safety, consumer product safety, and other contexts.

16.90 Computational Methods in Aerospace Engineering, Spring 2014

2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.90 Computational Methods in Aerospace Engineering, Spring 2014 Willcox, Karen; Wang, Qiqi This course provides an introduction to numerical methods and computational techniques arising in aerospace engineering. Applications are drawn from aerospace structures, aerodynamics, dynamics and control, and aerospace systems. Techniques covered include numerical integration of systems of ordinary differential equations; numerical discretization of partial differential equations; and probabilistic methods for quantifying the impact of variability. Specific emphasis is given to finite volume methods in fluid mechanics, and finite element methods in structural mechanics.Acknowledgement: Prof. David Darmofal taught this course in prior years, and created some of the materials found in this OCW site.

RES.2-001 Engineering Design Instructional Computer System (EDICS), Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

RES.2-001 Engineering Design Instructional Computer System (EDICS), Spring 2008 Wilson, David Gordon; Blanco, Ernesto; Tsutsumi, Seichi; Flowers, Woodie EDICS, or Engineering Design Instructional Computer System, is an interactive multimedia program started in 1981, which consists of three chapters on bearings, rotors and cylinders, lets students with little background in engineering learn about procedures on a computer with text, graphics, animation, sound and diagrams.Online Publication

2.009 Product Engineering Process, Fall 2019

2019-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.009 Product Engineering Process, Fall 2019 Wallace, David In this hands-on undergraduate class, students work in large teams of approximately 15-20 individuals to design and build working alpha prototypes of new products. The course is designed to emulate what engineers might experience as part of a design team in a modern product development firm. The large teams must work effectively to realize this task, so students also learn about group dynamics, team roles and management, consensus building, and the value of communication. Each year there is a broad theme which serves as a launching point for new product opportunities. At the end of the course, teams present their work to a live audience of ~1100 practicing product designers, entrepreneurs, academics, and classmates, as well as a significant live webcast audience—in the tens of thousands. Key Goals: To improve creative-thinking capability. To improve ability to identify significant product opportunities, and to develop appropriate solutions through a structured product development process. To improve expertise in constructing models for reasoning about design alternatives. These include estimations, sketches, sketch models, spreadsheets, geometric models, mockups, and prototypes. To improve engineering expertise and proficiency in techniques for building high-quality product models and prototypes. To learn about and experience structured methods for working in large teams on a project that requires teamwork to be successful. To improve presentation skills using a wide variety of media. To develop an understanding of, and enthusiasm for, the engineering activities involved with designing a new product. To develop an appreciation for the significance of societal contributions that can be made as a technological innovator.

21A.750J / STS.250J Social Theory and Analysis, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.750J / STS.250J Social Theory and Analysis, Fall 2011 Fischer, Michael M.J. This course covers major theorists and theoretical schools since the late 19th century. Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Bourdieu, Levi-Strauss, Geertz, Foucault, Gramsci, and others.

8.20 Introduction to Special Relativity, January IAP 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

8.20 Introduction to Special Relativity, January IAP 2005 Knuteson, Bruce This course introduces the basic ideas and equations of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity. 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.AcknowledgementsProf. Knuteson wishes to acknowledge that this course was originally designed and taught by Prof. Robert Jaffe.

18.404J / 6.840J Theory of Computation, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.404J / 6.840J Theory of Computation, Fall 2006 Sipser, Michael This graduate level course is more extensive and theoretical treatment of the material in Computability, and Complexity (6.045J / 18.400J). Topics include Automata and Language Theory, Computability Theory, and Complexity Theory.

14.13 Economics and Psychology, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.13 Economics and Psychology, Spring 2004 Gabaix, Xavier This course integrates psychological insights into economic models of behavior. It discusses the limitations of standard economic models and surveys the ways in which psychological experiments have been used to learn about preferences, cognition, and behavior. Topics include: trust, vengeance, fairness, impatience, impulsivity, bounded rationality, learning, reinforcement, classical conditioning, loss-aversion, over-confidence, self-serving biases, cognitive dissonance, altruism, subjective well-being, and hedonic adaptation. Economic concepts such as equilibrium, rational choice, utility maximization, Bayesian beliefs, game theory, and behavior under uncertainty are discussed in light of these phenomena.

17.263 / 17.264 U.S. National Elections, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.263 / 17.264 U.S. National Elections, Fall 2012 Caughey, Devin This course provides a selective overview of electoral politics in the United States, with an emphasis on presidential and congressional elections. It examines the macro-level determinants of electoral outcomes as well as the political behavior of individual Americans. Each week covers a different topic, with readings designed to highlight controversies or debates in the political science literature.

9.601J / 24.949J Language Acquisition I, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.601J / 24.949J Language Acquisition I, Spring 2002 Wexler, Ken Lectures, reading, and discussion of current theory and data concerning the psychology and biology of language acquisition. Emphasizes learning of syntax and morphology, together with some discussion of phonology, and especially research relating grammatical theory and learnability theory to empirical studies of children.

8.701 Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.701 Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics, Spring 2004 Surrow, Bernd The phenomenology and experimental foundations of particle and nuclear physics are explored in this course. Emphasis is on the fundamental forces and particles, as well as composites.

5.310 Laboratory Chemistry, Fall 2017

2017-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.310 Laboratory Chemistry, Fall 2017 Dolhun, John J. Laboratory Chemistry introduces experimental chemistry for students requiring a chemistry laboratory who are not majoring in chemistry. The course covers principles and applications of chemical laboratory techniques, including preparation and analysis of chemical materials, measurement of pH, gas and liquid chromatography, visible-ultraviolet spectrophotometry, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, polarimetry, X-ray diffraction, kinetics, data analysis, and organic synthesis.AcknowledgementsDr. Dolhun would like to acknowledge the contributions of past instructors over the years to the development of this course and its materials. WARNING NOTICE The experiments described in these materials are potentially hazardous and require a high level of safety training, special facilities and equipment, and supervision by appropriate individuals. You bear the sole responsibility, liability, and risk for the implementation of such safety procedures and measures. MIT shall have no responsibility, liability, or risk for the content or implementation of any of the material presented. Legal Notice

17.561 European Politics, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.561 European Politics, Fall 2011 Thelen, Kathleen This course examines the organization of political power and the dynamics of political change in Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. In particular, it focuses on the structure of political power within the state, and on important institutions that form the link between state and society, especially political parties and interest organizations.

21H.244 Imperial and Revolutionary Russia: Culture and Politics, 1700-1917, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.244 Imperial and Revolutionary Russia: Culture and Politics, 1700-1917, Fall 2012 Wood, Elizabeth A. This course analyzes Russia's social, cultural, and political heritage in the 18th and 19th centuries, up to and including the Russian Revolution of 1917. It compares reforming and revolutionary impulses in the context of serfdom, the rise of the intelligentsia, and debates over capitalism. It focuses on historical and literary texts, especially the intersections between the two.

5.73 Introductory Quantum Mechanics I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.73 Introductory Quantum Mechanics I, Fall 2002 Field, Robert 5.73 covers fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics: wave properties, uncertainty principles, Schrodinger equation, and operator and matrix methods. Basic applications of the following are discussed: one-dimensional potentials (harmonic oscillator), three-dimensional centrosymetric potentials (hydrogen atom), and angular momentum and spin. The course also examines approximation methods: WKB method, variational principle, and perturbation theory. Acknowledgement The instructor would like to acknowledge Peter Giunta for preparing the original version of the materials for 5.73.

RES.21G-001 The User-friendly Classroom, Spring 2016

2016-06-01T00:00:00Z

RES.21G-001 The User-friendly Classroom, Spring 2016 Kemp, A. C. The User-friendly Classroom video training series was created specifically for teaching assistants for whom English is a second language and the USA a second culture by A.C. Kemp, a lecturer in MIT Global Studies and Languages (GSL). These videos focus on developing international teaching assistants' strategies for successful, student-centered communication in the interactive American classroom. These videos demonstrate best practices through authentic examples of successful teaching scenarios, interviews with undergraduates and advice from international teaching assistants.These videos were created for use with the following courses: 21G.232 / 21G.233 Advanced Speaking and Critical Listening (ELS)21G.217 / 21G.218 Workshop in Strategies for Effective Teaching (ELS)"Special thanks to my mentor, Jane Dunphy, for her support and advice with this project." - A.C. Kemp

21G.502 / 21G.552 Japanese II, Spring 2013

2013-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.502 / 21G.552 Japanese II, Spring 2013 Ikeda-Lamm, Masami; Rafique, Emiko This course is based around the enhancement of the four basic skills, extension of basic grammar, vocabulary and kanji building, building off what was learned in 21G.501. This course consists of a lecture on grammar, and practices and labs conducted in Japanese.

8.962 General Relativity, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.962 General Relativity, Spring 2006 Bertschinger, Edmund; Hughes, Scott 8.962 is MIT's graduate course in general relativity, which covers the basic principles of Einstein's general theory of relativity, differential geometry, experimental tests of general relativity, black holes, and cosmology.

24.00 Problems in Philosophy, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.00 Problems in Philosophy, Fall 2010 Holton, Richard The course has two goals. First, to give you a sense of what philosophers think about and why. Here we look at a number of perennial philosophical problems, including some or all of: how knowledge differs from "mere opinion," the objectivity (or not) of moral judgment, logical paradoxes, mind/body relations, the nature and possibility of free will, and how a person remains the same over time, as their bodily and psychological traits change. The second goal is to get you thinking philosophically yourself. This will help you develop your critical and argumentative skills more generally. Readings will be from late, great classical authors and influential contemporary figures.

18.906 Algebraic Topology II, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.906 Algebraic Topology II, Spring 2006 Behrens, Mark In this second term of Algebraic Topology, the topics covered include fibrations, homotopy groups, the Hurewicz theorem, vector bundles, characteristic classes, cobordism, and possible further topics at the discretion of the instructor.

21G.501 / 21G.551 Japanese I, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.501 / 21G.551 Japanese I, Fall 2012 Ikeda-Lamm, Masami; Nagaya, Yoshimi This course is an introduction to modern standard Japanese with an emphasis on developing proficiency in speaking and listening, using basic grammar and vocabulary. Basic skills in reading and writing are also taught.

14.01 Principles of Microeconomics, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.01 Principles of Microeconomics, Fall 2007 Chen, Chia-Hui; Zhang, Hongliang; Migueis, Marco; Martinez-Bravo, Monica; Schnabl, Peter; Ke, Rongzhu; Wheaton, William This introductory course teaches the fundamentals of microeconomics. Topics include consumer theory, producer theory, the behavior of firms, market equilibrium, monopoly, and the role of the government in the economy. 14.01 is a Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) elective and is offered both terms. This course is a core subject in MIT's undergraduate Energy Studies Minor. This Institute-wide program complements the deep expertise obtained in any major with a broad understanding of the interlinked realms of science, technology, and social sciences as they relate to energy and associated environmental challenges.

RES.LL-005 D4M: Signal Processing on Databases, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

RES.LL-005 D4M: Signal Processing on Databases, Fall 2012 Kepner, Jeremy D4M is a breakthrough in computer programming that combines graph theory, linear algebra, and databases to address problems associated with Big Data. Search, social media, ad placement, mapping, tracking, spam filtering, fraud detection, wireless communication, drug discovery, and bioinformatics all attempt to find items of interest in vast quantities of data. This course teaches a signal processing approach to these problems by combining linear algebraic graph algorithms, group theory, and database design. This approach has been implemented in software The class will begin with a number of practical problems, introduce the appropriate theory and then apply the theory to these problems. Students will apply these ideas in the final project of their choosing. The course will contain a number of smaller assignments which will prepare the students with appropriate software infrastructure for completing their final projects.

21G.503 Japanese III, Fall 2016

2016-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.503 Japanese III, Fall 2016 Aikawa, Takako; Rafique, Emiko Students further develop their skills in Japanese speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course involves continued vocabulary and kanji building. The enrollment is limited to 16 students per class.

21A.01 How Culture Works, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.01 How Culture Works, Fall 2012 Buyandelger, Manduhai This course introduces diverse meanings and uses of the concept of culture with historical and contemporary examples from scholarship and popular media around the globe. It includes first-hand observations, synthesized histories and ethnographies, and visual and narrated representations of human experiences. Students conduct empirical research on cultural differences through the systematic observation of human interaction, employ methods of interpretative analysis, and practice convincing others of the accuracy of their findings.

21A.265 Food and Culture, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.265 Food and Culture, Spring 2011 Paxson, Heather Explores connections between what we eat and who we are through cross-cultural study of how personal identities and social groups are formed via food production, preparation, and consumption. Organized around critical discussion of what makes "good" food good (healthy, authentic, ethical, etc.). Uses anthropological and literary classics as well as recent writing and films on the politics of food and agriculture.

6.803 / 6.833 The Human Intelligence Enterprise, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.803 / 6.833 The Human Intelligence Enterprise, Spring 2006 Winston, Patrick Henry 6.803/6.833 is a course in the department's "Artifical Intelligence and Applications" concentration. This course is offered both to undergraduates (6.803) and graduates (6.833). 6.803/6.833 is designed to help students learn about progress toward the scientific goal of understanding human intelligence from a computational point of view. This course complements 6.034, because 6.803/6.833 focuses on long-standing scientific questions, whereas 6.034 focuses on existing tools for building applications with reasoning and learning capability. The content of 6.803/6.833 is largely based on papers by representative Artificial Intelligence leaders, which serve as the basis for discussion and assignments for the course.

6.803 / 6.833 The Human Intelligence Enterprise, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.803 / 6.833 The Human Intelligence Enterprise, Spring 2002 Winston, Patrick Henry This course is offered both to undergraduates (6.803) and graduates (6.833) and is designed to help students learn about progress toward the scientific goal of understanding human intelligence from a computational point of view. This course complements 6.034, because it focuses on long-standing scientific questions, whereas 6.034 focuses on existing tools for building applications with reasoning and learning capability. The content of 6.803/6.833 is largely based on papers by representative Artificial Intelligence leaders, which serve as the basis for discussion and assignments for the course.

7.016 Introductory Biology, Fall 2014

2014-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.016 Introductory Biology, Fall 2014 Imperiali, Barbara; Amon, Angelika; Sinha, Diviya 7.016 Introductory Biology provides an introduction to fundamental principles of biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics for understanding the functions of living systems. Taught for the first time in Fall 2013, this course covers examples of the use of chemical biology and twenty-first-century molecular genetics in understanding human health and therapeutic intervention. The MIT Biology Department Introductory Biology courses, 7.012, 7.013, 7.014, 7.015, and 7.016 all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material.

18.785 Number Theory I, Fall 2017

2017-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.785 Number Theory I, Fall 2017 Sutherland, Andrew This is the first semester of a one year graduate course in number theory covering standard topics in algebraic and analytic number theory. At various points in the course, we will make reference to material from other branches of mathematics, including topology, complex analysis, representation theory, and algebraic geometry.

21G.104 Chinese IV (Regular), Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.104 Chinese IV (Regular), Spring 2004 Chen, Tong This is the continuing instruction in spoken and written Chinese, with particular emphasis on consolidating basic conversational skills and improving reading confidence and depth. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to speak Chinese with some fluency on basic conversational topics, achieve a basic level of reading competence within simplified and traditional characters learned plus common compounds, and be able to write short compositions.

21G.104 Chinese IV (Regular), Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.104 Chinese IV (Regular), Spring 2006 Wheatley, Julian K. This is the last of the four courses (Chinese I through IV) that make up the foundation level (four semesters over two years in the normal curriculum) of MIT's regular (non-streamlined) Chinese program. Chinese IV is designed to consolidate conversational usage and grammatical and cultural knowledge encountered in the earlier courses, and to expand reading and listening abilities. It integrates the last part of Learning Chinese (two units designed primarily for review of grammatical concepts and vocabulary growth) with material from Madeline Spring's Making Connections, designed to bolster listening skills, and Linda Hsai and Roger Yue's Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, a collection of traditional stories that has been a favorite of students of Chinese for many decades and is used here to focus on reading. Reading for this course is primarily, but not exclusively, in the simplified character set that is the standard on the Mainland; readings in the traditional set that is standard in Taiwan are also assigned. Students who have advanced through Chinese I, II, and III to reach this level, as well as those entering at Chinese IV, should review at least the late material in Chinese III before proceeding. Chinese Sequence on OCW MIT OpenCourseWare now offers a complete sequence of four Chinese language courses, covering beginning to intermediate levels of instruction at MIT. They can be used not just as the basis for taught courses, but also for self-instruction and elementary-to-intermediate review. The four Chinese subjects provide the following materials: an online textbook in four parts, J. K. Wheatley's Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin; audio files of the main conversational and narrative material in this book; and syllabi and day-by-day schedules for each term. Course sequnce on OCW. CHINESE COURSES COURSE SITES Chinese I (Fall 2014) 21G.101/151 Chinese II (Spring 2014) 21G.102/152 Chinese III (Fall 2005) 21G.103 Chinese IV (Spring 2006) 21G.104

17.565 Israel: History, Politics, Culture, and Identity, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.565 Israel: History, Politics, Culture, and Identity, Spring 2011 Eiran, Ehud The course provides the students a basic understanding of modern Israeli history, politics, culture and identity through lectures, discussions and projects. Among the topics to be explored are: ideational, institutional and material foundations of the state of Israel; Israeli national identity, Israeli society, economy, and foreign and security policies.

18.312 Algebraic Combinatorics, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.312 Algebraic Combinatorics, Spring 2009 Musiker, Gregg This is an introductory course in algebraic combinatorics. No prior knowledge of combinatorics is expected, but assumes a familiarity with linear algebra and finite groups. Topics were chosen to show the beauty and power of techniques in algebraic combinatorics. Rigorous mathematical proofs are expected.

24.118 Paradox & Infinity, Spring 2013

2013-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.118 Paradox & Infinity, Spring 2013 Rayo, Agustin; Evans, Owain R. This course explores different kinds of infinity; the paradoxes of set theory; the reduction of arithmetic to logic; formal systems; paradoxes involving the concept of truth; Gödel’s incompleteness theorems; the nonformalizable nature of mathematical truth; and Turing machines.

18.783 Elliptic Curves, Spring 2017

2017-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.783 Elliptic Curves, Spring 2017 Sutherland, Andrew This graduate-level course is a computationally focused introduction to elliptic curves, with applications to number theory and cryptography.

18.04 Complex Variables with Applications, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.04 Complex Variables with Applications, Fall 2003 Toomre, Alar This course explored topics such as complex algebra and functions, analyticity, contour integration, Cauchy's theorem, singularities, Taylor and Laurent series, residues, evaluation of integrals, multivalued functions, potential theory in two dimensions, Fourier analysis and Laplace transforms.

6.172 Performance Engineering of Software Systems, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.172 Performance Engineering of Software Systems, Fall 2010 Amarasinghe, Saman; Leiserson, Charles Modern computing platforms provide unprecedented amounts of raw computational power. But significant complexity comes along with this power, to the point that making useful computations exploit even a fraction of the potential of the computing platform is a substantial challenge. Indeed, obtaining good performance requires a comprehensive understanding of all layers of the underlying platform, deep insight into the computation at hand, and the ingenuity and creativity required to obtain an effective mapping of the computation onto the machine. The reward for mastering these sophisticated and challenging topics is the ability to make computations that can process large amount of data orders of magnitude more quickly and efficiently and to obtain results that are unavailable with standard practice. This class is a hands-on, project-based introduction to building scalable and high-performance software systems. Topics include performance analysis, algorithmic techniques for high performance, instruction-level optimizations, cache and memory hierarchy optimization, parallel programming, and building scalable distributed systems. The course also includes design reviews with industry mentors, as described in this MIT News article.

22.01 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation, Fall 2015

2015-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.01 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation, Fall 2015 Short, Michael This course provides an introduction to nuclear science and its engineering applications. It describes basic nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions and kinematics; covers the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, with an emphasis on radiation detection, radiation shielding, and radiation effects on human health; and presents energy systems based on fission and fusion nuclear reactions, as well as industrial and medical applications of nuclear science.

5.08J / 7.08J Biological Chemistry II, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.08J / 7.08J Biological Chemistry II, Spring 2004 Stubbe, JoAnne; Ting, Alice This course deals with a more advanced treatment of the biochemical mechanisms that underlie biological processes. Emphasis will be given to the experimental methods used to unravel how these processes fit into the cellular context as well as the coordinated regulation of these processes. Topics include macromolecular machines for energy and force transduction, regulation of biosynthetic and degradative pathways, and the structure and function of nucleic acids.

21M.380 Music and Technology: Recording Techniques and Audio Production, Spring 2012

2012-06-01T00:00:00Z

21M.380 Music and Technology: Recording Techniques and Audio Production, Spring 2012 Ariza, Christopher This course covers foundations, practices, and creative techniques in audio recording and music production, including microphone selection and placement, mixing, mastering, signal processing, automation, and digital audio workstations.

18.335J Introduction to Numerical Methods, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.335J Introduction to Numerical Methods, Fall 2004 Koev, Plamen The focus of this course is on numerical linear algebra and numerical methods for solving ordinary differential equations. Topics include linear systems of equations, least square problems, eigenvalue problems, and singular value problems.

18.335J / 6.337J Introduction to Numerical Methods, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.335J / 6.337J Introduction to Numerical Methods, Fall 2010 Johnson, Steven G. This course offers an advanced introduction to numerical linear algebra. Topics include direct and iterative methods for linear systems, eigenvalue decompositions and QR/SVD factorizations, stability and accuracy of numerical algorithms, the IEEE floating point standard, sparse and structured matrices, preconditioning, linear algebra software. Problem sets require some knowledge of MATLAB®.

7.013 Introductory Biology, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.013 Introductory Biology, Spring 2006 Sive, Hazel; Jacks, Tyler The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as, the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material. 7.013 focuses on the application of the fundamental principles toward an understanding of human biology. Topics include genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, disease (infectious agents, inherited diseases and cancer), developmental biology, neurobiology and evolution. Acknowledgments The study materials, problem sets, and quiz materials used during Spring 2005 for 7.013 include contributions from past instructors, teaching assistants, and other members of the MIT Biology Department affiliated with course 7.013. Since the following works have evolved over a period of many years, no single source can be attributed.

14.381 Statistical Method in Economics, Fall 2013

2013-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.381 Statistical Method in Economics, Fall 2013 Mikusheva, Anna This course is divided into two sections, Part I and Part II. Part I, found here, provides an introduction to statistical theory. A brief review of probability will be given mainly as background material, however, it is assumed to be known. Topics include normal distribution, limit theorems, Bayesian concepts, and testing, among others. Part II prepares students for the remainder of the econometrics sequence and and can be found by visiting 14.381 Fall 2006.

6.094 Introduction to MATLAB, January IAP 2010

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

6.094 Introduction to MATLAB, January IAP 2010 Šćepanović, Danilo This course provides an aggressively gentle introduction to MATLAB®. It is designed to give students fluency in MATLAB, including popular toolboxes. The course consists of interactive lectures with students doing sample MATLAB problems in real time. Problem-based MATLAB assignments are given which require significant time on MATLAB. This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month. Acknowledgements The 6.094 course materials were developed by Danilo Šćepanović, Sourav R. Dey, Ankit Patel, and Patrick Ho.

1.258J / 11.541J / ESD.226J Public Transportation Systems, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.258J / 11.541J / ESD.226J Public Transportation Systems, Spring 2010 Wilson, Nigel; Attanucci, John This course discusses the evolution and role of urban public transportation modes, systems and services, focusing on bus and rail. Technological characteristics are described, along with their impacts on capacity, service quality, and cost. Current practice and new methods for data collection and analysis, performance monitoring, route and network design, frequency determination, and vehicle and crew scheduling are covered. The course also discusses effects of pricing policy and service quality on ridership, methods for estimating costs associated with proposed service changes, organizational models for delivering public transportation service including finance and operations, and select transit management topics including labor relations, fare policy and technology, marketing and operations management.

6.436J / 15.085J Fundamentals of Probability, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.436J / 15.085J Fundamentals of Probability, Fall 2008 Gamarnik, David; Tsitsiklis, John This is a course on the fundamentals of probability geared towards first- or second-year graduate students who are interested in a rigorous development of the subject. The course covers most of the topics in 6.431 (sample space, random variables, expectations, transforms, Bernoulli and Poisson processes, finite Markov chains, limit theorems) but at a faster pace and in more depth. There are also a number of additional topics, such as language, terminology, and key results from measure theory; interchange of limits and expectations; multivariate Gaussian distributions; deeper understanding of conditional distributions and expectations.

18.S34 Problem Solving Seminar, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.S34 Problem Solving Seminar, Fall 2007 Rogers, Hartley; Kedlaya, Kiran; Stanley, Richard This course, which is geared toward Freshmen, is an undergraduate seminar on mathematical problem solving. It is intended for students who enjoy solving challenging mathematical problems and who are interested in learning various techniques and background information useful for problem solving. Students in this course are expected to compete in a nationwide mathematics contest for undergraduates.

21G.103 Chinese III (Regular), Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.103 Chinese III (Regular), Fall 2003 Chen, Tong This course is designed to consolidate the foundation built in Elementary Chinese and continue developing students skills in aural comprehension, reading, and writing. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to speak Chinese with some fluency on basic conversational topics, achieve a basic level of reading competence within simplified and traditional characters learned plus common compounds, and be able to write short compositions.

21G.103 Chinese III (Regular), Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.103 Chinese III (Regular), Fall 2005 Wheatley, Julian K. This is the third of the four courses (Chinese I through IV) in MIT's regular (non-streamlined) Chinese curriculum. The four make use of the textbook, Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin (unpublished, but available online), to which are added various supporting materials as needs arise. The foundation level covers core grammar, linguistic culture, basic conversation, the principles of the writing system, and elementary reading. Reading is primarily in the simplified character set that is the standard on the Mainland, but also in the traditional set that is still standard in Taiwan and many overseas communities. All four subjects in the foundation level are (Chinese I and II) or soon will be (Chinese IV) available on OCW. Students who have advanced through Chinese I and II to reach this level, as well as those entering at Chinese III, should review at least the late material in Chinese II before proceeding. To facilitate review, as well as to orient students who are new to these materials, highlights from all the units in Chinese I and II and a list of the characters formally introduced in Character lessons 1-6 are included in the readings section of this course. Chinese Sequence on OCW OpenCourseWare now offers a complete sequence of four Chinese language courses, covering beginning to intermediate levels of instruction at MIT. They can be used not just as the basis for taught courses, but also for self-instruction and elementary-to-intermediate review. The four Chinese subjects provide the following materials: an online textbook in four parts, J. K. Wheatley's Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin; audio files of the main conversational and narrative material in this book; and syllabi and day-by-day schedules for each term. Course sequnce on OCW. CHINESE COURSES COURSE SITES Chinese I (Fall 2014) 21G.101/151 Chinese II (Spring 2015) 21G.102/152 Chinese III (Fall 2005) 21G.103 Chinese IV (Spring 2006) 21G.104

5.61 Physical Chemistry, Fall 2013

2013-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.61 Physical Chemistry, Fall 2013 Van Voorhis, Troy; Field, Robert This course presents an introduction to quantum mechanics. It begins with an examination of the historical development of quantum theory, properties of particles and waves, wave mechanics and applications to simple systems—the particle in a box, the harmonic oscillator, the rigid rotor and the hydrogen atom. The lectures continue with a discussion of atomic structure and the Periodic Table. The final lectures cover applications to chemical bonding including valence bond and molecular orbital theory, molecular structure, and spectroscopy. Acknowledgements The material for 5.61 has evolved over a period of many years, and, accordingly, several faculty members have contributed to the development of the course contents. The original version of the lecture notes that are available on OCW was prepared in the early 1990's by Prof. Sylvia T. Ceyer. These were revised and transcribed to electronic form primarily by Prof. Keith A. Nelson. The current version includes additional contributions by Professors Moungi G. Bawendi, Robert G. Griffin, Robert J. Silbey, and John S. Waugh, all of whom have taught the course in the recent past.

21A.235 American Dream: Exploring Class in the U.S., Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.235 American Dream: Exploring Class in the U.S., Spring 2007 Walley, Christine Americans have historically preferred to think of the United States in classless terms, as a land of economic opportunity equally open to all. Yet, social class remains a central fault line in the U.S. Subject explores the experiences and understandings of class among Americans positioned at different points along the U.S. social spectrum. Considers a variety of classic frameworks for analyzing social class and uses memoirs, novels and ethnographies to gain a sense of how class is experienced in daily life and how it intersects with other forms of social difference such as race and gender.

21W.035 Science Writing and New Media: Elements of Science Writing for the Public, Spring 2013

2013-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.035 Science Writing and New Media: Elements of Science Writing for the Public, Spring 2013 Boiko, Karen This class is an introduction to writing about science–including nature, medicine, and technology–for general readers. In our reading and writing we explore the craft of making scientific concepts, and the work of scientists, accessible to the public through news articles and essays. The chief work of the class is students' writing. As part of our exploration of the craft of science writing, we will read essays and articles by writers such as David Quammen, Atul Gawande, Michael Pollan, and Elizabeth Kolbert.

14.15J / 6.207J Networks, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.15J / 6.207J Networks, Fall 2009 Acemoglu, Daron; Ozdaglar, Asu Networks are ubiquitous in our modern society. The World Wide Web that links us to and enables information flows with the rest of the world is the most visible example. It is, however, only one of many networks within which we are situated. Our social life is organized around networks of friends and colleagues. These networks determine our information, influence our opinions, and shape our political attitudes. They also link us, often through important but weak ties, to everybody else in the United States and in the world. Economic and financial markets also look much more like networks than anonymous marketplaces. Firms interact with the same suppliers and customers and use Web-like supply chains. Financial linkages, both among banks and between consumers, companies and banks, also form a network over which funds flow and risks are shared. Systemic risk in financial markets often results from the counterparty risks created within this financial network. Food chains, interacting biological systems and the spread and containment of epidemics are some of the other natural and social phenomena that exhibit a marked networked structure. This course will introduce the tools for the study of networks. It will show how certain common principles permeate the functioning of these diverse networks and how the same issues related to robustness, fragility, and interlinkages arise in several different types of networks.

24.919 Topics in Linguistics: Creole Languages and Caribbean Identities, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.919 Topics in Linguistics: Creole Languages and Caribbean Identities, Spring 2004 DeGraff, Michel Anne-Frederic The Creole languages spoken in the Caribbean are linguistic by-products of the historical events triggered by colonization and the slave trade in Africa and the "New World". In a nutshell, these languages are the results of language acquisition in the specific social settings defined by the history of contact between African and European peoples in 17th-/18th-century Caribbean colonies. One of the best known Creole languages, and the one with the largest community of speakers, is Haitian Creole. Its lexicon and various aspects of its grammar are primarily derived from varieties of French as spoken in 17th-/18th-century colonial Haiti. Other aspects of its grammar seem to have emerged under the influence of African languages, mostly from West and Central Africa. And yet other properties seem to have no analogues in any of the source languages. Through a sample of linguistic case studies focusing on Haitian Creole morphosyntax, we will explore creolization from a cognitive, historical and comparative perspective. Using Haitian Creole and some of its Caribbean congeners as test cases, we will evaluate various hypotheses about the development of Creole languages and about the role of first- and second-language acquisition in such development. We will also explore the concept of Creolization in its non-linguistic senses. Then we will address questions of "Caribbean identities" by examining a sample of Creole speakers' attitudes toward the Creole language and the corresponding European language and toward the African and European components of their ethnic make-up.

8.13-14 Experimental Physics I & II "Junior Lab", Fall 2007 - Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.13-14 Experimental Physics I & II "Junior Lab", Fall 2007 - Spring 2008 Faculty, Lecturers, and Technical Staff, Physics Department; Becker, Ulrich J. Junior Lab consists of two undergraduate courses in experimental physics. The courses are offered by the MIT Physics Department, and are usually taken by Juniors (hence the name). Officially, the courses are called Experimental Physics I and II and are numbered 8.13 for the first half, given in the fall semester, and 8.14 for the second half, given in the spring. The purposes of Junior Lab are to give students hands-on experience with some of the experimental basis of modern physics and, in the process, to deepen their understanding of the relations between experiment and theory, mostly in atomic and nuclear physics. Each term, students choose 5 different experiments from a list of 21 total labs.

17.42 Causes and Prevention of War, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.42 Causes and Prevention of War, Spring 2009 Van Evera, Stephen The causes and prevention of interstate war are the central topics of this course. The course goal is to discover and assess the means to prevent or control war. Hence we focus on manipulable or controllable war-causes. The topics covered include the dilemmas, misperceptions, crimes and blunders that caused wars of the past; the origins of these and other war-causes; the possible causes of wars of the future; and possible means to prevent such wars, including short-term policy steps and more utopian schemes. The historical cases covered include the Peloponnesian and Seven Years wars, World War I, World War II, Korea, the Arab-Israel conflict, and the U.S.-Iraq and U.S. al-Queda wars. This is an undergraduate course, but it is open to graduate students.

16.412J / 6.834J Cognitive Robotics, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.412J / 6.834J Cognitive Robotics, Spring 2005 Williams, Brian Charles Cognitive robotics addresses the emerging field of autonomous systems possessing artificial reasoning skills. Successfully-applied algorithms and autonomy models form the basis for study, and provide students an opportunity to design such a system as part of their class project. Theory and application are linked through discussion of real systems such as the Mars Exploration Rover.

6.011 Introduction to Communication, Control, and Signal Processing, Spring 2004 - Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.011 Introduction to Communication, Control, and Signal Processing, Spring 2004 - Spring 2005 Verghese, George; Oppenheim, Alan V. This course is taken mainly by undergraduates, and explores ideas involving signals, systems and probabilistic models in the context of communication, control and signal processing applications. The material expands out from the basics in 6.003 and 6.041. The treatment involves aspects of analysis, synthesis, and optimization. Topics covered differ somewhat from semester to semester, but typically include: random processes, correlations, spectral densities, state-space modeling, multirate processing, signal estimation and detection.

6.033 Computer System Engineering, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.033 Computer System Engineering, Spring 2009 Morris, Robert; Madden, Samuel This course covers topics on the engineering of computer software and hardware systems: techniques for controlling complexity; strong modularity using client-server design, virtual memory, and threads; networks; atomicity and coordination of parallel activities; recovery and reliability; privacy, security, and encryption; and impact of computer systems on society. Case studies of working systems and readings from the current literature provide comparisons and contrasts. Two design projects are required, and students engage in extensive written communication exercises.

21H.302 The Ancient World: Rome, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.302 The Ancient World: Rome, Spring 2005 Broadhead, William This course elaborates the history of Rome from its humble beginnings to the fifth century A.D. The first half of the course covers Kingship to Republican form; the conquest of Italy; Roman expansion: Pyrrhus, Punic Wars and provinces; classes, courts, and the Roman revolution; Augustus and the formation of empire. The second half of the course covers Virgil to the Vandals; major social, economic, political and religious trends at Rome and in the provinces. Emphasis is placed on the use of primary sources in translation.

21H.102 The Emergence of Modern America 1865-Present, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.102 The Emergence of Modern America 1865-Present, Spring 2003 Faculty, History Department This subject studies the changing structure of American politics, economics, and society from the end of the Civil War to the present. We will consider secondary historical accounts and primary documents to examine some of the key issues in the development of modern America: industrialization and urbanization; U.S. emergence as a global power; ideas about rights and equality; and the changing structures of gender, class, and race. This subject also examines the multiple answers that Americans gave to the question of what it means to be an American in the modern age. As a communications intensive subject, students will be expected to engage intensively with the material through frequent oral and written exercises.

2.61 Internal Combustion Engines, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.61 Internal Combustion Engines, Spring 2008 Cheng, Wai This course studies the fundamentals of how the design and operation of internal combustion engines affect their performance, operation, fuel requirements, and environmental impact. Topics include fluid flow, thermodynamics, combustion, heat transfer and friction phenomena, and fuel properties, with reference to engine power, efficiency, and emissions. Students examine the design features and operating characteristics of different types of internal combustion engines: spark-ignition, diesel, stratified-charge, and mixed-cycle engines. Class includes lab project in the Engine Laboratory.

17.869 Political Science Scope and Methods, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.869 Political Science Scope and Methods, Fall 2010 Berinsky, Adam This course is designed to provide an introduction to a variety of empirical research methods used by political scientists. The primary aims of the course are to make you a more sophisticated consumer of diverse empirical research and to allow you to conduct advanced independent work in your junior and senior years. This is not a course in data analysis. Rather, it is a course on how to approach political science research.

17.40 American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, Future, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.40 American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, Future, Fall 2010 Van Evera, Stephen This course covers the history of American foreign policy since 1914, current policy questions, and the future of U.S. Policy. We focus on policy evaluation. What consequences did these policies produce for the U.S. and for other countries? Were/are these consequences good or bad?

8.321 Quantum Theory I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.321 Quantum Theory I, Fall 2002 Taylor, Washington 8.321 is the first semester of a two-semester subject on quantum theory, stressing principles. Topics covered include: Hilbert spaces, observables, uncertainty relations, eigenvalue problems and methods for solution thereof, time-evolution in the Schrodinger, Heisenberg, and interaction pictures, connections between classical and quantum mechanics, path integrals, quantum mechanics in EM fields, angular momentum, time-independent perturbation theory, density operators, and quantum measurement.

14.661 Labor Economics I, Fall 2003 - Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.661 Labor Economics I, Fall 2003 - Fall 2004 Autor, David; Oreopoulos, Phillip The aim of this course is to acquaint students with traditional topics in labor economics and to encourage the development of independent research interests. This course is taught in two parts: Fall term and then in the subsequent Fall term.

14.661 Labor Economics I, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.661 Labor Economics I, Fall 2010 Angrist, Joshua; Walters, Christopher The aim of this course is to acquaint students with traditional topics in labor economics and to encourage the development of independent research interests. We will cover a systematic development of the theory of labor supply, labor demand, and human capital. Topics include wage and employment determination, turnover, search, immigration, unemployment, equalizing differences, and institutions in the labor market. There will be particular emphasis on the interaction between theoretical and empirical modeling.

18.905 Algebraic Topology, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.905 Algebraic Topology, Fall 2006 Lawson, Tyler This course is a first course in algebraic topology. The emphasis is on homology and cohomology theory, including cup products, Kunneth formulas, intersection pairings, and the Lefschetz fixed point theorem.

18.785 Number Theory I, Fall 2016

2016-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.785 Number Theory I, Fall 2016 Sutherland, Andrew This is the first semester of a one year graduate course in number theory covering standard topics in algebraic and analytic number theory. At various points in the course, we will make reference to material from other branches of mathematics, including topology, complex analysis, representation theory, and algebraic geometry.

5.310 Laboratory Chemistry, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.310 Laboratory Chemistry, Spring 2003 Schrenk, Janet; Gheorghiu, Mircea Laboratory Chemistry (5.310) introduces experimental chemistry for students requiring a chemistry laboratory who are not majoring in chemistry. Students must have completed general chemistry (5.111) and have completed or be concurrently enrolled in the first semester of organic chemistry (5.12). The course covers principles and applications of chemical laboratory techniques, including preparation and analysis of chemical materials, measurement of pH, gas and liquid chromatography, visible-ultraviolet spectrophotometry, infrared spectroscopy, kinetics, data analysis, and elementary synthesis. NOTE: The Staff for this course would like to acknowledge that the experiments include contributions from past instructors, course textbooks, and others affiliated with course #5.310. Since the following works have evolved over a period of many years, no single source can be attributed. WARNING NOTICE The experiments described in these materials are potentially hazardous and require a high level of safety training, special facilities and equipment, and supervision by appropriate individuals. You bear the sole responsibility, liability, and risk for the implementation of such safety procedures and measures. MIT shall have no responsibility, liability, or risk for the content or implementation of any of the material presented. Legal Notice

11.384 / 11.385 / 11.386 Malaysia Sustainable Cities Practicum, Spring 2016

2016-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.384 / 11.385 / 11.386 Malaysia Sustainable Cities Practicum, Spring 2016 Susskind, Lawrence The Malaysia Sustainable Cities Practicum is an intensive field-based course that brings 15 graduate students to Malaysia to learn about and analyze sustainable city development in five cities in Malaysia.In the first part of the Practicum, which happens in the fall each year, selected graduate students in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning participate in an online self-study during which they learn about Malaysian culture, history, politics, ecology, geography, planning, and economics. They also learn about reflective practice and journaling. During the January Independent Activities Period, students and faculty travel to Malaysia for two weeks to conduct field-based research in conjunction with student and faculty colleagues at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The Practicum concludes with a one week group session at MIT that generates a Research Agenda spelling out suggested research topics for the next year's cohort of International Scholars. Lead FacultyProfessor Larry Susskind Teaching Assistants Jessica Gordon Yasmin Zaerpoor Administrative Staff Takeo Kuwabara Selmah Goldberg

9.59J / 24.905J Psycholinguistics, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.59J / 24.905J Psycholinguistics, Spring 2005 Gibson, Edward This course covers central topics in language processing, including: the structure of language; sentence, discourse, and morphological processing; storage and access of words in the mental dictionary; speech processing; the relationship between the computational resources available in working memory and the language processing mechanism; and ambiguity resolution. The course also considers computational modeling, including connectionist models; the relationship between language and thought; and issues in language acquisition including critical period phenomena, the acquisition of speech, and the acquisition of words. Experimental methodologies such as self-paced reading, eye-tracking, cross-modal priming, and neural imaging methods are also examined.

21G.049 French Photography, Fall 2014

2014-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.049 French Photography, Fall 2014 Clark, Catherine This course introduces students to the world of French photography from its invention in the 1820s to the present. It provides exposure to major photographers and images of the French tradition, and encourages students to explore the social and cultural roles and meanings of photographs. The class is designed to help students navigate their own photo-saturated worlds and provides an opportunity to gain practical experience in photography. Taught in English.

STS.320 Environmental Conflict and Social Change, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

STS.320 Environmental Conflict and Social Change, Fall 2005 Walley, Christine This graduate-level class explores the complex interrelationships among humans and natural environments, focusing on non-western parts of the world in addition to Europe and the United States. It uses environmental conflict to draw attention to competing understandings and uses of "nature" as well as the local, national and transnational power relationships in which environmental interactions are embedded. In addition to utilizing a range of theoretical perspectives, this subject draws upon a series of ethnographic case studies of environmental conflicts in various parts of the world.

21G.503 Intermediate Japanese I, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.503 Intermediate Japanese I, Fall 2004 Hatano-Cohen, Miyuki; Nagaya, Yoshimi; Nagatomi, Ayumi This course covers JSL (Japanese: the Spoken Language, Part 1, by Eleanor H. Jorden with Mari Noda, Yale University Press, 1987) Lessons 12 through 17, providing opportunities to acquire basic skills for conversation, reading, and writing. The program emphasizes ACTIVE command of Japanese, not passive knowledge. The goal is not simply to study the grammar and vocabulary, but to improve the ability to use Japanese accurately and appropriately with fluency, building on the basic skills gained in Japanese I and II. Students learn approximately 80 Kanji characters in this course.

17.950 Understanding Military Operations, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.950 Understanding Military Operations, Spring 2010 Cote, Owen A proper understanding of modern military operations requires a prior understanding of both the material side of war, and the human or organizational side of war. This seminar will break apart selected past, current, and future sea, air, space, and land battlefields into their constituent parts and look at the interaction in each of those warfare areas between existing military doctrine and weapons, sensors, communications, and information processing technologies. It will specifically seek to explore how technological development, whether innovative or stagnant, is influenced in each warfare area by military doctrine.

14.382 Econometrics I, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.382 Econometrics I, Spring 2005 Hausman, Jerry; Chernozhukov, Victor This course focuses on the specification and estimation of the linear regression model. The course departs from the standard Gauss-Markov assumptions to include heteroskedasticity, serial correlation, and errors in variables. Advanced topics include generalized least squares, instrumental variables, nonlinear regression, and limited dependent variable models. Economic applications are discussed throughout the course.

24.963 Linguistic Phonetics, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.963 Linguistic Phonetics, Fall 2005 Flemming, Edward This course is a study of speech sounds: how we produce and perceive them and their acoustic properties. It explores the influence of the production and perception systems on phonological patterns and sound change. Acoustic analysis and experimental techniques are also discussed.

14.123 Microeconomic Theory III, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.123 Microeconomic Theory III, Spring 2005 Diamond, Peter The central topic of this course is the theory of general equilibrium and its applications and extensions.

14.121 Microeconomic Theory I, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.121 Microeconomic Theory I, Fall 2005 Ellison, Glenn This course provides an introduction to microeconomic theory and is the first course in the microeconomic theory series. It is intended for graduate students in the economics program. Some components of the course are designed to teach material that all graduate students should know while others are used to introduce methodologies. Topics of recent interest will also be covered and may include: theories of production and individual choice (under certainty and uncertainty); markets and competition; tools of comparative statics and their application to price theory.

17.486 Japan and East Asian Security, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.486 Japan and East Asian Security, Spring 2008 Samuels, Richard J. This subject is designed for graduate students interested in international politics, national security and comparative political economy in East Asia. It examines the political, military, and economic challenges facing Japan, its neighbors, and the international system under conditions of great uncertainty. Topics range from the history of once "new" world orders to theories that inform our understanding of international affairs and foreign policy decision-making, as each is related to Japan. We focus on Japanese bilateral, regional, and global security policies from a range of theoretical perspectives. The semester will culminate in a weekend-long Asia-Pacific Crisis Simulation game in which invited U.S. and foreign experts will participate with the graduate students.

24.03 Good Food: The Ethics and Politics of Food Choices, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.03 Good Food: The Ethics and Politics of Food Choices, Fall 2012 Haslanger, Sally This course explores the values (aesthetic, moral, cultural, religious, prudential, political) expressed in the choices of food people eat. It analyzes the decisions individuals make about what to eat, how society should manage food production and consumption collectively, and how reflection on food choices might help resolve conflicts between different values.

9.07 Statistical Methods in Brain and Cognitive Science, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.07 Statistical Methods in Brain and Cognitive Science, Spring 2004 Rosenholtz, Ruth This course emphasizes statistics as a powerful tool for studying complex issues in behavioral and biological sciences, and explores the limitations of statistics as a method of inquiry. The course covers descriptive statistics, probability and random variables, inferential statistics, and basic issues in experimental design. Techniques introduced include confidence intervals, t-tests, F-tests, regression, and analysis of variance. Assignments include a project in data analysis.

21W.777 The Science Essay, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.777 The Science Essay, Spring 2008 Boiko, Karen Did Ben Franklin really fly that kite? What are the ethical dimensions of the creation of chimeras—and what should the public know in order to take part in the conversation about them? Is the science of nutrition really science? How did the technology of birth control end up in the delivery system that we know as "the pill"? Is it possible to time travel—and why would scientists even spend time thinking about it? In this class we celebrate, analyze and practice the art of writing about science for the general public. We read and write humanities-style essays about the intersections among science, technology, and life. Students draw on their own interests and ideas to write essays of substance and grace that focus on science and technology. We'll read models of a variety of approaches to the science essay, including essays by Alan Lightman, Malcolm Gladwell, Elizabeth Kolbert, Oliver Sacks and others, noting in particular how they bring scientific ideas to life for readers. Topics for discussion will include the challenge of explaining scientific concepts; the "personal realm" (Kanigel) of science; myth vs. science; fairness and objectivity in scientific writing; and the "non-quantifiable considerations" (Collini) that are necessarily part of conversations about science. Students will write 5 essays, revising 4 of them, and polishing (re-revising). The class will also have a service learning component, in which MIT students work with a local high school class. Note: this is not a technical writing class.

2.062J / 1.138J / 18.376J Wave Propagation, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.062J / 1.138J / 18.376J Wave Propagation, Fall 2006 Mei, Chiang; Rosales, Rodolfo; Akylas, Triantaphyllos R. This course discusses the Linearized theory of wave phenomena in applied mechanics. Examples are chosen from elasticity, acoustics, geophysics, hydrodynamics and other subjects. The topics include: basic concepts, one dimensional examples, characteristics, dispersion and group velocity, scattering, transmission and reflection, two dimensional reflection and refraction across an interface, mode conversion in elastic waves, diffraction and parabolic approximation, radiation from a line source, surface Rayleigh waves and Love waves in elastic media, waves on the sea surface and internal waves in a stratified fluid, waves in moving media, ship wave pattern, atmospheric lee waves behind an obstacle, and waves through a laminated media.

18.783 Elliptic Curves, Spring 2015

2015-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.783 Elliptic Curves, Spring 2015 Sutherland, Andrew This graduate-level course is a computationally focused introduction to elliptic curves, with applications to number theory and cryptography.

11.601 Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.601 Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning, Fall 2005 Susskind, Lawrence This course is the first subject in the Environmental Policy and Planning sequence. It reviews philosophical debates including growth vs. deep ecology, "command-and-control" vs. market-oriented approaches to regulation, and the importance of expertise vs. indigenous knowledge. Its emphasis is placed on environmental planning techniques and strategies. Related topics include the management of sustainability, the politics of ecosystem management, environmental governance and the changing role of civil society, ecological economics, integrated assessment (combining environmental impact assessment (EIA) and risk assessment), joint fact finding in science-intensive policy disputes, environmental justice in poor communities of color, and environmental dispute resolution.

14.124 Microeconomic Theory IV, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.124 Microeconomic Theory IV, Spring 2003 Holmstrom, Bengt The topic of the class is information economics. The purpose is to give an introduction to some of the main subjects in this field: risk sharing, moral hazard, adverse selection (signaling, screening), mechanism design, decision making under uncertainty. These subjects (and others) will be treated in more depth in the advanced theory courses on Contract Theory.

10.34 Numerical Methods Applied to Chemical Engineering, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

10.34 Numerical Methods Applied to Chemical Engineering, Fall 2006 Green, William H. Numerical methods for solving problems arising in heat and mass transfer, fluid mechanics, chemical reaction engineering, and molecular simulation. Topics: numerical linear algebra, solution of nonlinear algebraic equations and ordinary differential equations, solution of partial differential equations (e.g. Navier-Stokes), numerical methods in molecular simulation (dynamics, geometry optimization). All methods are presented within the context of chemical engineering problems. Familiarity with structured programming is assumed. The examples will use MATLAB®. Acknowledgements The instructor would like to thank Robert Ashcraft, Sandeep Sharma, David Weingeist, and Nikolay Zaborenko for their work in preparing materials for this course site.

17.181 / 17.182 Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.181 / 17.182 Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy, Spring 2009 Choucri, Nazli This course examines alternative conceptions and theoretical underpinnings of the notion of "sustainable development." It focuses on the sustainability problems of industrial countries (i.e., aging of populations, sustainable consumption, institutional adjustments, etc.); and of developing states and economies in transition (i.e., managing growth, sustainability of production patterns, pressures of population change, etc.). It also explores the sociology of knowledge around sustainability, the economic and technological dimensions and institutional imperatives along with implications for political constitution of economic performance.

21G.027 / 21G.590 / 21H.250 / CMS.874 Asia in the Modern World: Images & Representations, Spring 2012

2012-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.027 / 21G.590 / 21H.250 / CMS.874 Asia in the Modern World: Images & Representations, Spring 2012 Dower, John; Miyagawa, Shigeru Asia in the Modern World: Images and Representations examines visual representations of Asia, interpreting them from both historical and modern contexts. This course is based around using the Visualizing Cultures website. Case studies focus on Japan and China from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries.

14.452 Economic Growth, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.452 Economic Growth, Fall 2009 Acemoglu, Daron This half semester class presents an introduction to macroeconomic modeling, focusing on the theory of economic growth and some of its applications. It will introduce a number of models of non-stochastic and stochastic macroeconomic equilibrium. It will use these models to shed light both on the process of economic growth at the world level and on sources of income and growth differences across countries.

8.01T Physics I, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.01T Physics I, Fall 2004 Surrow, Bernd; Litster, J. David; Dourmashkin, Peter; Pritchard, David E. This freshman-level course is an introduction to classical mechanics. The subject is taught using the TEAL (Technology Enabled Active Learning) format which features small group interaction via table-top experiments utilizing laptops for data acquisition and problem solving workshops. Acknowledgements The TEAL project is supported by The Alex and Brit d'Arbeloff Fund for Excellence in MIT Education, MIT iCampus, the Davis Educational Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Class of 1960 Endowment for Innovation in Education, the Class of 1951 Fund for Excellence in Education, the Class of 1955 Fund for Excellence in Teaching, and the Helena Foundation.

21A.232J / WGS.172J Rethinking the Family, Sex, and Gender, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.232J / WGS.172J Rethinking the Family, Sex, and Gender, Fall 2010 Paxson, Heather Through investigating cross-cultural case studies, this course introduces students to the anthropological study of the social institutions and symbolic meanings of family, household, gender, and sexuality. We will explore the myriad forms that families and households take and evaluate their social, emotional, and economic dynamics.

8.01 Physics I, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.01 Physics I, Fall 2003 Kowalski, Stanley Physics I is a first-year physics course which introduces students to classical mechanics. Topics include: space and time; straight-line kinematics; motion in a plane; forces and equilibrium; experimental basis of Newton's laws; particle dynamics; universal gravitation; collisions and conservation laws; work and potential energy; vibrational motion; conservative forces; inertial forces and non-inertial frames; central force motions; rigid bodies and rotational dynamics.

14.54 International Trade, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.54 International Trade, Fall 2006 Lorenzoni, Guido This course is an introduction to the theory of international trade and finance with applications to current policy issues. In this course we will cover the basic tools to understand what determines the flow of goods across countries, i.e. international trade, and what determines the flow of savings and investments from one country to another, i.e. international finance. We will also cover applications to a number of topics of current interest, including the debate on globalization, free trade agreements, the U.S. current account deficit, the medium run prospects for exchange rates, European integration, and the debate on global financial architecture following the financial crises in East Asia and Argentina.

11.437 Financing Economic Development, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.437 Financing Economic Development, Spring 2006 Seidman, Karl This course focuses on financing tools and program models to support local economic development. It includes an overview of private capital markets and financing sources to understand capital market imperfections that constrain economic development; business accounting; financial statement analysis; federal economic development programs; and public finance tools. Program models covered include revolving loan funds, guarantee programs, venture capital funds, bank holding companies, community development loan funds and credit unions, micro enterprise funds, and the use of the Community Reinvestment Act to leverage bank financing.

2.854 / 2.853 Introduction to Manufacturing Systems, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.854 / 2.853 Introduction to Manufacturing Systems, Fall 2010 Gershwin, Stanley; Boning, Duane This course provides students with ways of analyzing manufacturing systems in terms of material flow and storage, information flow, capacities, and times and durations of events. Fundamental topics covered include probability, inventory and queuing models, forecasting, optimization, process analysis, and linear and dynamic systems. This course also covers factory planning and scheduling topics including flow planning, bottleneck characterization, buffer and batch-size tactics, seasonal planning, and dynamic behavior of production systems.

17.251 Congress and the American Political System I, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.251 Congress and the American Political System I, Fall 2004 Stewart III, Charles This course focuses on both the internal processes of the House and Senate and on the place of Congress in the American political system. Attention has been given to committee behavior, leadership patterns, and informal organization in this course. It considers relations between Congress and other branches of government, as well as relations between the two houses of Congress itself. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.

21G.076 Globalization: the Good, the Bad, and the In-Between, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.076 Globalization: the Good, the Bad, and the In-Between, Fall 2009 Resnick, Margery; Tang, Patricia This subject examines the paradoxes of contemporary globalization. Through lectures, discussions and student presentations, we will study the cultural, linguistic, social and political impact of globalization across broad international borders and on specific language communities. We will consider answers to key questions such as: What are the contending definitions of globalization? What are the principal agents of change? How have those agents of change been transformed in our contemporary world? What's new, what's hybrid, and what's traditional? What does it mean to be a world citizen? How can world citizens preserve cultural specificity?

18.785 Number Theory I, Fall 2015

2015-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.785 Number Theory I, Fall 2015 Sutherland, Andrew This is the first semester of a one year graduate course in number theory covering standard topics in algebraic and analytic number theory. At various points in the course, we will make reference to material from other branches of mathematics, including topology, complex analysis, representation theory, and algebraic geometry.

11.301J / 4.252J Introduction to Urban Design and Development, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.301J / 4.252J Introduction to Urban Design and Development, Fall 2006 Frenchman, Dennis; Rojas, Francisca This course examines both the structure of cities and ways they can be changed. Its scope includes historical forces that have produced cities, models of urban analysis, contemporary theories of urban design, and implementation strategies. Core lectures are supplemented by discussion sessions focusing on student work and field trips. Guest speakers present cases involving current projects illustrating the scope and methods of urban design practice.

RES.10-001 Making Science and Engineering Pictures, Fall 2014

2014-12-01T00:00:00Z

RES.10-001 Making Science and Engineering Pictures, Fall 2014 Frankel, Felice C. This collection of videos teaches how to use a flatbed scanner to create photographs of science and engineering. It is part of the interdisciplinary course taught at MIT called “Visual Strategies for Scientists and Engineers” that provides instruction in best practices for creating more effective graphics and photographs to support and communicate research in science and engineering.About the InstructorFelice Frankel is an award-winning science photographer and research scientist in the Center for Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Felice's images have been internationally published in books, journals, and magazines, including the New York Times, Nature, Science, National Geographic, and Discover. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received awards and grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Alfred P. Sloan and Guggenheim Foundation, and others.AcknowledgementsThe production of these videos is supported by Open Courseware, MITx, the Center for Materials Science and Engineering and the following departments: Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

15.280 Communication for Managers, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.280 Communication for Managers, Fall 2008 Hartman, Neal Writing and speaking skills necessary for a career in management. Students polish communication strategies and methods through discussion, examples, and practice. Several written and oral assignments, most based on material from other subjects and from career development activities. Schedule and curriculum coordinated with 15.311 Organizational Processes class. Restricted to first-year Sloan School of Management graduate students. Students may also enroll in 15.277 Special Seminar in Communication: Leadership and Personal Effectiveness Coaching. 15.280 is offered for 6 units and 15.277 provides an additional 3 units for a total of 9 units in Managerial Communication. 15.277 acts as a lab component to 15.280 and provides students additional opportunities to hone their communication skills through a variety of in-class exercises.

14.03 / 14.003 Microeconomic Theory and Public Policy, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.03 / 14.003 Microeconomic Theory and Public Policy, Fall 2010 Autor, David This class presents microeconomic theory and applications of consumer and producer behavior and welfare analysis at an intermediate level. In addition to standard competitive models, we study deviations due to externalities, asymmetric information, and imperfect rationality. We apply this material to policy debates including minimum wage regulations, food stamp provision, trade protection, educational credentials, health insurance markets, and real estate markets.

21W.732-1 Introduction to Technical Communication: Perspectives on Medicine and Public Health, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.732-1 Introduction to Technical Communication: Perspectives on Medicine and Public Health, Spring 2007 Taft, Cynthia B. Over the course of the semester we will explore the full range of writings by physicians and other health practitioners. Some of the writer/physicians that we encounter will be Atul Gawande, Danielle Ofri, Richard Selzer, and William Carlos Williams. Students need have no special training, only a general interest in medicine or in public health issues such as AIDS, asthma, malaria control, and obesity. The writing assignments, like the readings, will invite students to consider the distinctive needs of different audiences.

17.950 Understanding Modern Military Operations, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.950 Understanding Modern Military Operations, Spring 2005 Cote, Owen R., 1960- A proper understanding of modern military operations requires a prior understanding of both the material side of war, including especially weapon, sensor, communication, and information processing technologies, and the human or organizational side of war, including especially military doctrine, which is an institutionalized vision within military organizations that predicts how the material tools of war will be wielded on future battlefields. Military doctrine makes assumptions about the nature of future battlefields, and determines what the division of labor on those battlefields will be between different military tools. Doctrine also therefore determines the organizational hierarchy among the various branches of the military which wield those tools. Thus, one way to think of the relationship between military technology and doctrine is to think of doctrine as a filter that a military organization will use to assess the effect that future technologies or new battlefields are likely to have on its existing organizational hierarchy.

11.471 Political Economy of Development Projects: Targeting the Poor, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.471 Political Economy of Development Projects: Targeting the Poor, Fall 2007 Tendler, Judith This course treats public-sector policies, programs, and projects that attempt to reduce poverty and unemployment in developing countries through directly income-generating activities and employment. Topics covered are (1) employment and local economic development, particularly as related to the informal sector, small and medium enterprises, and workers; (2) the political economy of local economic-development initiatives; (3) lessons from policy and implementation experiences; (4) worker conditions, standards, and rights; and (5) associations among small (and often medium) firms, and among workers. The course links these approaches to the broader literature on poverty reduction, economic development, politics, and the reform of government. It discusses the types of initiatives, tasks, and environments that are most conducive to equitable outcomes, and emphasizes throughout the understandings gained about why certain initiatives work and others do not.

11.235 Analyzing Projects and Organizations, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.235 Analyzing Projects and Organizations, Spring 2008 Tendler, Judith Organizations and their programs often seem, at first glance, chaotic and without order. Students embarking on evaluations and similar research, therefore, feel perplexed when faced with a live organization. This is because we have been taught to expect a certain kind of rationality in the way organizations behave that is often different than that which actually drives them. As a result of this seeming mismatch between what we expect and the actual reality, students of planning and planners, and researchers and professional evaluators, often recoil from the chaos of reality, wondering why the organization is not doing what it is "supposed" to be doing; correspondingly, they often make recommendations for change that are unrealistic, or draw conclusions from evaluations of success or failure that are not always on the mark. This course teaches students how to understand the rationality behind how organizations and their programs behave, and to be comfortable and analytical with a live organization.

HST.725 Music Perception and Cognition, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

HST.725 Music Perception and Cognition, Spring 2004 Tramo, Mark J., M.D. Ph.D.; Cariani, Peter; Oxenham, Andrew Survey of perceptual and cognitive aspects of the psychology of music, with special emphasis on underlying neuronal and neurocomputational representations and mechanisms. Basic perceptual dimensions of hearing (pitch, timbre, consonance/roughness, loudness, auditory grouping) form salient qualities, contrasts, patterns and streams that are used in music to convey melody, harmony, rhythm and separate voices. Perceptual, cognitive, and neurophysiological aspects of the temporal dimension of music (rhythm, timing, duration, temporal expectation) are explored. Special topics include comparative, evolutionary, and developmental psychology of music perception, biological vs. cultural influences, Gestaltist vs. associationist vs. schema-based theories, comparison of music and speech perception, parallels between music cognition and language, music and cortical action, and the neural basis of music performance.

15.905 Technology Strategy, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.905 Technology Strategy, Spring 2007 Davies, Michael This course provides a strategic framework for managing high-technology businesses. The emphasis throughout is on the development and application of ways of thinking or mental models that bring clarity to the complex co-evolution of technological innovation, the demand opportunity, business ecosystems, and decision-making and execution within the business.

4.607 Thinking About Architecture: In History and At Present, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.607 Thinking About Architecture: In History and At Present, Fall 2002 Jarzombek, Mark This course studies the interrelationship of theory, history, and practice as it relates to architecture and the architect. It looks at theory not as a specialized discourse relating only to architecture, but as touching on many issues, whether they be cultural, aesthetic, philosophical, or professional. Topics and examples are chosen from a wide range of materials, from classical antiquity to today.

18.06 Linear Algebra, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.06 Linear Algebra, Spring 2005 Strang, Gilbert This is a basic subject on matrix theory and linear algebra. Emphasis is given to topics that will be useful in other disciplines, including systems of equations, vector spaces, determinants, eigenvalues, similarity, and positive definite matrices.

MAS.714J / STS.445J Technologies for Creative Learning, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.714J / STS.445J Technologies for Creative Learning, Fall 2004 Resnick, Mitchel This course explores how new technologies can help people learn new things in new ways. It analyzes principles and strategies underlying the design of innovative educational technologies and creative learning environments, drawing on specific case studies such as the LEGO Programmable Brick and Computer Clubhouse after-school learning centers. The course will include hands-on activities, analysis of learning experiences, and design of new tools and activities.

ESD.84 Engineering Systems Doctoral Seminar, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.84 Engineering Systems Doctoral Seminar, Fall 2002 Magee, Christopher; Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Joel Examines core theory and contextual applications of the emerging field of Engineering Systems. The focus is on doctoral-level analysis of scholarship on key concepts such as complexity, uncertainty, fragility, and robustness, as well as a critical look at the historical roots of the field and related areas such as systems engineering, systems dynamics, agent modeling, and systems simulations. Contextual applications range from aerospace to technology implementation to regulatory systems to large-scale systems change. Special attention is given to the interdependence of social and technical dimensions of engineering systems.

21L.448 / 21W.739J Darwin and Design, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.448 / 21W.739J Darwin and Design, Fall 2002 Paradis, James In the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin gave us a model for understanding how natural objects and systems can evidence design without positing a designer: how purpose and mechanism can exist without intelligent agency. Texts in this course deal with pre- and post-Darwinian treatment of this topic within literature and speculative thought since the eighteenth century. We will give some attention to the modern study of 'feedback mechanisms' in artificial intelligence. Our reading will be in Hume, Voltaire, Malthus, Darwin, Butler, Hardy, H. G. Wells, and Turing. There will be about 100 pages of weekly reading--sometimes fewer, sometimes more. Note: The title and content of this course, taught steadily at MIT since 1987, predate Michael Ruse's recent 2003 volume by the same title.

9.63 Laboratory in Cognitive Science, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.63 Laboratory in Cognitive Science, Fall 2005 Oliva, Aude 9.63 teaches principles of experimental methods in human perception and cognition, including design and statistical analysis. The course combines lectures and hands-on experimental exercises and requires an independent experimental project. Some experience in programming is desirable. To foster improved writing and presentation skills in conducting and critiquing research in cognitive science, students are required to provide reports and give oral presentations of three team experiments. A fourth individually conducted experiment includes a proposal with revision, and concluding written and oral reports.

21A.348 Photography and Truth, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.348 Photography and Truth, Spring 2005 Slyomovics, Susan Photographs in anthropology serve many purposes: as primary data, illustrations of words in a book, documentation for disappearing cultures, evidence of fieldwork, material objects for museum exhibitions, and even works of art. This course explores photography as art, research tool, and communication.

21A.226 Ethnic and National Identity, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.226 Ethnic and National Identity, Spring 2005 Jackson, Jean This course is an introduction to the cross-cultural study of ethnic and national identity. We examine the concept of social identity, consider how gender, religious and racial identity components interact with ethnic and national ones. We explore the history of nationalism, including the emergence of the idea of the nation-state, and discuss the effects of globalization, migration, and transnational institutions. We also look at identity politics and ethnic conflict.

9.14 Brain Structure and its Origins, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.14 Brain Structure and its Origins, Spring 2005 Schneider, Gerald This course covers major CNS structures with emphasis on systems being used as models for experimental studies of development and plasticity. Topics include basic patterns of connections in CNS, embryogenesis, PNS anatomy and development, process outgrowth and synaptogenesis, growth factors and cell survival, spinal and hindbrain anatomy, and development of regional specificity with an introduction to comparative anatomy and CNS evolution. A review of lab techniques (anatomy, tissue culture) is also covered as well as the trigeminal system, retinotectal system development, plasticity, regeneration, neocortex anatomy and development, the olfactory system, corpus striatum, brain transplants, the limbic system and hippocampal anatomy and plasticity.

6.094 Introduction to MATLAB®, January IAP 2009

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

6.094 Introduction to MATLAB®, January IAP 2009 Ho, Patrick; Dey, Sourav; Šćepanović, Danilo; Patel, Ankit This course provides an aggressively gentle introduction to MATLAB®. It is designed to give students fluency in MATLAB, including popular toolboxes. The course consists of interactive lectures with a computer running MATLAB for each student. Problem-based MATLAB assignments are given which require significant time on MATLAB. This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

6.033 Computer System Engineering (SMA 5501), Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.033 Computer System Engineering (SMA 5501), Spring 2005 Balakrishnan, Hari; Madden, Samuel R. (Samuel Ross), 1976- Topics on the engineering of computer software and hardware systems: techniques for controlling complexity; strong modularity using client-server design, virtual memory, and threads; networks; atomicity and coordination of parallel activities; recovery and reliability; privacy, security, and encryption; and impact of computer systems on society. Case studies of working systems and readings from the current literature provide comparisons and contrasts. Two design projects. Students engage in extensive written communication exercises. Enrollment may be limited. This course was also taught as part of the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) programme as course number SMA 5501 (Computer System Engineering).

2.72 Elements of Mechanical Design, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.72 Elements of Mechanical Design, Spring 2006 Frey, Daniel; Smith, Amy Examination and practice in the application of many mechanical design elements, including control components. Students working in groups design, fabricate, and test prototype devices in response to requests from industrial sponsors. Topics: typical machine elements, power transmission elements, motors and prime movers, control elements, material selection, and assembly techniques. 2.72 is designed to be taken before 2.009. It is recommended that students not take 2.72 at the same time as 2.009. From the course home page: Course Description This course provides an advanced treatment of machine elements such as bearings, springs, gears, cams, and mechanisms. Analysis of these elements includes extensive application of core engineering curriculum including solid mechanics and fluid dynamics. The course offers practice in skills needed for machine design such as estimation, drawing, and experimentation. Students work in small teams to design and build machines that address real-world challenges.

2.007 Design and Manufacturing I, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.007 Design and Manufacturing I, Spring 2005 Slocum, Alexander H. This course develops students' competence and self-confidence as design engineers. Emphasis is on the creative design process bolstered by application of physical laws, and learning to complete projects on schedule and within budget. Synthesis, analysis, design robustness and manufacturability are emphasized. The subject relies on active learning via a major design-and-build project. Lecture topics include idea generation, estimation, concept selection, visual thinking and communication, kinematics of mechanisms, machine elements, design for manufacturing, basic electronics, and professional responsibilities and ethics. A required on-line evaluation is given at the beginning and the end of the course so students can assess their design knowledge.

5.04 Principles of Inorganic Chemistry II, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.04 Principles of Inorganic Chemistry II, Fall 2004 Nocera, Daniel G., 1957- Systematic presentation of the chemical applications of group theory. Emphasis on the formal development of the subject and its applications to the physical methods of inorganic chemical compounds. Against the backdrop of electronic structure, the electronic, vibrational, and magnetic properties of transition metal complexes are presented and their investigation by the appropriate spectroscopy described.

6.004 Computation Structures, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.004 Computation Structures, Fall 2002 Ward, Stephen A.; Terman, Christopher Jay; Pratt, Gill A. Introduces architecture of digital systems, emphasizing structural principles common to a wide range of technologies. Multilevel implementation strategies; definition of new primitives (e.g., gates, instructions, procedures, and processes) and their mechanization using lower-level elements. Analysis of potential concurrency; precedence constraints and performance measures; pipelined and multidimensional systems. Instruction set design issues; architectural support for contemporary software structures. From the course home page: Course Description 6.004 offers an introduction to the engineering of digital systems. Starting with MOS transistors, the course develops a series of building blocks - logic gates, combinational and sequential circuits, finite-state machines, computers and finally complete systems. Both hardware and software mechanisms are explored through a series of design examples. 6.004 is required material for any EECS undergraduate who wants to understand (and ultimately design) digital systems. A good grasp of the material is essential for later courses in digital design, computer architecture and systems. Before taking 6.004, students should feel comfortable using computers; a rudimentary knowledge of programming language concepts (6.001) and electrical fundamentals (6.002) is assumed.

2.672 Projects Laboratory, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.672 Projects Laboratory, Spring 2004 Cheng, Wai Kong; Hart, Douglas Engineering laboratory subject for mechanical engineering juniors and seniors. Major emphasis on interplay between analytical and experimental methods in solution of research and development problems. Communication (written and oral) of results is also a strong component of the course. Groups of two or three students work together on three projects during the term. Limited enrollment.

6.012 Microelectronic Devices and Circuits, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.012 Microelectronic Devices and Circuits, Fall 2003 Fonstad, Clifton G.; Akinwande, Akintunde I; Perrott, Michael H. Modeling of microelectronic devices, and basic microelectronic circuit analysis and design. Physical electronics of semiconductor junction and MOS devices. Relation of electrical behavior to internal physical processes; development of circuit models; and understanding the uses and limitations of various models. Use of incremental and large-signal techniques to analyze and design bipolar and field effect transistor circuits, with examples chosen from digital circuits, single-ended and differential linear amplifiers, and other integrated circuits. Design project. From the course home page: Course Description 6.012 is the header course for the department's "Devices, Circuits and Systems" concentration. The topics covered include: modeling of microelectronic devices, basic microelectronic circuit analysis and design, physical electronics of semiconductor junction and MOS devices, relation of electrical behavior to internal physical processes, development of circuit models, and understanding the uses and limitations of various models. The course uses incremental and large-signal techniques to analyze and design bipolar and field effect transistor circuits, with examples chosen from digital circuits, single-ended and differential linear amplifiers, and other integrated circuits. This course is worth 4 Engineering Design Points.

15.912 Technology Strategy, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.912 Technology Strategy, Spring 2005 Henderson, Rebecca Outlines tools for formulating and evaluating technology strategy, including an introduction to the economics of technical change, models of technological evolution, and models of organizational dynamics and innovation. Topics covered include: making money from innovation; competition between technologies and the selection of standards; optimal licensing policies; joint ventures; organization of R&D; and theories of diffusion and adoption. Taught using a combination of readings and case studies. From the course home page: Course Description This course provides a series of strategic frameworks for managing high-technology businesses. The emphasis throughout is on the development and application of conceptual models which clarify the interactions between competition, patterns of technological and market change, and the structure and development of internal firm capabilities. The course covers much of the same conceptual material as 15.351 and 15.393, and students should not take 15.912 if they have taken (or intend to take) either alternative. This is not a course in how to manage product or process development. The main focus is on the acquisition of a set of powerful analytical tools which are critical for the development of a technology strategy as an integral part of business strategy. These tools can provide the framework for insightful planning when deciding which technologies to invest in, how to structure those investments and how to anticipate and respond to the behavior of competitors, suppliers, and customers. The course should be of particular interest to those interested in managing a business for which technology is likely to play a major role, and to those interested in consulting or venture capital.

2.830J Control of Manufacturing Processes (SMA 6303), Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.830J Control of Manufacturing Processes (SMA 6303), Spring 2004 Hardt, D. E. (David E.) The objective of this subject is to understand the nature of manufacturing process variation and the methods for its control. First, a general process model for control is developed to understand the limitations a specific process places on the type of control used. A general model for process variation is presented and three methods are developed to minimize variations: Statistical Process Control, Process Optimization and in-process Feedback Control. These are considered in a hierarchy of cost-performance tradeoffs, where performance is based on changes in process capability. This course was also taught as part of the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) programme as course number SMA 6306 (Manufacturing Physics III: Process Optimisation and Control).

18.336 Numerical Methods of Applied Mathematics II, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.336 Numerical Methods of Applied Mathematics II, Spring 2005 Koev, Plamen S. Advanced introduction to applications and theory of numerical methods for solution of differential equations, especially of physically-arising partial differential equations, with emphasis on the fundamental ideas underlying various methods. Topics include finite differences, spectral methods, finite elements, well-posedness and stability, particle methods and lattice gases, boundary and nonlinear instabilities. From the course home page: Course Description This graduate-level course is an advanced introduction to applications and theory of numerical methods for solution of differential equations. In particular, the course focuses on physically-arising partial differential equations, with emphasis on the fundamental ideas underlying various methods.

5.13 Organic Chemistry II, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.13 Organic Chemistry II, Spring 2003 Swager, Timothy Manning; Fu, Gregory C. Intermediate organic chemistry. Synthesis, structure determination, mechanism, and the relationships between structure and reactivity emphasized. Special topics in organic chemistry included to illustrate the role of organic chemistry in biological systems and in the chemical industry.

1.018J / 7.30J Fundamentals of Ecology, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.018J / 7.30J Fundamentals of Ecology, Fall 2003 Chisholm, Sallie W.; Schaider, Laurel Basic subject in ecology: understanding the flow of energy and materials through ecosystems, and what regulates the distribution and abundance of organisms. Productivity and biogeochemical cycles in ecosystems; trophic dynamics; community structure and stability; competition and predation; evolution and natural selection; population growth; and physiological ecology. Emphasis on aquatic systems.

6.092 Introduction to Software Engineering in Java, January (IAP) 2009

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

6.092 Introduction to Software Engineering in Java, January (IAP) 2009 Jones, Evan; Koch, Olivier; Cudre-Mauroux, Philippe This course is an introduction to Java programming and software engineering. It is designed for those who have little or no programming experience in Java and covers concepts useful to 6.005. The focus is on developing high quality, working software that solves real problems. Students will learn the fundamentals of Java, and how to use 3rd party libraries to get more done with less work. Each session includes one hour of lecture and one hour of assisted lab work. Short labs are assigned with each lecture. This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

9.68 Affect: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of Feelings, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.68 Affect: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of Feelings, Spring 2005 Chorover, Stephan L.; Ristic, Jovan Affect is to cognition and behavior as feeling is to thinking and acting or as values are to beliefs and practices. Subject considers these relations, both at the psychological level of organization and in terms of their neurobiological and sociocultural counterparts. From the course home page: In this class, diverse aspects of the current scientific paradigm which is based largely on a distrust of emotions is explored as well as other perspectives within a broader human-ecological context. Relevant issues are approached both experientially and theoretically through discussions in class and in study groups, and through field trips and assigned readings.

9.35 Sensation and Perception, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.35 Sensation and Perception, Spring 2004 Adelson, Edward H. How do the senses work? How do physical stimuli get transformed into signals in the nervous system? How does the brain use those signals to determine what's out there in the world? All the senses are discussed; vision is covered most extensively, with topics including the perception of color, motion, form, and depth.

9.70 Social Psychology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.70 Social Psychology, Spring 2005 Chorover, Stephan L.; Ristic, Jovan In this course we learn social psychology both theoretically and practically. We examine interpersonal and group dynamics, and explore how the thoughts, feelings and actions of individuals are influenced by (and influence) the beliefs, values and practices of large and small groups. We experience the social interactions and personal reactions in the real social situations of the class.

ESD.70J / 1.145J Engineering Economy Module, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.70J / 1.145J Engineering Economy Module, Fall 2008 de Neufville, Richard, 1939-; Cardin, Michel-Alexandre, 1979- This intensive micro-subject provides the necessary skills in Excel spreadsheet modeling for ESD.71 – Engineering Systems Analysis for Design. Its purpose is to bring entering students up to speed on some of the advanced techniques that we routinely use in analysis. It is motivated by our experience that many students only have an introductory knowledge of Excel, and thus waste a lot of time thrashing about unproductively. Many people think they know Excel, but overlook many efficient tools – such as Data Table and Goal Seek. It is also useful for a variety of other subjects.

15.281 Advanced Managerial Communication, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.281 Advanced Managerial Communication, Spring 2004 Hartman, Neal Builds on managerial communication skills developed in 15.280. Introduces interactive oral and interpersonal communication skills important to managers, including presenting to a hostile audience, running meetings, listening, and contributing to group decision-making. Includes team-run classes on chosen communication topics. Also includes an executive summary and a long oral presentation, both aimed at a business audience, generally in conjunction with a project for another subject. From the course home page: Course Description This course builds on managerial communication skills developed in Management Communication for Undergraduates (15.279) or Communication for Managers (15.280). It introduces interactive oral and interpersonal communication skills important to managers, including: presenting to a hostile audience, running meetings, listening, and contributing to group decision-making. Working in teams, students present a communication topic of their choosing to the class. An individual project challenges students to address a business audience in written and oral forms.

ESD.126 Energy Systems and Economic Development, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.126 Energy Systems and Economic Development, Spring 2001 Tabors, Richard D. A team-based policy research subject focused on evaluation of energy technologies and their implementation within developing countries. Focuses on one or more specific nations, carries out a resource assessment, and develops an energy strategy that is congruent with technical potential, cultural requirements, and environmental constraints.

9.74 Foundations of Human Memory and Learning, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.74 Foundations of Human Memory and Learning, Spring 2002 Wagner, Anthony Surveys literature on human memory and learning. Focuses on the organization of memory at cognitive and neural levels, the basis of remembering and forgetting, and false memories. Cognitive theory and behavioral evidence are integrated with data from neuro-psychology and neuroimaging. Alternate years. From the course home page: Course Highlights Other than that which is genetically coded, everything we know is derived from and reflects memory for our past experiences. Memory is intimately involved in most, if not all, domains of human cognition, from the ability to temporarily remember a phone number or where you placed your keys to the acquisition of language and the ability to reason. This course surveys the literature on human memory and learning, including consideration of the cognitive and neural organization of memory, the basis of remembering and forgetting, and the nature of false memories. Cognitive theory and behavioral evidence will be integrated with data from neuropsychology and functional brain imaging. Course Description Surveys literature on human memory and learning. Focuses on the organization of memory at cognitive and neural levels, the basis of remembering and forgetting, and false memories. Cognitive theory and behavioral evidence are integrated with data from neuro-psychology and neuroimaging.

16.36 Communication Systems Engineering, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.36 Communication Systems Engineering, Spring 2003 Modiano, Eytan H. Introduces the fundamentals of digital communications and networking. Topics covered include elements of information theory, sampling and quantization, coding, modulation, signal detection and system performance in the presence of noise. Study of data networking includes multiple access, reliable packet transmission, routing and protocols of the internet. Concepts discussed in the context of aerospace communication systems: aircraft communications, satellite communications, and deep space communications.

15.571 Generating Business Value from Information Technology, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.571 Generating Business Value from Information Technology, Spring 2007 Weill, Peter Changing the basis of competition, e-Business means doing business electronically by bringing together buyers and sellers. The growth of e-business moves businesses from the place to the space. The familiar components of the place: cash, checks, paper reports and documents, store fronts, and face to face meetings remain important, but less so. In addition, growing in importance is the space where information in all its forms becomes digital and the cost of replicating and distributing this information approaches zero. The business models for e-business are emerging, being simultaneously developed and market tested by firms who are doing business electronically. Subject focuses on how to understand the viable e-business models for existing businesses. The challenges facing existing, traditional, and successful firms that must operate in both place and space are addressed in detail. Restricted to graduate students. From the course home page: Course Description This course covers what every senior manager needs to know about using IT to enable strategy and get more value from IT. In this course we take the strategic perspective of the general manager and study how leading firms get more value from their IT investments. The course focuses on the strategic impact and business value that can be achieved rather than the details of the technology. Issues around governance will pervade the course. An IT background is not required and this is not a 'technical' course.

18.311 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.311 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Spring 2006 Bazant, Martin Z. Introduction to fundamental concepts in "continuous" applied mathematics. Extensive use of demonstrational software. Discussion of computational and modelling issues. Nonlinear dynamical systems; nonlinear waves; diffusion; stability; characteristics; nonlinear steepening, breaking and shock formation; conservation laws; first-order partial differential equations; finite differences; numerical stability; etc. Applications to traffic problems, flows in rivers, internal waves, mechanical vibrations and other problems in the physical world. From the course home page: Course Description This course introduces fundamental concepts in "continuous'' applied mathematics, with an emphasis on nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). Topics include linear and nonlinear waves: kinematic waves, method of characteristics, expansion fans, wave breaking, shock dynamics, shock structure; linear and nonlinear diffusion: Green functions, Fourier transform, similarity solutions, boundary layers, Nernst-Planck equations. Applications include traffic flow, gas dynamics, and granular flow.

12.141 Electron Microprobe Analysis by Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry, January (IAP) 2006

2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

12.141 Electron Microprobe Analysis by Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry, January (IAP) 2006 Chatterjee, Nilanjan; Grove, Timothy L. Introduction to the theory of x-ray microanalysis through the electron microprobe including ZAF matrix corrections. Techniques to be discussed are wavelength and energy dispersive spectrometry, scanning backscattered electron, secondary electron, cathodoluminescence, and X-ray imaging. Lab sessions involve hands-on use of the electron microprobe. From the course home page: Course Description This lab-oriented course introduces the student to the subject of X-ray spectrometry and micro-scale chemical quantitative analysis of solid samples through an intensive series of hands-on laboratory exercises that use the electron microprobe.

9.373 Somatosensory and Motor Systems, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.373 Somatosensory and Motor Systems, Spring 2002 Bizzi, Emilio; Graybiel, A. M. (Ann M.), 1942-; Sur, Mriganka; Schiller, Peter H. General principles of motor control in biological systems. Structure and function of sensory receptors. Muscle structure and reflex arcs. Spinal cord. Locomotion. Oculomotor control. Cerebellar structure and function. Motor thalamus. Basal ganglia. Somatosensory cortex: maps and neuronal properties. Cortical plasticity. Motor psychophysics and computational approaches to motor control, and motor planning. Alternate years.

11.304J / 4.255J Site and Urban Systems Planning, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.304J / 4.255J Site and Urban Systems Planning, Spring 2006 Ben-Joseph, Eran The planning of sites and the infrastructure systems which serve them. Site analysis, spatial organization of uses on sites, design of roadways and subdivision patterns, grading plans, utility systems, analysis of runoff, parking requirements, traffic and off-site impacts, landscaping. Lectures on analytical techniques and examples of good site-planning practice. Assignments on each aspect of subject. From the course home page: Course Description This course reviews land inventory, analysis and the planning of sites and the infrastructure systems that serve them. It also examines spatial organization of uses, parcelization, design of roadways, grading, utility systems, stormwater runoff, parking, traffic and off-site impacts, as well as landscaping. It also covers lectures on analytical techniques and examples of good site-planning practice. Requirements include a series of assignments and a client based project.

9.402 Language and Thought, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.402 Language and Thought, Fall 2002 Boroditsky, Lera; Carey, Susan; Spelke, Elizabeth S. Subject examines the many interrelationships between language and thought. Do people who speak different languages think differently? Does learning new languages change the way you think? Do polyglots think differently in different languages? Are some thoughts unthinkable without language? Subject discussion brings together ideas and findings from cognitive, developmental, and cultural psychology, as well as linguistics, anthropology, and ethology.

5.069 Crystal Structure Analysis, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.069 Crystal Structure Analysis, Spring 2008 Mueller, Peter This course covers the following topics: X-ray diffraction: symmetry, space groups, geometry of diffraction, structure factors, phase problem, direct methods, Patterson methods, electron density maps, structure refinement, how to grow good crystals, powder methods, limits of X-ray diffraction methods, and structure data bases.

5.13 Organic Chemistry II, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.13 Organic Chemistry II, Fall 2003 Jamison, Timothy F.; Tabacco, Sarah A. Intermediate organic chemistry. Synthesis, structure determination, mechanism, and the relationships between structure and reactivity emphasized. Special topics in organic chemistry included to illustrate the role of organic chemistry in biological systems and in the chemical industry. From the course home page: Course Description This intermediate organic chemistry course focuses on the methods used to identify the structure of organic molecules, advanced principles of organic stereochemistry, organic reaction mechanisms, and methods used for the synthesis of organic compounds. Additional special topics include illustrating the role of organic chemistry in biology, medicine, and industry.

5.067 Crystal Structure Refinement, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.067 Crystal Structure Refinement, Fall 2007 Mueller, Peter This course in crystal structure refinement examines the practical aspects of crystal structure determination from data collection strategies to data reduction and basic and advanced refinement problems of organic and inorganic molecules.

21L.016 / 21M.616 Learning from the Past: Drama, Science, Performance, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.016 / 21M.616 Learning from the Past: Drama, Science, Performance, Spring 2007 Henderson, Diana E.; Sonenberg, Janet This class explores the creation (and creativity) of the modern scientific and cultural world through study of western Europe in the 17th century, the age of Descartes and Newton, Shakespeare, Rembrandt and Moliere. It compares period thinking to present-day debates about the scientific method, art, religion, and society. This team-taught, interdisciplinary subject draws on a wide range of literary, dramatic, historical, and scientific texts and images, and involves theatrical experimentation as well as reading, writing, researching and conversing.

12.007 Geobiology, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.007 Geobiology, Spring 2007 Summons, Roger The interactive Earth system: biology in geologic, environmental and climate change throughout Earth history. Since life began it has continually shaped and re-shaped the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and the solid earth. Subject introduces the concept of "life as a geological agent" and examines the interaction between biology and the earth system during the roughly 4 billion years since life first appeared. Topics include the origin of the solar system and the early Earth atmosphere; the origin and evolution of life and its influence on climate up through and including the modern age and the problem of global warming; the global carbon cycle; and astrobiology.

24.973 Advanced Semantics, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.973 Advanced Semantics, Spring 2005 Fintel, Kai von; Heim, Irene Current work on semantics and questions of logic and meaning for syntactic systems in generative grammar. From the course home page: Course Description This course is the second of the three parts of our graduate introduction to semantics. The others are 24.970 "Introduction to Semantics" and 24.954 "Pragmatics in Linguistic Theory". Like the other courses, this one is not meant as an overview of the field and its current developments. Our aim is to help you develop the ability for semantic analysis, and we think that exploring a few topics in detail together with hands-on practical work is more effective than offering a bird's-eye view of everything. Once you have gained some experience in doing semantic analysis, reading around in the many recent handbooks and in current issues of major journals and attending our seminars and colloquia will give you all you need to prosper. Because we want to focus, we need to make difficult choices as to which topics to cover. We tend to rotate topics from year to year to keep the course fresh. Eventually, we hope to have a text book that would allow you to work through some additional topics not covered in a particular instantiation of the course. Until then, our apologies. This time around, we will work on a number of topics involving intensionality: (1) modality, conditionals, scope in modal contexts, (2) tense, events, time adverbials, (3) questions.

21M.606 Introduction to Stagecraft, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21M.606 Introduction to Stagecraft, Spring 2003 Fregosi, William A.; Held, Leslie Cocuzzo; Katz, Michael; Perlow, Karen J. Introduces students to the variety and scope of stagecraft while they learn basic shop skills. Students develop shop vocabulary and learn basic skills, including the safe use of all shop machines, basic handwork skills, names and uses of tools, and an overview of the various activities that go on in each shop. In each seven-week segment, students complete a project that uses all basic skills. From the course home page: Course Description Offered annually in the spring term, Introduction to Stagecraft is a hands-on course that gets students working with the tools and techniques of theatrical production in a practical way. It is not a design course but one devoted to artisanship. Among the many remarkable final projects that have been proposed and presented at the end of the course have been a Renaissance hourglass blown in the MIT glass shop and set into a frame turned on our set shop lathe; a four harness loom built by a student who then wove cloth on it; a number of chain mail tunics and coifs; a wide variety of costume and furniture pieces and electrified period lighting fixtures.

11.125 Exploring K-12 Classroom Teaching, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.125 Exploring K-12 Classroom Teaching, Spring 2005 Klopfer, Eric Subject uses K-12 classroom experiences, along with student-centered classroom activities and student-led classes, to explore issues in schools and education. Topics of study include design and implementation of curriculum, addressing the needs of a diversity of students, standards in math and science, student misconceptions, methods of instruction, the digital divide, teaching through different media, and student assessment.

11.127 / 11.252 Computer Games and Simulations for Investigation and Education, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.127 / 11.252 Computer Games and Simulations for Investigation and Education, Spring 2005 Klopfer, Eric Project-based subject in which students from multiple disciplines are encouraged to develop and investigate systems and ideas from their fields of study as they explore the process of building and testing models and simulations. Explores various modeling software packages, criteria for developing the most appropriate simulation for a given situation, and methods for evaluating the success and utility of models. Students with an education focus consider what and how people learn from simulations, and how modeling tools can be implemented in public school settings. Graduate students are expected to complete additional assignments. From the course home page: Course Description This course will explore educational games and simulations and several computer modeling platforms. We will focus on design and research issues pertinent to learning through simulations and games. Throughout the course we will explore concepts in modeling, simulation, and gaming common to many domains, and investigate specific applications from a variety of fields ranging from weather to ecology to traffic management.

4.462 / 4.441 Building Technologies II: Building Structural Systems I, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

4.462 / 4.441 Building Technologies II: Building Structural Systems I, Spring 2003 Ochsendorf, John A This course serves as an introduction to the history, theory, and construction of basic structural systems with an introduction to energy issues in buildings. Emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of basic systematic and elemental behavior; principles of structural behavior and analysis of individual structural elements and strategies for load carrying. The subject introduces fundamental energy topics including thermodynamics, psychrometrics, and comfort, as they relate to building design and construction. This course is the first of two graduate structures courses, the second of which is 4.463. They offer an expanded version of the content presented in the undergraduate course, 4.440.

SP.784 Wheelchair Design in Developing Countries, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.784 Wheelchair Design in Developing Countries, Spring 2007 Winter, Amos G.; Amy, Smith This class will give students the chance to better the lives of others by improving wheelchairs and tricycles made in the developing world. According to the United States Agency for International Development, 20 million people in developing countries require wheelchairs, and the United Nations Development Programme estimates below 1% of the need in Africa is being met by local production. Lectures will focus on understanding local factors, such as operating environments, social stigmas against the disabled, and manufacturing constraints, then applying sound scientific/engineering knowledge to develop appropriate technical solutions. Multidisciplinary student teams will conduct term-long projects on topics such as hardware design, manufacturing optimization, biomechanics modeling, and business plan development. Theory will further be connected to real-world implementation during guest lectures by MIT faculty, Third World community partners, and U.S. wheelchair organizations. Funded summer fellowships to implement class projects into African wheelchair workshops will be offered to at least six students. This class is made possible by an MIT Alumni Sponsored Funding Opportunities grant with additional support from the MIT Public Service Center and the Edgerton Center.

17.537 / 17.538 Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.537 / 17.538 Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan, Spring 2003 Samuels, Richard J. This subject is designed for upper level undergraduates and graduate students as an introduction to politics and the policy process in modern Japan. The semester is divided into two parts. After a two-week general introduction to Japan and to the dominant approaches to the study of Japanese history, politics and society, we will begin exploring five aspects of Japanese politics: (1) Party Politics (2) Electoral Politics (3) Interest Group Politics and (4) Bureaucratic Politics. The second part of the semester focuses on public policy, divided into seven major policy areas: (1) Social Policy (2) Foreign Policy (3) Defence Policy (4) Energy Policy (5) Science and Technology Policy (6) Industrial Policy and (7) Trade Policy. We will try to understand the ways in which the actors and institutions identified in the first part of the semester affect the policy process across a variety of issue areas.

2.51 Intermediate Heat and Mass Transfer, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.51 Intermediate Heat and Mass Transfer, Fall 2001 Lienhard, John H. Analysis, modeling, and design of heat and mass transfer processes with application to common technologies. Unsteady heat conduction in one or more dimensions, steady conduction in multidimensional configurations, numerical simulation; forced convection in laminar and turbulent flows; natural convection in internal and external configurations; phase change heat transfer; thermal radiation, black bodies, grey radiation networks, spectral and solar radiation; mass transfer at low rates, evaporation. From the course home page: Course Description 2.51 is a 12-unit subject, serving as the Mechanical Engineering Department's advanced undergraduate course in heat and mass transfer. The prerequisites for this course are the undergraduate courses in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, specifically Thermal Fluids Engineering I and Thermal Fluids Engineering II or their equivalents. This course covers problems of heat and mass transfer in greater depth and complexity than is done in those courses and incorporates many subjects that are not included or are treated lightly in those courses; analysis is given greater emphasis than the use of correlations. Course 2.51 is directed at undergraduates having a strong interest in thermal science and graduate students who have not previously studied heat transfer.

6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Fall 2000 Lang, Jeffrey (Jeffrey H.); Agarwal, Anant Fundamentals of the lumped circuit abstraction. Resistive elements and networks; independent and dependent sources; switches and MOS devices; digital abstraction; amplifiers; and energy storage elements. Dynamics of first- and second-order networks; design in the time and frequency domains; analog and digital circuits and applications. Design exercises. Alternate week laboratory. Enrollment may be limited. From the course home page: Course Description 6.002 introduces the fundamentals of the lumped circuit abstraction. Topics covered include: resistive elements and networks; independent and dependent sources; switches and MOS transistors; digital abstraction; amplifiers; energy storage elements; dynamics of first- and second-order networks; design in the time and frequency domains; and analog and digital circuits and applications. Design and lab exercises are also significant components of the course. 6.002 is worth 4 Engineering Design Points.

1.050 Solid Mechanics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.050 Solid Mechanics, Fall 2002 Bucciarelli, Louis This course introduces students to the fundamental principles and methods of structural mechanics. Topics covered include: static equilibrium, force resultants, support conditions, analysis of determinate planar structures (beams, trusses, frames), stresses and strains in structural elements, states of stress (shear, bending, torsion), statically indeterminate systems, displacements and deformations, introduction to matrix methods, elastic stability, and approximate methods. Design exercises are used to encourage creative student initiative and systems thinking.

21L.703 Studies in Drama: Stoppard and Churchill, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.703 Studies in Drama: Stoppard and Churchill, Spring 2004 Henderson, Diana E. What is the interplay between an event and its "frames"? What is special and distinctive about stage events? How and why do contemporary dramatists turn back in time for their settings, models, and materials? How do they play with this material to create performance pieces of importance and delight for modern audiences? How do they create distinct, fresh perspectives using the stage in an era of mass and multi-media? What is the implied audience for these plays, and how does that clash or coincide with actual audience expectations and responses? What information do we "need to know," and what do we need to know that is not information? If words circulate, can meaning be stable? What is the relationship between pleasure and responsibility? What are the politics of stagecraft in our time? Is the theater really dead? What '60s pop song includes the previous question? Focusing on two of Britain's most respected and prolific contemporary dramatists, Caryl Churchill and Tom Stoppard, we will explore these and other questions involving literary history, interpretation, and performance. As well as carefully reading and discussing selected plays, the class will create (collectively) an archive of material to enrich our understanding of the texts and their contexts-a sort of "Notes Toward a Supreme OCW Site." (The last phrase is an example of citation à la Stoppard; it may be just frivolous-or maybe not.)

24.118 Paradox and Infinity, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.118 Paradox and Infinity, Fall 2006 Briggs, Rachael Amy; Rayo, Agustin In this class we will study a cluster of puzzles, paradoxes and intellectual wonders - from Zeno's Paradox to Godel's Theorem - and discuss their philosophical implications.

4.440 Basic Structural Theory, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

4.440 Basic Structural Theory, Spring 2003 Ochsendorf, John A This course introduces the static behavior of structures and strength of materials. Topics covered include: reactions, truss analysis, stability of structures, stress and strain at a point, shear and bending moment diagrams, stresses in beams, Mohr's Circle, column buckling, and deflection of beams. Laboratory sessions are included where students are asked to solve structural problems by building simple models and testing them.

21H.150J / 21F.043J Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture, & Historical Experience, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.150J / 21F.043J Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture, & Historical Experience, Fall 2002 Anonymous An interdisciplinary subject that draws on literature, history, anthropology, film, and cultural studies to examine the experiences of Asian Americans in US society. Covers the first wave of Asian immigration in the nineteenth century, the rise of anti-Asian movements, the experiences of Asian Americans during WWII, the emergence of the Asian American movement in the 1960s, and the new wave of "post-1965" Asian immigration. Examines the role these historical experiences played in the formation of Asian American ethnicity, and explores how these experiences informed Asian American literature and culture. Addresses key societal issues such as racial stereotyping, media racism, affirmative action issues, the glass ceiling, the "model minority" syndrome, and anti-Asian harassment or violence.

21F.044 Traditional Chinese Literature: Poetry, Fiction and Drama, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.044 Traditional Chinese Literature: Poetry, Fiction and Drama, Fall 2002 Anonymous Introduction to some of the major genres of traditional Chinese poetry, fiction, and drama. Intended to give students a basic understanding of the central features of traditional Chinese literary genres, as well as to introduce students to the classic works of the Chinese literary tradition. Works to be read include: Journey to the West, Outlaws of the Margin, Dream of the Red Chamber, and the poetry of the major Tang dynasty poets. Literature to be read in translation. Taught in English.

21H.153J / SP.421J / WGS.421J Race and Gender in Asian America, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.153J / SP.421J / WGS.421J Race and Gender in Asian America, Fall 2002 Anonymous An interdisciplinary examination of the Asian-American experience with particular emphasis on gender and race from mid-nineteenth century to present. Topics include: Asian American women's history, Asian American feminisms, gender and ethnic nationalism, images of Asian American men and women in film and media, sexuality, and the impact of immigration on gender roles. Uses extensive primary sources and audio-visual media.

21H.153J / SP.421J / WMN.421J Race and Gender in Asian America, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.153J / SP.421J / WMN.421J Race and Gender in Asian America, Fall 2002 Teng, Emma J. An interdisciplinary examination of the Asian-American experience with particular emphasis on gender and race from mid-nineteenth century to present. Topics include: Asian American women's history, Asian American feminisms, gender and ethnic nationalism, images of Asian American men and women in film and media, sexuality, and the impact of immigration on gender roles. Uses extensive primary sources and audio-visual media.

6.111 Introductory Digital Systems Laboratory, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.111 Introductory Digital Systems Laboratory, Spring 2004 Chandrakasan, Anantha P; Troxel, Donald E. Lectures and labs on digital logic, flipflops, PALs, counters, timing, synchronization, finite-state machines, and microprogrammed systems prepare students for the design and implementation of a final project of their choice: games, music, digital filters, graphics, etc. Extensive use of VHDL for describing and implementing digital logic designs. Possible use of lab report for Phase II of the Writing Requirement. Six extra units possible via registration for 6.905 after project proposal. From the course home page: Course Description 6.111 covers digital design topics such as digital logic, flipflops, PALs, CPLDs, FPGAs, counters, timing, synchronization, and finite-state machines. The semester begins with lectures and problem sets, to introduce fundamental topics before students embark on lab assignments and ultimately, a digital design project. The students design and implement a final digital project of their choice, in areas such as games, music, digital filters, wireless communications, and graphics. The course relies on extensive use of Verilog® for describing and implementing digital logic designs.

HST.583 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Data Acquisition and Analysis, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

HST.583 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Data Acquisition and Analysis, Fall 2002 Gollub, Randy L.; Bird, Stephanie J.; Brown, Emery Neal; Fischl, Bruce; Kanwisher, Nancy; Kennedy, David N. (David Nelson), 1962-; Manoach, Dara; Melcher, Jennifer R.; Moore, Christopher; Wald, Lawrence; Dale, Anders; Schmitt, F. (Franz), 1953-; Greve, Doug; Hoge, Rick; Jovicich, Jorge; Mandeville, Joe; Rosen, Bruce Robert; Savage, Cary; Savoy, Robert; Sorensen, A. Gregory; Tuch, David Solomon, 1973-; Vanduffel, Wim; Vangel, Mark Geoffrey; Bush, George Provides information relevant to the conduct and interpretation of human brain mapping studies. Provides in-depth coverage of the physics of image formation, mechanisms of image contrast, and the physiological basis for image signals. Parenchymal and cerebrovascular neuroanatomy and application of sophisticated structural analysis algorithms for segmentation and registration of functional data are discussed. Additional topics include fMRI experimental design including block design, event related and exploratory data analysis methods, and building and applying statistical models for fMRI data. Human subject issues including informed consent, institutional review board requirements and safety in the high field environment are also presented. Probability, linear algebra, differential equations, and introductory or college-level subjects in neurobiology, physiology, and physics is required.

6.041 / 6.431 Probabilistic Systems Analysis and Applied Probability, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.041 / 6.431 Probabilistic Systems Analysis and Applied Probability, Fall 2002 Medard, Muriel; Tsitsiklis, John N.; Bertsekas, Dimitri P.; Abou Faycal, Ibrahim C. (Ibrahim Chafik) Modeling, quantification, and analysis of uncertainty. Formulation and solution in sample space. Random variables, transform techniques, simple random processes and their probability distributions, Markov processes, limit theorems, and elements of statistical inference. Interpretations, applications, and lecture demonstrations. Meets with graduate subject 6.431, but assignments differ. From the course home page: Course Description This course is offered both to undergraduates (6.041) and graduates (6.431), but the assignments differ. 6.041/6.431 introduces students to the modeling, quantification, and analysis of uncertainty. Topics covered include: formulation and solution in sample space, random variables, transform techniques, simple random processes and their probability distributions, Markov processes, limit theorems, and elements of statistical inference. The materials are largely based on the textbook, Dynamic Programming and Optimal Control, written by Professors John Tsitsiklis and Dimitri Bertsekas (see http://www.athenasc.com/probbook.html for more information).

16.901 Computational Methods in Aerospace Engineering, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.901 Computational Methods in Aerospace Engineering, Spring 2005 Darmofal, David This course serves as an introduction to computational techniques arising in aerospace engineering. Applications are drawn from aerospace structures, aerodynamics, dynamics and control, and aerospace systems. Techniques include: numerical integration of systems of ordinary differential equations; finite-difference, finite-volume, and finite-element discretization of partial differential equations; numerical linear algebra; eigenvalue problems; and optimization with constraints.

16.06 Principles of Automatic Control, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.06 Principles of Automatic Control, Fall 2003 Deyst, John; Willcox, Karen The course deals with introduction to design of feedback control systems, properties and advantages of feedback systems, time-domain and frequency-domain performance measures, stability and degree of stability. It also covers root locus method, nyquist criterion, frequency-domain design, and state space methods.

16.323 Principles of Optimal Control, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.323 Principles of Optimal Control, Spring 2006 How, Jonathan P. Studies the principles of deterministic optimal control. Variational calculus and Pontryagin's maximum principle. Applications of the theory, including optimal feedback control, time-optimal control, and others. Dynamic programming and numerical search algorithms introduced briefly.

16.07 Dynamics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.07 Dynamics, Fall 2004 Peraire, Jaume Dynamics starts with fundamentals of Newtonian mechanics. Further topics include kinematics, particle dynamics, motion relative to accelerated reference frames, work and energy, impulse and momentum, systems of particles and rigid body dynamics. Applications to aerospace engineering are discussed, including introductory topics in orbital mechanics, flight dynamics, inertial navigation and attitude dynamics.

16.522 Space Propulsion, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.522 Space Propulsion, Spring 2004 Martinez-Sanchez, Manuel Space Propulsion begins with a review of rocket propulsion fundamentals. The course then proceeds into advanced propulsion concepts, ranging from chemical to electrical engines. Propulsion system selection criteria and mission analysis are introduced. The bulk of the semester is devoted to the physics and engineering of various engine classes, including electrothermal, electrostatic and electro-magnetic. Specific topics include arcjets, ion engines, Hall thrusters and colloid thrusters.

16.21 Techniques of Structural Analysis and Design, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.21 Techniques of Structural Analysis and Design, Spring 2003 Radovitzky, Raul A. Introduces analysis techniques for complex structures and the role of material properties in structural design, failure, and longevity. Energy principles in structural analysis and applications to statically-indeterminate structures and solid continua. Matrix and finite-element methods of structured analysis including bars, beams, and two-dimensional plane stress elements. Structural materials and their properties; metals and composites. Modes of structural failure. Criteria for yielding and fracture. Crack formation and fracture mechanics. Fatigue and design for longevity. Other failure modes. Structural design project.

16.01-04 Unified Engineering I, II, III, & IV, Fall 2003-Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.01-04 Unified Engineering I, II, III, & IV, Fall 2003-Spring 2004 Hall, Steven Ray; Coleman, Charles P; Drela, Mark; Lundqvist, Ingrid Kristina; Spearing, S Mark; Waitz, Ian A; Young, Peter W The basic objective of Unified is to give a solid understanding of the fundamental disciplines of aerospace engineering, as well as their interrelationships and applications. These disciplines are Materials and Structures (M); Computers and Programming (C); Fluid Mechanics (F); Thermodynamics and Propulsion (T); and Signals and Systems (S). In choosing to teach these subjects in a unified manner, we seek to explain the common intellectual threads in these disciplines, as well as their combined application to solve engineering Systems Problems (SP). Throughout the year we will endeavor to point out the connections among the disciplines.

21H.802 Modern Latin America, 1808-Present: Revolution, Dictatorship, Democracy, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.802 Modern Latin America, 1808-Present: Revolution, Dictatorship, Democracy, Fall 2002 Ravel, Jeffrey S. Selective survey of Latin American history from the wars of independence at the start of the nineteenth century to the present. Issues studied include: independence and its aftermath, slavery and its abolition, Latin America in the global economy, relations between Latin America and the US, dictatorships and democracies in the twentieth century, and revolution in Mexico, Cuba, and Central America.

HST.723 Neural Coding and Perception of Sound, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

HST.723 Neural Coding and Perception of Sound, Spring 2003 Delgutte, Bertrand; Brown, Merritt Christian; Guinan, John Joseph; Melcher, Jennifer R.; Oxenham, Andrew J.; Brown, M. Christian; Melcher, Jennifer R. Neural structures and mechanisms mediating the detection, localization, and recognition of sounds. Discussion of how acoustic signals are coded by auditory neurons, the impact of these codes on behavorial performance, and the circuitry and cellular mechanisms underlying signal transformations. Topics include temporal coding, neural maps and feature detectors, learning and plasticity, and feedback control. General principles are conveyed by theme discussions of auditory masking, sound localization, musical pitch, speech coding, and cochlear implants, and auditory scene analysis.

21F.501 / 21F.551 / 21F.571 Japanese I, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.501 / 21F.551 / 21F.571 Japanese I, Fall 2009 Nagaya, Yoshimi; Ikeda-Lamm, Masami; Shingu, Ikue This course covers Japanese: The Spoken Language Lessons 1 through 6, providing opportunities to acquire basic skills for conversation, reading and writing. The program emphasizes active command of Japanese, not passive knowledge. The goal is not simply to study the grammar and vocabulary, but to improve the ability to use Japanese accurately and appropriately with fluency. Students will learn 56 Kanji characters in this course, as well as introducing Hiragana and Katakana.

ESD.801 Leadership Development, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.801 Leadership Development, Fall 2010 Newman, Dava Students in ESD.801 Leadership Development work in a seminar environment to develop leadership capabilities. Readings, assignments and class discussion explore the topics covered in this class. In addition, students participate in an Outward Bound experience and participate in "leadership lunches" with global leaders.

21F.730 Twentieth and Twentyfirst-Century Spanish American Literature, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.730 Twentieth and Twentyfirst-Century Spanish American Literature, Spring 2003 Garrels, Elizabeth Este semestre la materia combina obras ya canonizadas de finales del siglo XIX y del XX con algunas obras de reciente aparición. De los géneros literarios, vemos poesía, el cuento corto, la novela y la autobiografía. También vemos una película de tema ficticio y dos documentales. El estudiante que se interese por hacerlo puede usar los materiales en la Reserva y en la red para familiarizarse con la historia literaria y cinematográfica de este período. Nuestro enfoque principal, sin embargo, será leer bien y de modo analítico, textos literarios de diferentes momentos históricos y culturas nacionales (e internacionales). Aunque discutiremos analíticamente las tres películas, su interés principal para nosotros será, en un caso, conocer el argumento ideológico de una novela muy famosa e influyente que, por falta de tiempo, no vamos a poder leer en sus totalidad, y en los dos otros casos, para contextualizar una autobiografía y tener un punto de comparación para estudiar cómo se puede reconstruir la memoria simultáneamente individual y colectiva. Otros temas, que se estudiarán en varias obras, serán el bilingüismo (español/inglés) en ciertos escritores hispanoamericanos contemporáneos, y el auge de la novela best seller en la América Hispana.

21F.065 / 21F.593 Japanese Literature and Cinema, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.065 / 21F.593 Japanese Literature and Cinema, Spring 2006 Condry, Ian This course includes surveys for both cinematic and literary representations of diverse eras and aspects of Japanese culture such as the classical era, the samurai age, wartime Japan and the atomic bombings, social change in the postwar period, and the appropriation of foreign cultural themes, with an emphasis on the modern period. The directors include Akira Kurosawa and Hiroshi Teshigahara. The authors include Kobo Abe and Yukio Mishima. The films are shown with subtitles in English. The course is taught in English.

21F.104 Chinese IV (Regular), Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.104 Chinese IV (Regular), Spring 2003 Chen, Tong Continuation of 21F.103. For full description, see 21F.103. From the course home page: Course Description This is the continuing instruction in spoken and written Chinese, with particular emphasis on consolidating basic conversational skills and improving reading confidence and depth. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to speak Chinese with some fluency on basic conversational topics, achieve a basic level of reading competence within simplified and traditional characters learned plus common compounds, and be able to write short compositions.

ESD.83 Doctoral Seminar in Engineering Systems, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.83 Doctoral Seminar in Engineering Systems, Fall 2009 Magee, Christopher L.; Sussman, Joseph In establishing the Engineering Systems Division, MIT has embarked on a bold experiment – bringing together diverse areas of expertise into what is designed to be a new field of study. In many respects, the full scale and scope of Engineering Systems as a field is still emerging. This seminar is simultaneously designed to codify what we presently know and to give direction for future development.

21F.102 / 21F.152 Chinese II, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.102 / 21F.152 Chinese II, Spring 2005 Wheatley, Julian K. This subject is the second semester of two that form an introduction to modern standard Chinese, commonly called Mandarin. Though not everyone taking this course will be an absolute beginner, the course presupposes only 21F.101/151, the beginning course in the sequence. The purpose of this course is to develop: (a) basic conversational abilities (pronunciation, fundamental grammatical patterns, common vocabulary, and standard usage); (b) basic reading skills (in both the traditional character set and the simplified); (c) an understanding of the way the Chinese writing system is structured, and the ability to copy and write characters; and (d) a sense of what learning a language like Chinese entails, and the sort of learning processes that it involves, so students are able to continue studying effectively on their own.

21F.711 Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.711 Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition, Spring 2002 Groeger, Margarita Subject designed as a logical complement to Advanced Reading and Writing in Spanish. Unlike 21F.713, which focuses primarily on literary language, subject focuses on expository and journalistic writing that examines the social and cultural impact of science and technology in Hispanic societies. Topics considered are: family structure and community, personal identity, gender relations, relationship to natural world, value systems and religion, education and work-life. Ethical implications of technological decision-making also discussed. Improves oral and written skills through discussions of audiovisual materials, simulations, interviews, guided compositions, regular journal writing, and participation on an online forum. Readings include: journalistic reports, essays, and literary selections offering diverse perspectives. Taught in Spanish. From the course home page: Course Description En este curso el estudiante perfeccionará su comunicación oral y escrita mediante el estudio y la discusión de temas relacionados al impacto social y cultural de la ciencia y la tecnología en ciertas sociedades hispanas. Algunos de los temas que se considerarán son los efectos de los cambios tecnológicos en la estructura familiar y comunitaria, en las relaciones entre los sexos, en la identidad personal y cultural, en el mundo natural y en los sistemas de valores, la religión, la educación y el trabajo. También se examinarán y compararán diversas actitudes hacia la innovación tecnológica y científica tal como se expresan en los medios de comunicación, los debates públicos, la literatura y el arte de las sociedades hispanas. Las ramificaciones éticas de las decisiones tecnológicas también se discutirán.

21F.414 German Culture, Media, and Society, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.414 German Culture, Media, and Society, Fall 2004 Fendt, Kurt E. Studies major texts and artistic expressions by analyzing them within the larger context of German cultural history. Investigates the German enlightenment, the culture of German liberalism and its increasingly nationalistic turn in Wilhelmine Germany; explores cultural manifestations of German modernism and anti-modernism, and examines the rise of National Socialism. Readings include: Lessing, Kant, Schiller, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud. Music by Mozart, Schumann, Wagner, Sch"nberg. Paintings by Friedrich, Kirchner, and Kokoschka. Films by Lang and Riefenstahl. Taught in German. Description from course home page: Dieser Kurs beleuchtet schwerpunktartig das neue Selbstbewusstsein von Minoritäten in Deutschland. Zahlreiche aktuelle Beispiele aus Film, Radio, Fernsehen und Literatur belegen den zunehmenden Beitrag dieser Gruppe zum Kultur- und Medienschaffen in Deutschland, sowie deren sich verändernde Repräsentation in den deutschen Medien. Ein zweiter Themenbereich behandelt den neuen Blick nach Osten und die aktuelle Verarbeitung der deutschen Vereinigung unter dem Stichwort Ostalgie. Jüngste Beispiele von populären Medienformen wie Hörspiel und Kurzfilm verdeutlichen die spezifischen Produktions- und Rezeptionsbedingungen in der deutschen Medienlandschaft. In einem Hörspiel-Workshop mit der deutsch-japanischen Schriftstellerin Yoko Tawada haben die Studenten außerdem die Möglichkeit die Themen des Kurses zu diskutieren sowie selbst in der Produktion zu erfahren.

21F.013 Out of Ground Zero: Catastrophe and Memory, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.013 Out of Ground Zero: Catastrophe and Memory, Fall 2002 Scribner, Charity Subject offers a cross-cultural and trans-historical perspective on the problems of catastrophe and the process of memorializing. It asks what media and various art forms can offer to the project of collective memory. It engages key texts on the notion of "ground zero" in the urban cultures of Europe and Japan, and draws from them a provisional theoretical framework with which to analyze the public responses to the World Trade Center attacks. Topics covered include: The Enola Gay controversy, architectural sites at Hiroshima and Auschwitz, the aesthetic and iconographic dimensions of the events of September 11, and the media influence on our perception of global commerce, transportation systems, surveillance, non-Western cultures and oppositional political formations. Authors include Robert Musil, Maurice Halbwachs, Shusaku Arakawa, Michael Hogan, Ariella Azoulay, Chomsky, Freud, and Edward Said. Taught in English. From the course home page: Course Description Within twenty-four hours of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 politicians, artists, and cultural critics had begun to ask how to memorialize the deaths of thousands of people. This question persists today, but it can also be countered with another: is building a monument the best way to commemorate that moment in history? What might other discourses, media, and art forms offer in such a project of collective memory? How can these cultural formations help us to assess the immediate reaction to the attack? To approach these issues, "Out of Ground Zero" looks back to earlier sites of catastrophe in Germany and Japan.

21F.703 Spanish 3, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.703 Spanish 3, Spring 2003 Morgenstern, Douglas; Ramos, Jose Aims at consolidation and expansion of skills in listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Uses short stories and other readings, Hispanic television programs, and interactive video to study issues of current interest in Hispanic culture. From the course home page: Course Description The first intermediate-level course in Spanish, with a focus on grammar review, additional vocabulary, writing of essays in Spanish and enhancement of cultural awareness. Group activities and projects, and conversation are emphasized. Syllabus, Calendar and Assignment sections written in Spanish. Projects Section written in English and Spanish.

21H.416 Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.416 Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective, Spring 2002 McCants, Anne E. C. (Anne Elizabeth Conger), 1962- This course will survey the conditions of material life and the changing social and economic relations in medieval Europe with reference to the comparative context of contemporary Islamic, Chinese, and central Asian experiences. Subject covers the emergence and decline of feudal institutions, the transformation of peasant agriculture, living standards and the course of epidemic disease, and the ebb and flow of long-distance trade across the Eurasian system. Particular emphasis will be placed on the study of those factors, both institutional and technological, which have contributed to the emergence of capitalist organization and economic growth in western Europe in contrast to the trajectories followed by the other major medieval economies.

21H.909J / 21H.969J / 21A.390J / 21A.835J People and Other Animals, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.909J / 21H.969J / 21A.390J / 21A.835J People and Other Animals, Fall 2010 Ritvo, Harriet This class provides a historical survey of the ways that people have interacted with their closest animal relatives, for example: hunting, domestication of livestock, exploitation of animal labor, scientific study of animals, display of exotic and performing animals, and pet keeping. Themes include changing ideas about animal agency and intelligence, our moral obligations to animals, and the limits imposed on the use of animals.

21H.909 People and Other Animals, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.909 People and Other Animals, Fall 2005 Ritvo, Harriet A historical survey of the ways that people have interacted with their closest animal relatives, for example: hunting, domestication of livestock, worship of animal gods, exploitation of animal labor, scientific study of animals, display of exotic and performing animals, and pet keeping. Themes include changing ideas about animal agency and intelligence, our moral obligations to animals, and the limits imposed on the use of animals.

21H.433 The Age of Reason: Europe in the 18th and 19th Centuries, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.433 The Age of Reason: Europe in the 18th and 19th Centuries, Spring 2005 Ravel, Jeffrey S. Has there ever been an "Age of Reason?" In the western tradition, one might make claims for various moments during Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. In this class, however, we will focus on the two and a half centuries between 1600 and 1850, a period when insights first developed in the natural sciences and mathematics were seized upon by social theorists, institutional reformers and political revolutionaries who sought to change themselves and the society in which they lived. Through the study of trials, art, literature, theater, music, politics, and culture more generally, we will consider evolution and revolution in these two and a half centuries. We will also attend to those who opposed change on both traditional and radical grounds.

21H.311 The Renaissance, 1300-1600, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.311 The Renaissance, 1300-1600, Fall 2000 Ravel, Jeffrey S. European history from the fourteenth through the sixteenth century. Consideration of political, social, artistic, and scientific developments during this period of transition to the modern world. Examines the connections between Renaissance Humanism and the Protestant and Catholic reform movements of the sixteenth century. Studies works by Petrarch, Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Leonardo, Erasmus, More, Luther, and Montaigne. From the course home page: Course Description The "Renaissance" as a phenomenon in European history is best understood as a series of social, political, and cultural responses to an intellectual trend which began in Italy in the fourteenth century. This intellectual tendency, known as humanism, or the studia humanitatis, was at the heart of developments in literature, the arts, the sciences, religion, and government for almost three hundred years. In this class, we will highlight the history of humanism, but we will also study religious reformations, high politics, the agrarian world, and European conquest and expansion abroad in the period.

21H.411 History of Western Thought, 500-1300, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.411 History of Western Thought, 500-1300, Spring 2003 McCants, Anne E. C. (Anne Elizabeth Conger), 1962- Examines the development of the western intellectual tradition from the fall of the Roman Empire through the High Middle Ages. Basic premise is that the triumph of Christianity in Europe was not the inevitable outcome it appears from hindsight. Attention is therefore focused not only on the development of Christian thought and practice, but on its challengers as well. Particular emphasis devoted to Nordic paganism, the rise of Islam, Byzantine orthodoxy, indigenous heretical movements, and the ambiguous position of Jews in European society.

24.400 Proseminar in Philosophy I, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.400 Proseminar in Philosophy I, Fall 2003 Byrne, Alex An intensive seminar on the foundations of analytic philosophy for first-year graduate students. A large selection of classic texts, from Frege's Foundations of Arithmetic to Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations, is covered in this course.

24.961 Introduction to Phonology, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.961 Introduction to Phonology, Fall 2002 Zoll, Cheryl; Steriade, Donca; Kenstowicz, Michael The year-long Introduction to Phonology reviews at the graduate level fundamental notions of phonological analysis and introduces students to current debates, research and analytical techniques. The Fall term reviews issues pertaining to the nature of markedness and phonological representations - features, prosodies, syllables and stress - while the second term deals with the relation between the phonological component and the lexicon, morphology and syntax. The second term course will also treat in more detail certain phonological phenomena.

24.211 Theory of Knowledge, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.211 Theory of Knowledge, Fall 2003 Hawley, Patrick This course focuses on the study of problems concerning our concept of knowledge, our knowledge of the past, our knowledge of the thoughts and feelings of ourselves and others, and our knowledge of the existence and properties of physical objects in our immediate environment.

24.119 Mind and Machines, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.119 Mind and Machines, Spring 2003 Byrne, Alexander Examination of problems in the intersection of artificial intelligence, psychology, and philosophy. Issues discussed: whether people are Turing Machines, whether computers can be conscious, limitations on what computers can do, computation and neurophysiology, the Turing test, the analog/digital distinction, the Chinese Room argument, the causal efficacy of content, the inverted spectrum, mental representation, procedural semantics, connectionism, the relation between simulation and explanation, and whether some aspects of mentality are more resistant to programming than others.

24.900 Introduction to Linguistics, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.900 Introduction to Linguistics, Spring 2005 Flynn, Suzanne This core-curriculum linguistics class will provide some answers to basic questions about the nature of human language. Topics include the intricate system that governs language, how it is acquired, the similarities and differences among languages, and how spoken (and signed) language relates to written language, among others.

24.00 Problems of Philosophy, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.00 Problems of Philosophy, Fall 2005 Haslanger, Sally The course has two main goals: First, to give you a sense of what philosophers think about and why. This will be done through consideration of some perennial philosophical problems, e.g., the existence of God, reason and faith, personal identity and immortality, freewill, moral responsibility, and standards for moral conduct. We will draw on readings by important figures in the history of philosophy as well as contemporary authors. The second goal is to develop your philosophical skills, and your critical and argumentative skills more generally.

21H.126 America in Depression and War, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.126 America in Depression and War, Spring 2003 Jacobs, Meg The Great Depression and World War II permanently changed American politics and society. Topics include: the Great Crash, the New Deal, Roosevelt, the home front, the Normandy Invasion, and the atomic bomb. Explores those events through film, novels, newspapers, and other historical documents.

HST.523J / 2.785J / 3.97J / 20.411J Cell-Matrix Mechanics, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

HST.523J / 2.785J / 3.97J / 20.411J Cell-Matrix Mechanics, Spring 2004 Yannas, Ioannis; Spector, Myron Mechanical forces play a decisive role during development of tissues and organs, during remodeling following injury as well as in normal function. A stress field influences cell function primarily through deformation of the extracellular matrix to which cells are attached. Deformed cells express different biosynthetic activity relative to undeformed cells. The unit cell process paradigm combined with topics in connective tissue mechanics form the basis for discussions of several topics from cell biology, physiology, and medicine.

HST.583 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Data Acquisition and Analysis, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

HST.583 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Data Acquisition and Analysis, Fall 2004 Gollub, Randy L.; Savoy, Robert; Wald, Lawrence; Banzett, Robert B.; Dickerson, Bradford C; Melcher, Jennifer R.; Kennedy, David N. (David Nelson), 1962-; Tuch, David Solomon, 1973-; Jovicich, Jorge; Greve, Doug; Mandeville, Joe; Vangel, Mark Geoffrey; Hoge, Rick; Blood, Anne; Hadjikhani, Nouchine; Moore, Christopher; Salat, David; Sigalovsky, Irina S., 1972-; Stufflebeam, Steven M; Zalesky, Martin Provides information relevant to the conduct and interpretation of human brain mapping studies. Provides in-depth coverage of the physics of image formation, mechanisms of image contrast, and the physiological basis for image signals. Parenchymal and cerebrovascular neuroanatomy and application of sophisticated structural analysis algorithms for segmentation and registration of functional data are discussed. Additional topics include fMRI experimental design including block design, event related and exploratory data analysis methods, and building and applying statistical models for fMRI data. Human subject issues including informed consent, institutional review board requirements and safety in the high field environment are also presented. Probability, linear algebra, differential equations, and introductory or college-level subjects in neurobiology, physiology, and physics is required.

21H.346 France 1660-1815: Enlightenment, Revolution, Napoleon, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.346 France 1660-1815: Enlightenment, Revolution, Napoleon, Fall 2005 Ravel, Jeffrey S. A century and a half ago, Alexis de Tocqueville argued that the Revolution of 1789 in France constituted the culmination of long-term administrative and social changes, rather than a rupture with the past. In this class, we will consider that Tocquevillian insight by examining four aspects of French experience from the reign of the Sun King, Louis XIV, to the rule of the Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte: Absolutism, Enlightenment, Revolution, and Empire. Through the study of primary and secondary sources, we will see how the material lives, mental worlds, and individual and communal identities of the French changed over this century and a half.

21F.027J / CMS.874 / 21H.917J Visualizing Cultures, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.027J / CMS.874 / 21H.917J Visualizing Cultures, Spring 2003 Dower, John W.; Miyagawa, Shigeru Extensive reading and discussion of how visual images impose a variety of identities on individuals and societies. Case studies drawn primarily from the Pacific region, and include: identities of individuals in a society; identities of a country through history; us/them in times of war; and identities of an entire geographic region of the world (Orient/Occident). All types of visual images from both popular and high cultures are discussed. Students develop a course project. Taught in English. From the course home page: Course Description In this new course, students will study how images have been used to shape the identity of peoples and cultures. A prototype digital project looking at American and Japanese graphics depicting the opening of Japan to the outside world in the 1850s will be used as a case study to introduce the conceptual and practical issues involved in “visualizing cultures.” The major course requirement will be creation and presentation of a project involving visualized cultures.

21F.405 Germany Today: Intensive Study of German Language & Culture, January IAP 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

21F.405 Germany Today: Intensive Study of German Language & Culture, January IAP 2005 Crocker, Ellen Prepares students for working and living in German-speaking countries. Focus on current political, social, and cultural issues, using newspapers, journals, TV, radio broadcasts, and Web sources from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Emphasis on speaking, writing, and reading skills for professional contexts. Activities include: oral presentations, group discussions, guest lectures, and interviews with German speakers. No listeners.

HST.184 Health Information Systems to Improve Quality of Care in Resource-Poor Settings, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

HST.184 Health Information Systems to Improve Quality of Care in Resource-Poor Settings, Spring 2011 Fraser, Hamish; Celi, Leo; Szolovits, Peter This course is a collaborative offering of Sana, Partners in Health, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The goal of this course is the development of innovations in information systems for developing countries that will (1) translate into improvement in health outcomes, (2) strengthen the existing organizational infrastructure, and (3) create a collaborative ecosystem to maximize the value of these innovations. The course will be taught by guest speakers who are internationally recognized experts in the field and who, with their operational experiences, will outline the challenges they faced and detail how these were addressed.

21F.704 Spanish 4, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.704 Spanish 4, Spring 2002 Groeger, Margarita Continued study of the language, literature, and culture of Spanish-speaking countries. Materials are from Spain and Latin America and include films, short stories, novels, plays, poetry, and journalistic reports in various media. From the course home page: Course Description El curso de Español IV tiene como objetivo mejorar la comunicación oral y escrita mediante el estudio de la lengua, la literatura, la historia y la cultura del mundo hispano. También aspira a desarrollar la habilidad lectora del estudiante, exponiéndolo a textos literarios y periodísticos que reflejen la diversidad cultural del mundo hispano-hablante. El curso está organizado por temas sociales, políticos y culturales comunes a las sociedades hispanas, por ejemplo, la identidad cultural, el rol cambiante de la mujer y la familia, el desarrollo económico y su efecto en la cultura tradicional y el medio ambiente, y los derechos del individuo en el sistema político.

HST.950J / 6.872J Engineering Biomedical Information: From Bioinformatics to Biosurveillance, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

HST.950J / 6.872J Engineering Biomedical Information: From Bioinformatics to Biosurveillance, Fall 2005 Kohane, Isaac; Ramoni, Marco This course provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the technological advances in biomedical informatics and their applications at the intersection of computer science and biomedical research.

HST.121 Gastroenterology, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

HST.121 Gastroenterology, Fall 2002 Carey, Martin C.; Schapiro, Robert; Badizadegan, Kamran; Chung, Raymond T.; Glickman, Jonathan N. Presents the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, biophysics, and bioengineering of the gastrointestinal tract and associated pancreatic, liver, and biliary systems. Emphasis on the molecular and pathophysiological basis of disease where known. Covers gross and microscopic pathology and clinical aspects. Formal lectures given by core faculty, with some guest lectures by local experts. Selected seminars conducted by students with supervision of faculty. Permission of instructor required. (Only HST students may register under HST.120, graded P/D/F.) From the course home page: Course Description The most recent knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, biophysics, and bioengineering of the gastrointestinal tract and the associated pancreatic, liver and biliary tract systems is presented and discussed. Gross and microscopic pathology and the clinical aspects of important gastroenterological diseases are then presented, with emphasis on integrating the molecular, cellular and pathophysiological aspects of the disease processes to their related symptoms and signs.

12.740 Paleoceanography, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.740 Paleoceanography, Spring 2002 Boyle, Edward A. This class examines tools, data, and ideas related to past climate changes as seen in marine, ice core, and continental records. The most recent climate changes (mainly the past 500,000 years, ranging up to about 2 million years ago) will be emphasized. Quantitative tools for the examination of paleoceanographic data will be introduced (statistics, factor analysis, time series analysis, simple climatology).

14.661 Labor Economics I, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.661 Labor Economics I, Fall 2006 Pischke, Jorn-Steffen; Angrist, Joshua Neoclassical analysis of the labor market and its institutions. A systematic development of the theory of labor supply, labor demand, and human capital. Topics discussed also include wage and employment determination, turnover, search, immigration, unemployment, equalizing differences, and institutions in the labor market. There is particular emphasis on the interaction of theoretical and empirical modeling and the development of independent research interests.

12.458 Molecular Biogeochemistry, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.458 Molecular Biogeochemistry, Fall 2009 Summons, Roger This course evaluates and discusses the formation and diagnostic structural properties of organic compounds with particular emphasis on those molecules which form chemical fossils. The course is structured around the biosynthetic and phylogenetic origins of recalcitrant hydrocarbons.

7.28 Molecular Biology, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.28 Molecular Biology, Spring 2001 Baker, Tania A.; Bell, Stephen P. Detailed analysis of the biochemical mechanisms that control the maintenance, expression, and evolution of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. Topics covered in lecture and readings of relevant literature include: gene regulation, DNA replication, genetic recombination, and translation. Logic of experimental design and data analysis emphasized. Presentations include both lectures and group discussions of representative papers from the literature.

5.068 Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.068 Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry, Spring 2005 Mueller, Peter Introduction to the study of physical methods to probe the electronic and geometric structure of inorganic compounds. Included are electronic photoelectron spectroscopy; vibrational and rotational spectroscopy; magnetic measurements (including electron and nuclear spin resonance); Mossbauer spectroscopy; mass spectrometry; electrochemical measurements and crystallographic chemical analysis (including hands-on use of departmental facilities). From the course home page: Course Description This course covers the following topics: X-ray diffraction: symmetry, space groups, geometry of diffraction, structure factors, phase problem, direct methods, Patterson methods, electron density maps, structure refinement, how to grow good crystals, powder methods, limits of X-ray diffraction methods, and structure data bases.

5.33 Advanced Chemical Experimentation and Instrumentation, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.33 Advanced Chemical Experimentation and Instrumentation, Fall 2005 Gheorghiu, Mircea D.; Tokmakoff, Andrei Advanced experimentation, with particular emphasis on chemical synthesis and the fundamentals of quantum chemistry illustrated through molecular spectroscopy. Instruction and practice in the written and oral presentation of experimental results.

5.74 Introductory Quantum Mechanics II, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.74 Introductory Quantum Mechanics II, Spring 2003 Tokmakoff, Andrei Time-dependent quantum mechanics and spectroscopy. Topics covered include perturbation theory, two-level systems, light-matter interactions, relaxation in quantum systems, correlation functions and linear response theory, and nonlinear spectroscopy.

12.010 Computational Methods of Scientific Programming, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.010 Computational Methods of Scientific Programming, Fall 2007 Herring, T. (Thomas); Hill, Christopher N. This course introduces programming languages and techniques used by physical scientists: FORTRAN, C, C++, Matlab, and Mathematica. Emphasis is placed on program design, algorithm development and verification, and comparative advantages and disadvantages of different languages.

12.804 Large-scale Flow Dynamics Lab, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.804 Large-scale Flow Dynamics Lab, Fall 2005 Flierl, Glenn; Illari, Lodovica 12.804 is a laboratory accompaniment to 12.803, Quasi-balanced Circulations in Oceans and Atmospheres. The subject includes analysis of observations of oceanic and atmospheric quasi-balanced flows, computational models, and rotating tank experiments. Student projects illustrate the basic principles of potential vorticity conservation and inversion, Rossby wave propagation, baroclinic instability, and the behavior of isolated vortices.

12.005 Applications of Continuum Mechanics to Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.005 Applications of Continuum Mechanics to Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Spring 2005 Hager, Bradford H. Practical applications of the continuum concept for deformation of solids and fluids, emphasizing force balance. Stress tensor, infinitesimal and finite strain, and rotation tensors developed. Constitutive relations applicable to geological materials, including elastic, viscous, brittle, and plastic deformation. Solutions to classical problems in geodynamics.

12.301 / 12.842 Past and Present Climate (12.301) / Climate Physics and Chemistry (12.842), Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.301 / 12.842 Past and Present Climate (12.301) / Climate Physics and Chemistry (12.842), Fall 2005 Wunsch, Carl; Boyle, Edward A.; Plumb, R. Alan, 1948- Meets with graduate subject 12.840, but assignments differ. See description under subject 12.840. From the course home page: Course Description This course introduces students to climate studies, including beginnings of the solar system, time scales, and climate in human history.

12.141 Electron Microprobe Analysis by Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry, January IAP 2010

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

12.141 Electron Microprobe Analysis by Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry, January IAP 2010 Chatterjee, Nilanjan This lab-oriented course introduces the student to the subject of X-ray spectrometry and micro-scale chemical quantitative analysis of solid samples through an intensive series of hands-on laboratory exercises that use the electron microprobe.

12.086 / 12.586 Modeling Environmental Complexity, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.086 / 12.586 Modeling Environmental Complexity, Fall 2011 Rothman, Daniel This course provides an introduction to the study of environmental phenomena that exhibit both organized structure and wide variability — i.e., complexity. Through focused study of a variety of physical, biological, and chemical problems in conjunction with theoretical models, we learn a series of lessons with wide applicability to understanding the structure and organization of the natural world. Students will also learn how to construct minimal mathematical, physical, and computational models that provide informative answers to precise questions.

12.520 Geodynamics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.520 Geodynamics, Fall 2002 Hager, Bradford H. Mechanics of deformation of the crust and mantle, with emphasis on the importance of different rheological descriptions: brittle, elastic, linear and nonlinear fluids, and viscoelastic.

12.010 Computational Methods of Scientific Programming, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.010 Computational Methods of Scientific Programming, Fall 2002 Herring, T. (Thomas); Elliot, James, 1943-; Hill, Christopher N. This course introduces programming languages and techniques used by physical scientists: FORTRAN, C, C++, MATLAB®, and Mathematica®. Emphasis is placed on program design, algorithm development and verification, and comparative advantages and disadvantages of different languages. Students first learn the basic usage of each language, common types of problems encountered, and techniques for solving a variety of problems encountered in contemporary research: examination of data with visualization techniques, numerical analysis, and methods of dissemination and verification. No prior programming experience is required.

12.510 Introduction to Seismology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.510 Introduction to Seismology, Spring 2005 Hilst, Robert Dirk van der, 1961- This graduate level course presents a basic study in seismology and the utilization of seismic waves for the study of Earth's interior. It introduces techniques necessary for understanding of elastic wave propagation in layered media.

12.740 Paleoceanography, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.740 Paleoceanography, Spring 2004 Boyle, Edward A. This class examines tools, data, and ideas related to past climate changes as seen in marine, ice core, and continental records. The most recent climate changes (mainly the past 500,000 years, ranging up to about 2 million years ago) will be emphasized. Quantitative tools for the examination of paleoceanographic data will be introduced (statistics, factor analysis, time series analysis, simple climatology).

12.540 Principles of Global Positioning Systems, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.540 Principles of Global Positioning Systems, Spring 2008 Herring, Thomas The aim of this course is to introduce the principles of the Global Positioning System and to demonstrate its application to various aspects of Earth Sciences. The specific content of the course depends each year on the interests of the students in the class. In some cases, the class interests are towards the geophysical applications of GPS and we concentrate on high precision (millimeter level) positioning on regional and global scales. In other cases, the interests have been more toward engineering applications of kinematic positioning with GPS in which case the concentration is on positioning with slightly less accuracy but being able to do so for a moving object. In all cases, we concentrate on the fundamental issues so that students should gain an understanding of the basic limitations of the system and how to extend its application to areas not yet fully explored.

12.479 Trace-Element Geochemistry, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.479 Trace-Element Geochemistry, Fall 2006 Frey, Frederick August Focuses on element distribution in rocks and minerals using data obtained from natural and experimental systems. Emphasizes models describing trace-element partitioning and applications of trace-element geochemistry to problems in igneous geology. From the course home page: Course Description The emphasis of this course is to use Trace Element Geochemistry to understand the origin and evolution of igneous rocks. The approach is to discuss the parameters that control partitioning of trace elements between phases and to develop models for the partitioning of trace elements between phases in igneous systems, especially between minerals and melt. Subsequently, published papers that are examples of utilizing Trace Element Geochemistry are read and discussed.

12.820 / 12.822 Turbulence in Geophysical Systems, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.820 / 12.822 Turbulence in Geophysical Systems, Spring 2003 Ferrari, Raffaele; Flierl, Glenn R.; Legg, Sonya This course presents the phenomena, theory, and modeling of turbulence in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere. The scope ranges from the fine structure to planetary scale motions. The regimes of turbulence include homogeneous flows in two and three dimensions, geostrophic motions, shear flows, convection, boundary layers, stably stratified flows, and internal waves.

12.520 Geodynamics, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.520 Geodynamics, Fall 2005 Hager, Bradford H. This course deals with mechanics of deformation of the crust and mantle, with emphasis on the importance of different rheological descriptions: brittle, elastic, linear and nonlinear fluids, and viscoelastic.

5.60 Thermodynamics & Kinetics, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.60 Thermodynamics & Kinetics, Spring 2007 Bawendi, Moungi Gabriel, 1961-; Nelson, Keith A. This subject deals primarily with equilibrium properties of macroscopic systems, basic thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium of reactions in gas and solution phase, and rates of chemical reactions.

9.591J / 24.945J Language Processing, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.591J / 24.945J Language Processing, Fall 2002 Gibson, Edward Albert Fletcher Seminar in real-time language comprehension. Models of sentence and discourse comprehension from the linguistic, psychology, and artificial intelligence literature, including symbolic and connectionist models. Ambiguity resolution. Linguistic complexity. The use of lexical, syntactic, semantic, pragmatic, contextual and prosodic information in language comprehension. The relationship between the computational resources available in working memory and the language processing mechanism. The psychological reality of linguistic representations.

5.111 Principles of Chemical Science, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.111 Principles of Chemical Science, Fall 2005 Ceyer, Sylvia Teresse; Drennan, Catherine L. Introduction to chemistry, with emphasis on basic principles of atomic and molecular electronic structure, thermodynamics, acid-base and redox equilibria, chemical kinetics, and catalysis. Introduction to the chemistry of biological, inorganic, and organic molecules.

9.322J / 7.67 Genetic Neurobiology, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.322J / 7.67 Genetic Neurobiology, Fall 2002 Quinn, William G.; Littleton, J. Troy Deals with the specific functions of neurons, the interactions of neurons in development, and the organization of neuronal ensembles to produce behavior, by functional analysis of mutations and molecular analysis of their genes. Concentrates on work with nematodes, fruit flies, mice, and humans. Alternate years.

5.74 Introductory Quantum Mechanics II, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.74 Introductory Quantum Mechanics II, Spring 2005 Tokmakoff, Andrei Time-dependent quantum mechanics and spectroscopy. Topics covered include perturbation theory, two-level systems, light-matter interactions, relaxation in quantum systems, correlation functions and linear response theory, and nonlinear spectroscopy. From the course home page: Course Description This class covers topics in time-dependent quantum mechanics, molecular spectroscopy, and relaxation, with an emphasis on descriptions applicable to condensed phase problems and a statistical description of ensembles.

5.72 Statistical Mechanics, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.72 Statistical Mechanics, Spring 2008 Cao, Jianshu This course discusses the principles and methods of statistical mechanics. Topics covered include classical and quantum statistics, grand ensembles, fluctuations, molecular distribution functions, other concepts in equilibrium statistical mechanics, and topics in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics of irreversible processes.

10.34 Numerical Methods Applied to Chemical Engineering, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

10.34 Numerical Methods Applied to Chemical Engineering, Fall 2001 Beers, Kenneth J. Numerical methods for solving problems arising in heat and mass transfer, fluid mechanics, chemical reaction engineering, and molecular simulation. Topics: numerical linear algebra, solution of nonlinear algebraic equations and ordinary differential equations, solution of partial differential equations (e.g. Navier-Stokes), numerical methods in molecular simulation (dynamics, geometry optimization). All methods are presented within the context of chemical engineering problems. Familiarity with structured programming is assumed. From the course home page: Course Description This course focuses on the use of modern computational and mathematical techniques in chemical engineering. Starting from a discussion of linear systems as the basic computational unit in scientific computing, methods for solving sets of nonlinear algebraic equations, ordinary differential equations, and differential-algebraic (DAE) systems are presented. Probability theory and its use in physical modeling is covered, as is the statistical analysis of data and parameter estimation. The finite difference and finite element techniques are presented for converting the partial differential equations obtained from transport phenomena to DAE systems. The use of these techniques will be demonstrated throughout the course in the MATLAB® computing environment.

7.88J / 7.24J / 5.48J / 10.543J Protein Folding Problem, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.88J / 7.24J / 5.48J / 10.543J Protein Folding Problem, Fall 2007 King, Jonathan This course focuses on the mechanisms by which the amino acid sequence of polypeptide chains (proteins), determine their three-dimensional conformation. Topics in this course include sequence determinants of secondary structure, the folding of newly synthesized polypeptide chains within cells, folding intermediates aggregation and competing off-pathway reactions, and the unfolding and refolding of proteins in vitro. Additional topics covered are the role of helper proteins such as chaperonins and isomerases, protein recovery problems in the biotechnology industry, and diseases found associated with protein folding defects.

9.03 Neural Basis of Learning and Memory, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.03 Neural Basis of Learning and Memory, Fall 2001 Corkin, Suzanne; Wilson, Matthew Topics in mammalian learning and memory including cellular mechanisms of neural plasticity, electrophysiology, and behavior. Emphasis on human and animal models of hippocampal mechanisms and function. Lectures and discussion of papers. An additional project is required for graduate credit. Alternate years.

9.10 / 9.100 Cognitive Neuroscience, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.10 / 9.100 Cognitive Neuroscience, Spring 2004 Corkin, Suzanne Course topics explore the relations between neural systems and cognition, emphasizing attention, vision, language, motor control, and memory. An introduction to basic neuroanatomy, functional imaging techniques, and behavioral measures of cognition is given with discussion of methods by which inferences about the brain bases of cognition are made. Evidence from patients with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Balint's syndrome, amnesia, and focal lesions from stroke is given as well as from normal human participants.

7.03 Genetics, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.03 Genetics, Fall 2001 Kaiser, Chris; Page, David C. The principles of genetics with application to the study of biological function at the level of molecules, cells, and multicellular organisms, including humans. Structure and function of genes, chromosomes and genomes. Biological variation resulting from recombination, mutation, and selection. Population genetics. Use of genetic methods to analyze protein function, gene regulation and inherited disease.

9.913-C Pattern Recognition for Machine Vision, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.913-C Pattern Recognition for Machine Vision, Spring 2002 Poggio, Tomaso; Heisele, Bernd; Ivanov, Yuri A., 1967- The course is directed towards advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. It will focus on applications of pattern recognition techniques to problems of machine vision. The topics covered in the course include: Overview of problems of machine vision and pattern classification Image formation and processing Feature extraction from images Biological object recognition Bayesian Decision Theory Clustering

9.15 / 9.150 Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Synaptic Transmission, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.15 / 9.150 Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Synaptic Transmission, Fall 2003 Wurtman, Richard J., 1936- Considers the process of neurotransmission, especially chemicals used in the brain and elsewhere to carry signals from nerve terminals to the structures they innervate. Focuses on monoamine transmitters (acetylcholine; serotonin; dopamine and norepinephrine); also examines amino acid and peptide transmitters and neuromodulators like adenosine. Macromolecules that mediate neurotransmitter synthesis, release, inactivation, and receptor-mediated actions are discussed, as well as factors that regulate their activity and the second-messenger systems they control. Alternate years.

9.20 Animal Behavior, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.20 Animal Behavior, Fall 2005 Schneider, Gerald E. Most of the major categories of adaptive behavior can be seen in all animals. This course begins with the evolution of behavior, the driver of nervous system evolution, reviewed using concepts developed in ethology, sociobiology, other comparative studies, and in studies of brain evolution. The roles of various types of plasticity are considered, as well as foraging and feeding, defensive and aggressive behavior, courtship and reproduction, migration and navigation, social activities and communication, with contributions of inherited patterns and cognitive abilities. Both field and laboratory based studies are reviewed; and finally, human behavior is considered within the context of primate studies.

9.04 Neural Basis of Vision and Audition, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.04 Neural Basis of Vision and Audition, Fall 2006 Brown, M. Christian; Schiller, Peter H. This course examines the neural bases of visual and auditory processing for perception and sensorimotor control, focusing on physiological and anatomical studies of the mammalian nervous system as well as behavioral studies of animals and humans. Visual pattern, color and depth perception, auditory responses and speech coding, and spatial localization are studied.

9.04 Neural Basis of Vision and Audition, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.04 Neural Basis of Vision and Audition, Fall 2002 Schiller, Peter H.; Brown, Merritt Christian Examines the neural bases of visual and auditory processing for perception and sensorimotor control. Focuses on physiological and anatomical studies of the mammalian nervous system as well as behavioral studies of animals and humans. Studies visual pattern, color and depth perception, auditory responses and speech coding, and spatial localization. Offered alternate years.

9.03 / 9.031 Neural Basis of Learning and Memory, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.03 / 9.031 Neural Basis of Learning and Memory, Fall 2003 Corkin, Suzanne; Wilson, Matthew Topics in mammalian learning and memory including cellular mechanisms of neural plasticity, electrophysiology, and behavior. Emphasis on human and animal models of hippocampal mechanisms and function. Lectures and discussion of papers. An additional project is required for graduate credit. Alternate years.

7.60 Cell Biology: Structure and Functions of the Nucleus, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.60 Cell Biology: Structure and Functions of the Nucleus, Spring 2006 Sharp, Phillip; Young, Richard This course covers the fundamentals of nuclear cell biology as well as the methodological and experimental approaches upon which they are based. Topics include Eukaryotic genome structure, function, and expression, processing of RNA, and regulation of the cell cycle. The techniques and logic used to address important problems in nuclear cell biology is emphasized. Lectures cover broad topic areas in nuclear cell biology and class discussions focus on representative papers recently published in the field.

7.88J / 5.48J / 7.24J / 10.543J Protein Folding Problem, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.88J / 5.48J / 7.24J / 10.543J Protein Folding Problem, Fall 2003 King, Jonathan, 1941-; Gossard, D. Mechanisms by which the amino acid sequence of polypeptide chains determines their three-dimensional conformation. Topics include: sequence determinants of secondary structure; folding of newly synthesized polypeptide chains within cells; unfolding and refolding of proteins in vitro; folding intermediates aggregation and competing off-pathway reactions; role of chaperonins, isomerases, and other helper proteins; protein recovery problems in the biotechnology industry; diseases associated with protein folding defects.

9.110J / 7.92J Neurology, Neuropsychology, and Neurobiology of Aging, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.110J / 7.92J Neurology, Neuropsychology, and Neurobiology of Aging, Spring 2003 Corkin, Suzanne; Ingram, Vernon M. Lectures and discussions explore the clinical, behavioral, and molecular aspects of brain aging processes in humans. Topics include: loss of memory and other cognitive abilitites in normal aging; neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Based on lectures, readings taken from the primary literature, and discussions. Students are expected to present topics based on their readings. One written mid-term test and one final examination. Alternate years.

9.01 Neuroscience and Behavior, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.01 Neuroscience and Behavior, Fall 2001 Schneider, Gerald E. Relation of structure and function at various levels of neuronal integration. Topics include: functional neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, sensory and motor systems, centrally programmed behavior, sensory systems, sleep and dreaming, motivation and reward, emotional displays of various types, "higher functions" and the neocortex, and neural processes in learning and memory. In order to improve writing skills in describing experiments and critiquing published research in neuroscience, students are required to complete four homework assignments and one literature review with revision.

9.00P Introduction to Psychology, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.00P Introduction to Psychology, Fall 2001 Pinker, Steven A first course in psychology: how we think, see, feel, learn, talk, act, grow, fear, like, love, hate, lust, and interact. The great controversies: nature and nurture, free will, consciousness, human differences, self and society. Largely experimental and social psychology, with relevant ideas from biology, philosophy, linguistics, economics, anthropology, and the arts.

9.09J / 7.29J Cellular Neurobiology, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.09J / 7.29J Cellular Neurobiology, Spring 2002 Quinn, William G.; Chess, Andrew An introduction to the structure and function of the nervous system. Emphasis placed on the cellular properties of neurons and other excitable cells. Includes the structure and biophysical properties of excitable cells, synaptic transmission, neurochemistry, neurodevelopment, and integration of information in simple systems and the visual system.

1.00 Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.00 Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving, Spring 2002 Kocur, George; Harward, Vernon Judson Fundamental software development and computational methods for engineering and scientific applications. Object-oriented software design and development. Weekly programming problems cover programming concepts, graphical user interfaces, numerical methods, data structures, sorting and searching, computer graphics and selected advanced topics. Emphasis is on developing techniques for solving problems in engineering, science, management, and planning. The Java™ programming language is used. 3 Engineering Design Points.

1.020 Ecology II: Engineering for Sustainability, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.020 Ecology II: Engineering for Sustainability, Spring 2007 McLaughlin, Dennis B.; Entekhabi, Dara, 1961-; Marks, David H. This course covers the use of ecological and thermodynamic principles to examine interactions between humans and the natural environment.. Topics include conservation and constitutive laws, box models, feedback, thermodynamic concepts, energy in natural and engineered systems, basic transport concepts, life cycle analysis and related economic methods. Topics such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, green buildings, and mitigation of climate change are illustrated with quantitative case studies. Case studies are team-oriented and may include numerical simulations and design exercises. Some programming experience is desirable but not a prerequisite. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication are provided.

1.264J / ESD.264J Database, Internet, and Systems Integration Technologies, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.264J / ESD.264J Database, Internet, and Systems Integration Technologies, Fall 2004 Kocur, George Survey of information technology covering database modeling, design, and implementation with an emphasis on relational databases and SQL. Internet technologies: http, html, XML, SOAP, security. Brief introduction to components and middleware. Introduction to design and implementation of multi-tier architectures, benchmarks, and performance. Data networking protocols and technologies. Students complete project that covers requirements/design, data model, database implementation, web site, and system architecture.

1.212J / ESD.221J An Introduction to Intelligent Transportation Systems, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.212J / ESD.221J An Introduction to Intelligent Transportation Systems, Spring 2003 Sussman, Joseph Basic elements of intelligent transportation systems. Technological, systems, and institutional aspects of ITS considered, including system architecture, congestion pricing, public/private partnerships, network models, ITS as industrial policy, and implementation case studies. Term project required. Alternate years. From the course home page: Course Description Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) represent a major transition in transportation on many dimensions. This course considers ITS as a lens through which one can view many transportation and societal issues. ITS is an international program intended to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of surface transportation systems through advanced technologies in information systems, communications, and sensors. In the United States, ITS represents the major post-Interstate-era program for advancing surface transportation in highways and public transportation, and is potentially comparable to the air traffic control system in impact.

1.259J / 11.542J / ESD.227J Transit Management, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.259J / 11.542J / ESD.227J Transit Management, Spring 2005 Wilson, Nigel H. M. Management methods of relevance to public transportation systems. Topics: strategic planning management; labor relations; maintenance planning and administration; financing; marketing and fare policy; and management information and decision support systems. Shows how these general management tasks are dealt with in the transit industry and presents alternative strategies. Identifies alternative arrangements for service provision, including different ways of involving the private sector in public transportation.

1.259J / 11.542J / ESD.227J Transit Management, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.259J / 11.542J / ESD.227J Transit Management, Spring 2003 Wilson, Nigel H. M.; Salvucci, Frederick Management methods of relevance to public transportation systems. Topics: strategic planning management; labor relations; maintenance planning and administration; financing; marketing and fare policy; and management information and decision support systems. Shows how these general management tasks are dealt with in the transit industry and presents alternative strategies. Identifies alternative arrangements for service provision, including different ways of involving the private sector in public transportation.

1.00 Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.00 Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving, Spring 2005 Kocur, George This course examines fundamental software development and computational methods for engineering, scientific and managerial applications. Emphasis is placed on object-oriented software design and development. Students engage in active learning using laptop computers (available on loan). Assignments cover programming concepts, graphical user interfaces, numerical methods, data structures, sorting and searching, computer graphics and selected advanced topics. The Java® programming language is used.

1.264J / ESD.264J Database, Internet, and Systems Integration Technologies, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.264J / ESD.264J Database, Internet, and Systems Integration Technologies, Fall 2006 Kocur, George This course is an intensive review of information technology. It covers topics in software development methods, data modeling and databases, application development, Web standards and development, system integration, security, and data communications. Most of the homework sets lead the class through a project in which a database and Web application are designed and constructed, using good software process and addressing security, network and other issues. The project, which is done in two-person teams, provides hands-on experience to complement the lectures and readings. Recitations discuss readings and provide more detailed information on the software tools used. The course goal is to cover the key concepts in the major areas of information technology, to enable students to successfully understand, work with and manage IT efforts as part of supply chain, transportation or civil engineering projects.

CMS.801 Media in Transition, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.801 Media in Transition, Fall 2004 Ravel, Jeffrey S. This course centers on historical eras in which the form and function of media technologies were radically transformed. It includes consideration of the "Gutenberg Revolution," the rise of modern mass media, and the "digital revolution," among other case studies of media transformation and cultural change. Readings cover cultural and social history and historiographic methods.

1.203J / 6.281J / 15.073J / 16.76J / ESD.216J Logistical and Transportation Planning Methods, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.203J / 6.281J / 15.073J / 16.76J / ESD.216J Logistical and Transportation Planning Methods, Fall 2004 Larson, Richard C.; Odoni, Amedeo R.; Barnett, Arnold The class will cover quantitative techniques of Operations Research with emphasis on applications in transportation systems analysis (urban, air, ocean, highway, pick-up and delivery systems) and in the planning and design of logistically oriented urban service systems (e.g., fire and police departments, emergency medical services, emergency repair services). It presents a unified study of functions of random variables, geometrical probability, multi-server queueing theory, spatial location theory, network analysis and graph theory, and relevant methods of simulation. There will be discussion focused on the difficulty of implementation, among other topics.

1.040 / 1.401J / ESD.018J Project Management, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.040 / 1.401J / ESD.018J Project Management, Spring 2007 Moavenzadeh, Fred, 1935-; Labi, Samuel, 1962-; Lee, Sang Hyun, 1973- As technological integration and construction complexity increase, so does construction lead times. To stay competitive companies have sought to shorten the construction times of new infrastructure by managing construction development efforts effectively by using different project management tools. In this course, three important aspects of construction project management are taught: (1) the theory, methods and quantitative tools used to effectively plan, organize, and control construction projects; (2) efficient management methods revealed through practice and research; (3) hands-on, practical project management knowledge from on-site situations. To achieve this, we will use a basic project management framework in which the project life-cycle is broken into organizing, planning, monitoring, controlling and learning from old and current construction projects. Within the framework, you will learn the methodologies and tools necessary for each aspect of the process as well as the theories upon which these are built. By the end of the term you will be able to adapt and apply the framework to effectively manage a construction project in an Architecture/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) organization.

1.258J / 11.541J / ESD.226J Public Transportation Service and Operations Planning, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.258J / 11.541J / ESD.226J Public Transportation Service and Operations Planning, Fall 2003 Wilson, Nigel H. M. Evolution and role of urban public transportation modes, systems, and services, focussing on bus and rail. Description of technological characteristics and their impacts on capacity, service quality, and cost. Current practice and new methods for data collection and analysis, performance monitoring, route design, frequency determination, and vehicle and crew scheduling. Effect of pricing policy and service quality on ridership. Methods for estimating costs associated with proposed service changes. From the course home page: Course Description This course describes the evolution and role of urban public transportation modes, systems, and services, focusing on bus and rail. Technological characteristics and their impacts on capacity, service quality, and cost are described. Current practice and new methods for data collection and analysis, performance monitoring, route design, frequency determination, and vehicle and crew scheduling are also discussed. In addition, the effect of pricing policy and service quality on ridership and methods for estimating costs associated with proposed service changes are presented, together with means to improve operations through real time intervention.

1.221J / 11.527J / ESD.201J Transportation Systems, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.221J / 11.527J / ESD.201J Transportation Systems, Fall 2002 Sussman, Joseph Introduces transportation as a large-scale, integrated system that interacts directly with the social, political, and economic aspects of contemporary society. Fundamental elements and issues shaping passenger and freight transportation systems. Underlying principles governing transportation planning, investment, operations, and maintenance. System performance and level-of-service metrics and the determinants of transportation travel demand. Design of transportation services and facilities for various modes and intermodal operations. Half-term subject offered in first half of term.

1.061 / 1.61 Transport Processes in the Environment, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.061 / 1.61 Transport Processes in the Environment, Fall 2004 Nepf, Heidi Introduction to momentum and scalar transport in environmental flows, with emphasis given to river and lake systems. Derivation and solutions to the differential form of mass conservation equations. Topics include: molecular and turbulent diffusion, boundary layers, dissolution, phase partitioning, bed-water exchange, air-water exchange, settling and coagulation, buoyancy-driven flows, and stratification in lakes. From the course home page: Course Description This class serves as an introduction to mass transport in environmental flows, with emphasis given to river and lake systems. The class will cover the derivation and solutions to the differential form of mass conservation equations. Class topics to be covered will include: molecular and turbulent diffusion, boundary layers, dissolution, bed-water exchange, air-water exchange and particle transport.

CMS.405 Media and Methods: Seeing and Expression, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.405 Media and Methods: Seeing and Expression, Spring 2009 Davenport, Glorianna This class examines frameworks for making and sharing visual artifacts using a trans-cultural, trans-historical, constructionist approach. It explores the relationship between perceived reality and the narrative imagination, how an author's choice of medium and method of construction constrains the work, how desire is integrated into the structure of a work, and how the cultural/economic opportunity for exhibition/distribution affects the realization of a work. Students submit three papers and three visual projects. Work is discussed and critiqued in class. Students present final projects an exhibition at the end of term. Instruction and practice in written and oral communication is provided.

12.S56 GPS: Civilian Tool or Military Weapon?, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.S56 GPS: Civilian Tool or Military Weapon?, Fall 2005 Herring, T. (Thomas) This is a freshman advising seminar. The professor of a FAS is the first year advisor to the (no more than 8) students in the seminar. The use of Global Positioning System (GPS) in a wide variety of applications has exploded in the last few years. In this seminar we will explore how GPS works, the range of applications, and the conflict between civilian users and military planners. This seminar is followed by a UROP research project in the spring semester where results from precise GPS measurements will be analyzed and displayed on the web.

1.72 Groundwater Hydrology, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.72 Groundwater Hydrology, Fall 2004 Harvey, Charles Fundamentals of subsurface flow and transport, emphasizing the role of groundwater in the hydrologic cycle, the relation of groundwater flow to geologic structure, and the management of contaminated groundwater. Topics include: Darcy equation, flow nets, mass conservation, the aquifer flow equation, heterogeneity and anisotropy, storage properties, regional circulation, unsaturated flow, recharge, stream-aquifer interaction, well hydraulics, flow through fractured rock, numerical models, groundwater quality, contaminant transport processes, dispersion, decay, and adsorption. Includes laboratory and computer demonstrations. Core requirement for Environmental and Geoenvironmental M.Eng. program.

12.086 / 12.586 Modeling Environmental Complexity, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.086 / 12.586 Modeling Environmental Complexity, Fall 2008 Rothman, Daniel This course provides an introduction to the study of environmental phenomena that exhibit both organized structure and wide variability—i.e., complexity. Through focused study of a variety of physical, biological, and chemical problems in conjunction with theoretical models, we learn a series of lessons with wide applicability to understanding the structure and organization of the natural world. Students will also learn how to construct minimal mathematical, physical, and computational models that provide informative answers to precise questions.

12.119 Analytical Techniques for Studying Environmental and Geologic Samples, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.119 Analytical Techniques for Studying Environmental and Geologic Samples, Spring 2006 Boyle, Edward; Frey, Frederick; Bowring, Samuel; Grove, Timothy This is a laboratory course supplemented by lectures that focus on selected analytical facilities that are commonly used to determine the mineralogy, elemental abundance and isotopic ratios of Sr and Pb in rocks, soils, sediments and water.

12.620J / 6.946J / 8.351J Classical Mechanics: A Computational Approach, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.620J / 6.946J / 8.351J Classical Mechanics: A Computational Approach, Fall 2002 Sussman, Gerald Jay; Wisdom, Jack Classical mechanics in a computational framework. Lagrangian formulation. Action, variational principles. Hamilton's principle. Conserved quantities. Hamiltonian formulation. Surfaces of section. Chaos. Liouville's theorem and Poincar, integral invariants. Poincar,-Birkhoff and KAM theorems. Invariant curves. Cantori. Nonlinear resonances. Resonance overlap and transition to chaos. Properties of chaotic motion. Transport, diffusion, mixing. Symplectic integration. Adiabatic invariants. Many-dimensional systems, Arnold diffusion. Extensive use of computation to capture methods, for simulation, and for symbolic analysis. From the course home page: Course Description 12.620J covers the fundamental principles of classical mechanics, with a modern emphasis on the qualitative structure of phase space. The course uses computational ideas to formulate the principles of mechanics precisely. Expression in a computational framework encourages clear thinking and active exploration. The following topics are covered: the Lagrangian formulation, action, variational principles, and equations of motion, Hamilton's principle, conserved quantities, rigid bodies and tops, Hamiltonian formulation and canonical equations, surfaces of section, chaos, canonical transformations and generating functions, Liouville's theorem and Poincaré integral invariants, Poincaré-Birkhoff and KAM theorems, invariant curves and cantori, nonlinear resonances, resonance overlap and transition to chaos, and properties of chaotic motion. Ideas are illustrated and supported with physical examples. There is extensive use of computing to capture methods, for simulation, and for symbolic analysis.

12.010 Computational Methods of Scientific Programming, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.010 Computational Methods of Scientific Programming, Fall 2008 Herring, Thomas; Hill, Chris This course introduces programming languages and techniques used by physical scientists: FORTRAN, C, C++, MATLAB, and Mathematica. Emphasis is placed on program design, algorithm development and verification, and comparative advantages and disadvantages of different languages.

12.007 Geobiology, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.007 Geobiology, Spring 2009 Summons, Roger; Bosak, Tanja This course introduces parallel evolution of life and the environment. Life processes are influenced by chemical and physical processes in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and the solid earth. In turn, life can influence chemical and physical processes on our planet. This course introduces the concept of life as a geological agent and examines the interaction between biology and the earth system during the roughly four billion years since life first appeared.

12.820 / 12.822 Turbulence in Geophysical Systems, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.820 / 12.822 Turbulence in Geophysical Systems, Spring 2004 Legg, Sonya; Ferrari, Raffaele; Flierl, Glenn R. This course presents the phenomena, theory, and modeling of turbulence in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere. The scope ranges from the fine structure to planetary scale motions. The regimes of turbulence include homogeneous flows in two and three dimensions, geostrophic motions, shear flows, convection, boundary layers, stably stratified flows, and internal waves.

1.00 / 1.001 Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.00 / 1.001 Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving, Fall 2005 Harward, Judson; Lerman, Steven This course teaches fundamental software development and computational methods for engineering, scientific and managerial applications. Emphasis is focused on object-oriented software design and development. Assignments cover programming concepts, graphical user interfaces, numerical methods, data structures, sorting and searching, computer graphics and selected advanced topics. The Java programming language is used.

1.061 Transport Processes in the Environment, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.061 Transport Processes in the Environment, Fall 2002 Nepf, Heidi Introduction to momentum and scalar transport in environmental flows, with emphasis given to river and lake systems. Derivation and solutions to the differential form of mass conservation equations. Topics include: molecular and turbulent diffusion, boundary layers, dissolution, phase partitioning, bed-water exchange, air-water exchange, settling and coagulation, buoyancy-driven flows, and stratification in lakes.

10.391J / 1.818J / 2.65J / 3.564J / 11.371J / 22.811J / ESD.166J Sustainable Energy, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

10.391J / 1.818J / 2.65J / 3.564J / 11.371J / 22.811J / ESD.166J Sustainable Energy, Spring 2003 Tester, Jefferson W.; Drake, Elizabeth Mertz; Golay, M.; Kern, Edward C. Assessment of current and potential energy systems, covering extraction, conversion and end-use, with emphasis on meeting regional and global energy needs in the 21st century in a sustainable manner. Examination of energy technologies in each fuel cycle stage for fossil (oil, gas, synthetic), solar, biomass, wind, hydro, nuclear, and geothermal energy types, along with storage, transmission, and conservation issues. Focus on evaluation and analysis of energy technology systems in the context of political, social, economic, and environmental goals. Open to upper-class undergraduates.

9.29J / 8.261J Introduction to Computational Neuroscience, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.29J / 8.261J Introduction to Computational Neuroscience, Spring 2002 Seung, H. Sebastian Mathematical introduction to neural coding and dynamics. Convolution, correlation, linear systems, Fourier analysis, signal detection theory, probability theory, and information theory. Applications to neural coding, focusing on the visual system. Hodgkin-Huxley and related models of neural excitability, stochastic models of ion channels, cable theory, and models of synaptic transmission.

5.33 Advanced Chemical Experimentation and Instrumentation, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.33 Advanced Chemical Experimentation and Instrumentation, Fall 2002 Gheorghiu, Mircea D. Advanced experimentation, with particular emphasis on chemical synthesis and the fundamentals of quantum chemistry illustrated through molecular spectroscopy. Instruction and practice in the written and oral presentation of experimental results.

10.626 / 10.426 Electrochemical Energy Systems, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

10.626 / 10.426 Electrochemical Energy Systems, Spring 2011 Bazant, Martin 10.626 introduces principles and mathematical models of electrochemical energy conversion and storage. Students study equivalent circuits, thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, transport phenomena, electrostatics, porous media, and phase transformations. In addition, this course includes applications to batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, and electrokinetics.

9.641J / 8.594J Introduction to Neural Networks, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.641J / 8.594J Introduction to Neural Networks, Fall 2002 Seung, H. Sebastian Organization of synaptic connectivity as the basis of neural computation and learning. Single and multilayer perceptrons. Dynamical theories of recurrent networks: amplifiers, attractors, and hybrid computation. Backpropagation and Hebbian learning. Models of perception, motor control, memory, and neural development. Alternate years.

4.42J / 1.044J / 2.66J Fundamentals of Energy in Buildings, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.42J / 1.044J / 2.66J Fundamentals of Energy in Buildings, Fall 2008 Glicksman, Leon This subject provides a first course in thermo-sciences for students primarily interested in architecture and building technology. It introduces the fundamentals important to energy, ventilation, air conditioning and comfort in buildings. It includes a detailed treatment of different forms of energy, energy conservation, properties of gases and liquids, air-water vapor mixtures and performance limits for air conditioning and power producing systems. Heat transfer principles are introduced with applications to energy losses from a building envelope. The subject is a prerequisite for more advanced thermo-science subjects in Architecture and Mechanical Engineering.

21F.404 German IV, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.404 German IV, Spring 2003 Crocker, Ellen W. Development of interpretive skills, using literary texts (B. Brecht, S. Zweig) and contemporary media texts (film, TV broadcasts, Web materials). Discussion and exploration of cultural topics in their current social, political, and historical context via hypermedia documentaries. Further refinement of oral and written expression and expansion of communicative competence in practical everyday situations.

BE.102 Macroepidemiology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

BE.102 Macroepidemiology, Spring 2005 Thilly, William G. This course presents a unique and challenging perspective on the causes of human disease and mortality. The course focuses on analyses of major causes of mortality in the US since 1900: cancer cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, infectious diseases. Students create analytical models to derive estimates for historically variant population risk factors and physiological rate parameters, and conduct analyses of familial data to separately estimate inherited and environmental risks. The course evaluates the basic population genetics of dominant, recessive and non-deleterious inherited risk factors.

4.301 Introduction to the Visual Arts, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.301 Introduction to the Visual Arts, Fall 2004 Frank, Andrea, 1970- Introduction to artistic practice and aesthetic analysis through studio work and lectures. Students communicate ideas and experiences through various media such as sculpture, installation, performance, and video. Projects evolve through stages of conceptual and material development to final presentation. Lectures, visiting artist presentations, field trips, and readings supplement studio practice, providing an index to the historical, cultural, and environmental forces that affect both development of artistic vision and reception of works of art. Lab fee.

6.828 Operating System Engineering, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.828 Operating System Engineering, Fall 2003 Kaashoek, Frans, 1965- Teaches the fundamentals of engineering operating systems. The following topics are studied in detail: virtual memory, kernel and user mode, system calls, threads, context switches, interrupts, interprocess communication, coordination of concurrent activities, and the interface between software and hardware. Most importantly, the interactions between these concepts are examined. The course is divided into two blocks; the first block introduces one operating system, UNIX® v6, in detail. The second block of lectures covers important operating systems concepts invented after UNIX® v6, which was introduced in 1976.

21L.451 Introduction to Literary Theory, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.451 Introduction to Literary Theory, Spring 2010 Raman, Shankar This subject examines the ways in which we read. It introduces some of the different strategies of reading, comprehending and engaging with literary texts developed in the twentieth century, paying special attention to post-structuralist theories and their legacy. (What poststructuralism means will be discussed often in this course, so don't worry if you don't know what it means right now!) The course is organized around specific theoretical paradigms. In general, we will: (1) work through selected readings in order to see how they determine or define the task of literary interpretation; (2) locate the limits of each particular approach; and (3) trace the emergence of subsequent theoretical paradigms as responses to the achievements and limitations of what came before. The literary texts and films accompanying the theoretical material will serve as concrete cases that allow us to see theory in action. For the most part, each week will pair a text or film with a particular interpretative approach, using the former to explore the latter. Rather than attempting a definitive or full analysis of the literary or film work, we will exploit it (unashamedly — and indeed sometimes reductively) to understand better the theoretical reading it accompanies.

20.453J / 2.771J / HST.958J Biomedical Information Technology (BE.453J), Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

20.453J / 2.771J / HST.958J Biomedical Information Technology (BE.453J), Spring 2005 Dewey, C. Forbes (Clarence Forbes) The objective of this subject is to teach the design of contemporary information systems for biological and medical data. These data are growing at a prodigious rate, and new information systems are required. This subject will cover examples from biology and medicine to illustrate complete life cycle information systems, beginning with data acquisition, following to data storage and finally to retrieval and analysis. Design of appropriate databases, client-server strategies, data interchange protocols, and computational modeling architectures will be covered. Students are expected to have some familiarity with scientific application software and a basic understanding of at least one contemporary programming language (C, C++, Java, Lisp, Perl, Python, etc.). A major term project is required of all students. Reading is assigned from the contemporary literature, and there is occasional homework.

21L.004 Major Poets, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.004 Major Poets, Spring 2003 Fuller, Mary C. Emphasis on the analytical reading of lyric poetry in England and the United States. Syllabus usually includes Shakespeare's sonnets, Donne, Keats, Dickinson, Frost, Eliot, Marianne Moore, Lowell, Rich, and Bishop. From the course home page: Course Description A chronological survey of lyric poetry in the English language by major writers, running from Beowulf to the end of the twentieth century. For instance: Shakespeare, Donne, Wroth, Herbert, Milton, Marvell, Pope, Wordsworth, Keats, Whitman, Dickinson, Yeats, Frost, Stevens, Eliot, Auden, others more recent. There will be some attention to longer poems but mostly we will be reading (and hearing) short works. The last two weeks of the semester will be devoted to works selected and presented by members of the class. Frequent reading aloud, two group presentations, four or five papers (two revised) totaling at least twenty pages of final draft.

2.782J / 3.961J / 20.451J / HST.524J Design of Medical Devices and Implants, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.782J / 3.961J / 20.451J / HST.524J Design of Medical Devices and Implants, Spring 2003 Yannas, Ioannis V.; Spector, Myron Solution of clinical problems by use of implants and other medical devices. Systematic use of cell-matrix control volumes. The role of stress analysis in the design process. Anatomic fit: shape and size of implants. Selection of biomaterials. Instrumentation for surgical implantation procedures. Preclinical testing for safety and efficacy: risk/benefit ratio assessment. Evaluation of clinical performance: design of clinical trials. Project materials drawn from orthopedic devices, soft tissue implants, artificial organs, and dental implants.

12.820 / 12.822 Turbulence in Geophysical Systems, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.820 / 12.822 Turbulence in Geophysical Systems, Spring 2005 Ferrari, Raffaele; Flierl, Glenn R. This course presents the phenomena, theory, and modeling of turbulence in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere. The scope ranges from the fine structure to planetary scale motions. The regimes of turbulence include homogeneous flows in two and three dimensions, geostrophic motions, shear flows, convection, boundary layers, stably stratified flows, and internal waves.

21A.225J / SP.621J / WGS.621J Violence, Human Rights, and Justice, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.225J / SP.621J / WGS.621J Violence, Human Rights, and Justice, Fall 2004 James, Erica This course examines the contemporary problem of political violence and the way that human rights have been conceived as a means to protect and promote freedom, peace and justice for citizens against the abuses of the state.

11.431J / 15.426J Real Estate Finance and Investment, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.431J / 15.426J Real Estate Finance and Investment, Fall 2002 Geltner, David, 1951-; Mcgrath, William Tod Concepts and techniques for analyzing financial decisions in property development and investment. Topics: leasing and property income streams, pro forma analysis, equity valuation, tax analysis, options, risk, and the financial structuring of real property ownership. From the course home page: Course Description This course is an introduction to the most fundamental concepts, principles, analytical methods and tools useful for making investment and finance decisions regarding commercial real estate assets. As the first of a two-course sequence, this course will focus on the basic building blocks and the "micro" level, which pertains to individual properties and deals (as distinguished from the "macro" level that pertains to portfolio and investment management considerations - the macro level will be covered in 11.432 next spring). While we will touch on real estate development in this course, we will focus here on "stabilized" (fully operational) income properties. (Financial analysis of real estate development will be covered in more depth in 11.432.) Our perspective will be that of so-called "institutional" real estate decision-making (e.g., pension funds, REITs, banks, life insurance companies), regarding large-scale commercial property. At this level it is important to integrate the perspectives of "Wall Street" (the mainstream securities investments and corporate finance establishment) and "Main Street" (local, traditional real estate business community). This requires a treatment of real estate investment rigorously integrated with, and built upon, the modern corporate finance and investments perspective as taught, for example, in the Brealey-Myers text in the Sloan introductory finance theory curriculum (15.401 & 15.402). However, a key objective of this course is to recognize the unique features of real estate that distinguish it from so-called "mainstream" securities investments and corporate finance.

15.279 Management Communication for Undergraduates, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.279 Management Communication for Undergraduates, Fall 2002 Breslow, Lori; Dunphy, Jane; Heagney, Terence; Hurley, Denis Required seminar for Management Science majors to develop the writing, speaking, teamwork, and interpersonal communication skills necessary for managers. Students learn communication principles, strategies, and methods through discussions, exercises, examples, and cases. Assignments include writing memos and business letters, and giving oral presentations in labs outside of class. A major project is the production of a team report and presentation on a topic of interest to a managerial audience.

15.012 Applied Macro- and International Economics, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.012 Applied Macro- and International Economics, Spring 2002 Thurow, Lester This course will focus on the environment of firms with particular emphasis on economic variables such as GNP, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates and international trade. The course is divided into five parts: The first presents the basic tools of macroeconomic management by focusing on historical episodes, particularly in the United States. The second looks at national economic strategies for development. The third section concentrates on the recent financial and currency crises in emerging markets. The fourth part looks at the problems faced by transition economies. Finally, the last module looks at challenges of developed countries.

18.466 Mathematical Statistics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.466 Mathematical Statistics, Spring 2003 Dudley, Richard This graduate level mathematics course covers decision theory, estimation, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing. The course also introduces students to large sample theory. Other topics covered include asymptotic efficiency of estimates, exponential families, and sequential analysis.

ESD.864 / ESD.936 Systems Modeling and Assessment for Policy, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.864 / ESD.936 Systems Modeling and Assessment for Policy, Spring 2010 Selin, Noelle This course explores how scientific information can be used to inform policy decision-making processes through the use of quantitative modeling techniques. It incorporates both hands-on analysis and practice using models as well as evaluation of the use and effectiveness of models in decision-making. The course assesses the full spectrum of model complexity from simple box model calculations to complex, global systems models. Issues addressed include scientific assessment processes; integrated assessment modeling; model frameworks; and scenarios. Examples focus on models and information used for earth system governance, with selected examples from other areas of application.

11.401 Introduction to Housing, Community and Economic Development, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.401 Introduction to Housing, Community and Economic Development, Fall 2004 Thompson, J. Phillip This class explores how public policy and private markets affect housing, economic development, and the local economy. It provides an overview of techniques and specified programs, policies, and strategies that are (and have been) directed at neighborhood development. It gives students an opportunity to reflect on their personal sense of the housing and community development process. And it emphasizes the institutional context within which public and private actions are undertaken.

21G.030 East Asian Cultures: From Zen to Pop, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.030 East Asian Cultures: From Zen to Pop, Fall 2005 Teng, Emma The course examines various aspects of culture in both premodern and modern East Asia, ranging from literature, art, performance, and cuisine to contemporary pop culture (film, manga, anime, etc.).

2.094 Finite Element Analysis of Solids and Fluids, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.094 Finite Element Analysis of Solids and Fluids, Spring 2008 Kim, Do-Nyun; Bathe, Klaus-Jürgen This course presents finite element theory and methods for general linear and nonlinear analyses. Reliable and effective finite element procedures are discussed with their applications to the solution of general problems in solid, structural, and fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, and fluid-structure interactions. The governing continuum mechanics equations, conservation laws, virtual work, and variational principles are used to establish effective finite element discretizations and the stability, accuracy, and convergence are discussed. The homework and the student-selected term project using the general-purpose finite element analysis program ADINA are important parts of the course.

14.11 Special Topics in Economics: The Challenge of World Poverty, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.11 Special Topics in Economics: The Challenge of World Poverty, Fall 2006 Banerjee, Abhijit This is a course for those who are interested in the challenge posed by massive and persistent world poverty, have had some economics, and believe that economists might have something useful to say about this question. The questions we will take up include: Is extreme poverty a thing of the past? Why do some countries grow fast and others fall further behind? Does growth help the poor? Does foreign aid help? What can we do about corruption? Should we leave it all to the markets? Should we leave it to the non-governmental organizations (NGOs)? Where is the best place to intervene? How do we deal with the disease burden? How do we improve schools? And many others.

16.842 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.842 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering, Fall 2009 de Weck, Olivier This course introduces the principles and methods of Systems Engineering. Lectures follow the "V"-model of Systems Engineering, including needs identification, requirements formulation, concept generation and selection, trade studies, preliminary and detailed design, component and subsystem test and integration as well as functional testing and delivery and operations. Additional concepts such as tradeoffs between performance, cost and system operability will be discussed. Systems Engineering standards and selected journal articles serve as a basis for readings, and individual homework assignments will apply the concepts from class. Both aeronautical and astronautical applications are covered. The class serves as preparation for the systems field exam in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

14.03 Intermediate Applied Microeconomics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.03 Intermediate Applied Microeconomics, Fall 2004 Autor, David This class presents microeconomic theory and applications of consumer and producer behavior and welfare analysis at an intermediate level. In addition to standard competitive models, we study deviations due to externalities, asymmetric information, and imperfect rationality. We apply this material to policy debates including minimum wage regulations, food stamp provision, trade protection, educational credentials, health insurance markets, and Internet shopping.

STS.310 History of Science, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

STS.310 History of Science, Fall 2005 Jones, David This seminar explores recent historiographical approaches within the history of science. Students will read a wide variety of studies covering topics from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries, from the physical sciences to natural history and medicine. Emphasis will be placed on: deciphering different theoretical approaches; the pros and cons of different research questions, subjects, and sources of evidence; and what makes for good and interesting history of science.

2.61 Internal Combustion Engines, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.61 Internal Combustion Engines, Spring 2004 Heywood, John B.; Cheng, Wai Kong Fundamentals of how the design and operation of internal combustion engines affect their performance, operation, fuel requirements, and environmental impact. Study of fluid flow, thermodynamics, combustion, heat transfer and friction phenomena, and fuel properties, relevant to engine power, efficiency, and emissions. Examination of design features and operating characteristics of different types of internal combustion engines: spark-ignition, diesel, stratified-charge, and mixed-cycle engines. Engine Laboratory project. For graduate and senior undergraduate students.

16.888 / ESD.77 Multidisciplinary System Design Optimization, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.888 / ESD.77 Multidisciplinary System Design Optimization, Spring 2004 Willcox, Karen; de Weck, Olivier This course is mainly focused on the quantitative aspects of design and presents a unifying framework called "Multidisciplinary System Design Optimization" (MSDO). The objective of the course is to present tools and methodologies for performing system optimization in a multidisciplinary design context, focusing on three aspects of the problem: (i) The multidisciplinary character of engineering systems, (ii) design of these complex systems, and (iii) tools for optimization. There is a version of this course (16.60s) offered through the MIT Professional Institute, targeted at professional engineers.

18.440 Probability and Random Variables, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.440 Probability and Random Variables, Spring 2009 Dudley, Richard This course introduces students to probability and random variables. Topics include distribution functions, binomial, geometric, hypergeometric, and Poisson distributions. The other topics covered are uniform, exponential, normal, gamma and beta distributions; conditional probability; Bayes theorem; joint distributions; Chebyshev inequality; law of large numbers; and central limit theorem.

18.100B Analysis I, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.100B Analysis I, Fall 2006 Lenzmann, Enno; Albin, Pierre Analysis I covers fundamentals of mathematical analysis: convergence of sequences and series, continuity, differentiability, Riemann integral, sequences and series of functions, uniformity, and interchange of limit operations.

11.364 International Environmental Negotiation, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.364 International Environmental Negotiation, Fall 2002 Susskind, Lawrence The class will explore the obstacles to achieving sustainability; in particular, the difficulties of managing common resources, achieving transboundary pollution control, making tradeoffs between economic and social development needs and environmental resource protection, and harmonizing environmental protection standards. At their core, these problems must be addressed through international or multi-lateral negotiations. We will focus especially on problems of representation and voting, issue linkage, balancing science and politics, and monitoring and enforcement in negotiations of these kinds. We will also examine these issues in light of actual treaty negotiations especially the on-going efforts to implement the Climate Change Convention. The class will operate as a research seminar. Each student will be expected to prepare and present an analysis of a specific international environmental negotiation which is heavily prescriptive.

18.335J / 6.337J Introduction to Numerical Methods, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.335J / 6.337J Introduction to Numerical Methods, Fall 2006 Persson, Per-Olof This course offers an advanced introduction to numerical linear algebra. Topics include direct and iterative methods for linear systems, eigenvalue decompositions and QR/SVD factorizations, stability and accuracy of numerical algorithms, the IEEE floating point standard, sparse and structured matrices, preconditioning, linear algebra software. Problem sets require some knowledge of MATLAB®.

12.811 Tropical Meteorology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.811 Tropical Meteorology, Spring 2005 Emanuel, Kerry This course describes the behavior and dynamics of the tropical troposphere, from the large-scale energy balance down to cumulus convection and tropical cyclones. Topics include: Radiative-convective equilibrium; the Hadley and walker circulation; monsoons; tropical boundary layers; theory of the response of the tropical atmosphere to localized sea-surface temperature anomalies; intraseasonal oscillations; equatorial waves; El Niño/Southern Oscillation; easterly waves; and tropical cyclones.

15.093 / 2.098 Optimization Methods (SMA 5213), Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.093 / 2.098 Optimization Methods (SMA 5213), Fall 2004 Bertsimas, Dimitris This course introduces the principal algorithms for linear, network, discrete, nonlinear, dynamic optimization and optimal control. Emphasis is on methodology and the underlying mathematical structures. Topics include the simplex method, network flow methods, branch and bound and cutting plane methods for discrete optimization, optimality conditions for nonlinear optimization, interior point methods for convex optimization, Newton's method, heuristic methods, and dynamic programming and optimal control methods. This course was also taught as part of the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) programme as course number SMA 5213 (Optimisation Methods).

6.241 Dynamic Systems & Control, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.241 Dynamic Systems & Control, Fall 2003 Dahleh, Munther 6.241 examines linear, discrete- and continuous-time, and multi-input-output systems in control and related areas. Least squares and matrix perturbation problems are considered. Topics covered include: state-space models, modes, stability, controllability, observability, transfer function matrices, poles and zeros, minimality, internal stability of interconnected systems, feedback compensators, state feedback, optimal regulation, observers, observer-based compensators, measures of control performance, and robustness issues using singular values of transfer functions. Nonlinear systems are also introduced.

SP.718 Special Topics at Edgerton Center: D-Lab Health: Medical Technologies for the Developing World, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.718 Special Topics at Edgerton Center: D-Lab Health: Medical Technologies for the Developing World, Spring 2009 Gomez-Marquez, Jose; Srivastava, Amit; Bardsley, Ryan Scott; Tracey, Brian D-Lab Health provides multi-disciplinary approach to global health technology design via guest lectures and a major project based on fieldwork. We will explore the current state of global health challenges and learn how design medical technologies that address those problems. Students may travel to Nicaragua during spring break and work with health professionals, using medical technology design kits to gain field experience for their device challenge. As a final class deliverable, you will create a product design solution to address the challenges observed in the field. The resulting designs are prototyped in the summer for continued evaluation and testing.

7.013 Introductory Biology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.013 Introductory Biology, Spring 2005 Sive, Hazel L.; Jacks, Tyler; Gardel, Claudette L. The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as, the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material. 7.014 focuses on the application of the fundamental principles toward an understanding of human biology. Topics include genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, disease (infectious agents, inherited diseases and cancer), developmental biology, neurobiology and evolution.

9.70 Social Psychology, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.70 Social Psychology, Spring 2009 Chorover, Stephan L. Our conjoint participation in the 9.70 learning system places us in a consensually-shared social situation. (All of the foregoing words are important. Do you understand their meaning in this context?) We will endeavor to organize ourselves into a community of discourse that approximates (albeit in an altogether partial way) a meaningful, real-world research enterprise: Like all scientific communities, we will work with limited resources. Unlike "real" scientific communities, ours will operate under the constraint of predetermined project duration and contractually agreed-upon limits in the amount of time and effort to be contributed to it by the individual participants. Toward this end, we randomly divide the membership of the class – at the outset — into subsystems – study groups — intended to operate interdependently with others while each remains together as a stable subsystem for the duration of the term, unless or until the participants determine otherwise. This approach creates a "level playing field." The coursework will provide everyone with first hand opportunities to experience and to exchange ideas about what it means to scientifically investigate (experimentally/experientially) the subject before us on individual, small group and large group levels.

20.441 / 2.79J / 3.96J / HST.522J Biomaterials-Tissue Interactions (BE.441), Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

20.441 / 2.79J / 3.96J / HST.522J Biomaterials-Tissue Interactions (BE.441), Fall 2003 Yannas, Ioannis; Spector, Myron This course is an introduction to principles of materials science and cell biology underlying the design of medical implants, artificial organs, and matrices for tissue engineering. Topics include methods for biomaterials surface characterization and analysis of protein adsorption on biomaterials. Molecular and cellular interactions with biomaterials are analyzed in terms of unit cell processes, such as matrix synthesis, degradation, and contraction. It also covers mechanisms underlying wound healing and tissue remodeling following implantation in various organs. Other areas include tissue and organ regeneration; design of implants and prostheses based on control of biomaterials-tissue interactions; comparative analysis of intact, biodegradable, and bioreplaceable implants by reference to case studies. Also addressed are criteria for restoration of physiological function for tissues and organs.

BE.010J Introduction to Bioengineering, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

BE.010J Introduction to Bioengineering, Spring 2006 Belcher, Angela M.; Matsudaira, Paul T.; Lauffenburger, Douglas A. Designed as a freshmen seminar course, faculty from various School of Engineering departments describe the research and educational opportunities specific to and offered by their departments. Background lectures by the BE.010J staff introduce students to the fundamental scientific basis for bioengineering. Specially produced videos provide additional background information that is supplemented with readings from newspaper and magazine articles. Description from course home page: Bioengineering at MIT is represented by the diverse curricula offered by most Departments in the School of Engineering. This course samples the wide variety of bioengineering options for students who plan to major in one of the undergraduate Engineering degree programs. The beginning lectures describe the science basis for bioengineering with particular emphasis on molecular cell biology and systems biology. Bioengineering faculty will then describe the bioengineering options in a particular engineering course as well as the type of research conducted by faculty in the department.

20.462J / 3.962J Molecular Principles of Biomaterials (BE.462J), Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

20.462J / 3.962J Molecular Principles of Biomaterials (BE.462J), Spring 2003 Irvine, Darrell J. Analysis and design at a molecular scale of materials used in contact with biological systems, including biotechnology and biomedical engineering. Topics include molecular interactions between bio- and synthetic molecules and surfaces; design, synthesis, and processing approaches for materials that control cell functions; and application of state-of-the-art materials science to problems in tissue engineering, drug delivery, biosensors, and cell-guiding surfaces.

BE.441 Biomaterials-Tissue Interactions, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

BE.441 Biomaterials-Tissue Interactions, Fall 2003 Spector, Myron; Yannas, Ioannis V. Principles of materials science and cell biology underlying the design of medical implants, artificial organs, and matrices for tissue engineering. Methods for biomaterials surface characterization and analysis of protein adsorption on biomaterials. Molecular and cellular interactions with biomaterials are analyzed in terms of unit cell processes, such as matrix synthesis, degradation, and contraction. Mechanisms underlying wound healing and tissue remodeling following implantation in various organs. Tissue and organ regeneration. Design of implants and prostheses based on control of biomaterials-tissue interactions. Comparative analysis of intact, biodegradable, and bioreplaceable implants by reference to case studies. Criteria for restoration of physiological function for tissues and organs.

BE.011J Statistical Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

BE.011J Statistical Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems, Spring 2004 Hamad-Schifferli, Kimberly; Griffith, Linda G. This course provides an introduction to the physical chemistry of biological systems. Topics include: connection of macroscopic thermodynamic properties to microscopic molecular properties using statistical mechanics, chemical potentials, equilibrium states, binding cooperativity, behavior of macromolecules in solution and at interfaces, and solvation. Example problems include protein structure, genomic analysis, single molecule biomechanics, and biomaterials.

BE.453J Biomedical Information Technology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

BE.453J Biomedical Information Technology, Spring 2005 Dewey, C. Forbes (Clarence Forbes) The objective of this subject is to teach the design of contemporary information systems for biological and medical data. These data are growing at a prodigious rate, and new information systems are required. This subject will cover examples from biology and medicine to illustrate complete life cycle information systems, beginning with data acquisition, following to data storage and finally to retrieval and analysis. Design of appropriate databases, client-server strategies, data interchange protocols, and computational modeling architectures will be covered. Students are expected to have some familiarity with scientific application software and a basic understanding of at least one contemporary programming language (C, C++, Java, Lisp, Perl, Python, etc.). A major term project is required of all students. Reading is assigned from the contemporary literature, and there is occasional homework.

BE.450 Molecular and Cellular Pathophysiology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

BE.450 Molecular and Cellular Pathophysiology, Spring 2005 Schauer, David This courses focuses on the fundamentals of tissue and organ response to injury from a molecular and cellular perspective. There is a special emphasis on disease states that bridge infection, inflammation, immunity, and cancer. The systems approach to pathophysiology includes lectures, critical evaluation of recent scientific papers, and student projects and presentations. This term, we focus on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), chronic-active hepatitis, and hepatitis virus infections. In addition to lectures, students work in teams to critically evaluate and present primary scientific papers.

4.301 Introduction to the Visual Arts, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.301 Introduction to the Visual Arts, Fall 2006 Zane, Joe Introduction to artistic practice and aesthetic analysis through studio work and lectures. Students communicate ideas and experiences through various media such as sculpture, installation, performance, and video. Projects evolve through stages of conceptual and material development to final presentation. Lectures, visiting artist presentations, field trips, and readings supplement studio practice, providing an index to the historical, cultural, and environmental forces that affect both development of artistic vision and reception of works of art. Lab fee. From the course home page: Course Description This class will introduce students to a variety of contemporary art practices and ideas. The class will begin with a brief overview of 'visual language' by looking at a variety of artworks and discussing basic concepts revolving around artistic practice. The rest of the class will focus on notions of the real/unreal as explored with various mediums and practices. The class will work in video, sculpture and in public space.

4.661 Theory and Method in the Study of Architecture and Art, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.661 Theory and Method in the Study of Architecture and Art, Fall 2002 Jones, Caroline This seminar is open to graduate students, and is intended to offer a synoptic view of selected methodologies and thinkers in art history (with some implications for architecture). It is a writing-intensive class based on the premise that writing and editing are forms of critical thinking. The syllabus outlines the structure of the course and the readings and assignments for each week. The discipline of art history periodically surges into "crisis." The demise of formalism as a guiding tenet, or connoisseurial appreciation as a general guide, plunged the field into confusion during the 1970s when the battle raged over "social histories of art" or "revisionism;" in the late 1990s the debate was staged between "visual studies" versus "normative art history." The course takes this confusion as itself worthy of study, and seeks to make available some of the new methodologies that have emerged over the past two decades. The ultimate goal is to bring students closer to discovering their own individual methods and voices as writers of art historical prose. In broader terms, we will attempt to understand the historiography of visual art and images more broadly. Our efforts will be predicated on the conviction that art history can serve as a generative discipline for all humanistic disciplines, and even those that style themselves as "Bildwissenschaft" (or "image-science").

4.500 Introduction to Design Computing, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

4.500 Introduction to Design Computing, Spring 2006 Sass, Lawrence This course introduces students to architectural design and computation through the use of computer modeling, rendering, and digital fabrication. The focus is on the exploration of space and place-making through the use of computer rendering and design construction and fabrication. Students design a small building using computer models leading to a full package of physical and virtual materials, from computer generated drawings to rapid, prototyped models.

4.301 Introduction to the Visual Arts, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.301 Introduction to the Visual Arts, Fall 2005 Scher, Julia Introduction to artistic practice and aesthetic analysis through studio work and lectures. Students communicate ideas and experiences through various media such as sculpture, installation, performance, and video. Projects evolve through stages of conceptual and material development to final presentation. Lectures, visiting artist presentations, field trips, and readings supplement studio practice, providing an index to the historical, cultural, and environmental forces that affect both development of artistic vision and reception of works of art. Lab fee.

4.173 Digital Mock-Up Workshop, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

4.173 Digital Mock-Up Workshop, Spring 2004 Sass, Lawrence This is an advanced subject in computer modeling and CAD CAM fabrication in building large-scale prototypes and digital mock-ups within a studio setting. Prototypes and mock-ups are developed with the aid of outside designers, consultants and fabricators. Field trips and in depth relationships with building fabricators demonstrate new methods for building design. The class analyzes complex shapes, shape relationships and curved surfaces fabrication at a macro scale leading to new architectural languages based on new methods of design and construction.

21A.226 Ethnic and National Identity, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.226 Ethnic and National Identity, Fall 2009 Jackson, Jean An introduction to the cross-cultural study of ethnic and national identity. We examine the concept of social identity, and consider the ways in which gendered, linguistic, religious, and ethno-racial identity components interact. We explore the history of nationalism, including the emergence of the idea of the nation-state, as well as ethnic conflict, globalization, identity politics, and human rights.

4.492 Daylighting, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.492 Daylighting, Fall 2004 Andersen, Marilyne The course focuses on the use and optimization of daylight in buildings and on its complementarity to artificial (electric) lighting, to aim at reducing the building's environmental impact while improving the visual comfort of the inhabitants. Fundamentals of daylighting and artificial lighting will first be introduced. More advanced and design-oriented topics will then be presented and practiced through the design project.

16.63J / ESD.03J System Safety, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.63J / ESD.03J System Safety, Fall 2012 Leveson, Nancy; Thomas, John P. This class introduces the concepts of system safety and how to analyze and design safer systems. Topics include the causes of accidents in general, and recent major accidents in particular; hazard analysis, safety-driven design techniques; design of human-automation interaction; integrating safety into the system engineering process; and managing and operating safety-critical systems.

21A.340J / STS.075J Technology and Culture, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.340J / STS.075J Technology and Culture, Fall 2006 Helmreich, Stefan This course examines relationships among technology, culture, and politics in a variety of social and historical settings ranging from 19th century factories to 21st century techno dance floors, from colonial Melanesia to capitalist Massachusetts. We will be interested in whether technology has produced a better world, and for whom.

21A.750J / STS.250J Social Theory and Analysis, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.750J / STS.250J Social Theory and Analysis, Fall 2004 Fischer, Michael M.J. This course presents a survey of social theory from the 19th century to the present. The focus is on (a) the social grounds from which the theory arises; (b) the utility and limitations of older theories for current conditions; (c) the creation of new theory out of contemporary conditions; (d) sciences and technologies as the infrastructures upon which social institutions depend, are shaped, and shape.

BE.410J Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

BE.410J Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics, Spring 2003 Kamm, Roger D.; Grodzinsky, Alan J.; Doyle, Patrick S.; Jonas, Maxine This course develops and applies scaling laws and the methods of continuum mechanics to biomechanical phenomena over a range of length scales. Topics include: structure of tissues and the molecular basis for macroscopic properties; chemical and electrical effects on mechanical behavior; cell mechanics, motility and adhesion; biomembranes; biomolecular mechanics and molecular motors. Experimental methods for probing structures at the tissue, cellular, and molecular levels.

4.493 Natural Light in Design, January (IAP) 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

4.493 Natural Light in Design, January (IAP) 2005 Andersen, Marilyne; Reinhart, Christoph Today, computer-based simulations are becoming increasingly popular, especially when daylighting and energy conservation are amongst the key goals for a project. This two-week workshop will expose participants to the current daylighting simulation models and beyond, by introducing realistic and dynamic assessment methods through hands-on exercises and application to a design project. Open to students and practitioners.

21A.218J / SP.454J / WGS.454J Identity and Difference, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.218J / SP.454J / WGS.454J Identity and Difference, Fall 2002 Silbey, Susan S. How can the individual be at once cause and consequence of society, a unique agent of social action and also a social product? Why are some people accepted and celebrated for their particular features while other people and behaviors are considered deviant and stigmatized? This course examines theoretical perspectives on human identity, focusing on processes of creating categories of acceptable and deviant identities. We will discuss how identities are formed, how they vary, the forms and possibilities of unique or aggregate identities, how behaviors are labeled deviant, how people enter deviant roles and worlds, responses to differences and strategies of coping with these responses on the individual and group level. Rather than focus on the differences among various forms of deviant identity and behavior, we will consider the usefulness of various theoretical perspectives that attempt to explain patterns across diverse identities and differences. As we explore the meaning and experience of deviance, we will be simultaneously analyzing conformity. Throughout the course, we will use gender and sexuality as an example of frequently stigmatized forms of identity.

16.852J / ESD.61J Integrating The Lean Enterprise, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.852J / ESD.61J Integrating The Lean Enterprise, Fall 2002 Nightingale, Deborah J. Addresses some of the important issues involved with the planning, development, and implementation of lean enterprises. People, technology, process, and management dimensions of an effective lean manufacturing company are considered in a unified framework. Particular emphasis on the integration of these dimensions across the entire enterprise, including product development, production, and the extended supply chain. Analysis tools as well as future trends and directions are explored. A key component of this subject is a team project.

21A.215 Medical Anthropology, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.215 Medical Anthropology, Fall 2002 Jackson, Jean E. (Jean Elizabeth), 1943- Examination of how medicine is practiced cross-culturally, with particular emphasis on Western biomedicine. Analysis of medical practice as a cultural system, focusing on the human, as opposed to the biological, side of things. Also, examines how we and people in other cultures think of disease, health, body, and mind. From the course home page: Course Description This course looks at medicine from a cross-cultural perspective, focusing on the human, as opposed to biological, side of things. Students learn how to analyze various kinds of medical practice as cultural systems. Particular emphasis is placed on Western (bio-medicine); students examine how biomedicine constructs disease, health, body, and mind, and how it articulates with other institutions, national and international.

16.660 / 16.853 / ESD.62J Introduction to Lean Six Sigma Methods, January IAP 2008

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

16.660 / 16.853 / ESD.62J Introduction to Lean Six Sigma Methods, January IAP 2008 Murman, Earll; McManus, Hugh; Weigel, Annalisa; Haggerty, Allen This course introduces the fundamental Lean Six Sigma principles that underlay modern continuous improvement approaches for industry, government and other organizations. Lean emerged from the Japanese automotive industry, particularly Toyota, and is focused on the creation of value through the relentless elimination of waste. Six Sigma is a quality system developed at Motorola which focuses on elimination of variation from all processes. The basic principles have been applied to a wide range of organizations and sectors to improve quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, time-to-market and financial performance. This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

21A.355J / STS.060J The Anthropology of Biology, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.355J / STS.060J The Anthropology of Biology, Spring 2009 Helmreich, Stefan If the twentieth century was the century of physics, the twenty-first promises to be the century of biology. This subject examines the cultural, political, and economic dimensions of biology in the age of genomics, biotechnological enterprise, biodiversity conservation, pharmaceutical bioprospecting, and synthetic biology. Although we examine such social concerns as bioterrorism, genetic modification, and cloning, this is not a class in bioethics, but rather an anthropological inquiry into how the substances and explanations of biology — increasingly cellular, molecular, genetic, and informatic — are changing, and with them broader ideas about the relationship between "nature" and "culture." Looking at such cultural artifacts as cell lines, biodiversity databases, and artificial life models, and using primary sources in biology, social studies of the life sciences, and literary and cinematic materials, we rephrase Erwin Schrödinger's famous 1944 question, "What Is Life?" to ask, in the early 2000s, "What Is Life Becoming?"

16.355J / ESD.355J Advanced Software Engineering, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.355J / ESD.355J Advanced Software Engineering, Fall 2002 Leveson, Nancy A reading and discussion subject on advanced topics in the engineering of software systems. Focus on software development. Topics differ but are chosen from: software process and lifecycle; requirements development, specification and analysis; design principles; testing, formal analysis, and reviews; quality management and assessment; product and process metrics; COTS and reuse; evolution and maintenance; team organization and people management; software engineering aspects of programming languages; and software psychology. Prerequisite is basic knowledge of programming and an introductory class in software engineering. The second prerequisite can be waived with permission of the instructor and additional background reading.

6.005 Elements of Software Construction, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.005 Elements of Software Construction, Fall 2011 Miller, Robert This course introduces fundamental principles and techniques of software development. Students learn how to write software that is safe from bugs, easy to understand, and ready for change. Topics include specifications and invariants; testing, test-case generation, and coverage; state machines; abstract data types and representation independence; design patterns for object-oriented programming; concurrent programming, including message passing and shared concurrency, and defending against races and deadlock; and functional programming with immutable data and higher-order functions. The course includes weekly programming exercises and two substantial group projects.

21F.107 Chinese I (Streamlined), Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.107 Chinese I (Streamlined), Fall 2002 Chen, Tong; Zhang, Jin Designed for students who already speak some basic Chinese but who have no, or very little reading and writing ability. Focuses on standard pronunciation and usage, on reading both in full form and simplified characters, and on basic composition. For graduate credit see 21F.157. From the course home page: Course Description This course is an introduction to modern standard Chinese, colloquially called Mandarin. It is intended for students with some conversational ability, but little or no reading (or writing) skills. The emphasis of the course is on standard pronunciation (and accurate tones); standard usage and grammar; and reading and writing characters in context.

11.487 Urban Public Finance in Developing Countries, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.487 Urban Public Finance in Developing Countries, Fall 2003 Kim, Annette M. Analysis of the structure and operation of government systems in developing countries, with particular emphasis on regional and local governments. Major topics include: the role of decentralization in national economic reform programs; the potential impact of decentralized governments on local economic development; determination of optimal arrangements for sharing fiscal responsibilities among levels of government; evaluation of local revenue and expenditure decisions; and assessment of prospects and options for intergovernmental fiscal reform. Emphasis on basic economic concerns, with consideration given to political, institutional, and cultural factors.

14.581 International Economics I, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.581 International Economics I, Spring 2011 Donaldson, Dave; Costinot, Arnaud This course covers, with a focus on both theory and empirics, advanced topics in international trade (as well as inter-regional trade and economic geography). It includes the study of positive issues, such as: Why do countries trade? What goods do countries trade? What are the implications of openness for the location of production, industries, occupations, and innovative activity? And, what impedes trade and why do some countries deliberately erect policy impediments to trade? The course also concerns normative issues, such as: Is trade openness beneficial to a representative agent? And, Are there winners and losers from trade and if so, can we identify them? Throughout, these issues are approached in neoclassical settings as well as those with market failures, at the industry-level as well as the firm-level, and in the presence of both mobile and immobile factors (e.g., foreign direct investment (FDI), offshoring of tasks, multinational firms and immigration).

14.461 Advanced Macroeconomics I, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.461 Advanced Macroeconomics I, Fall 2009 Lorenzoni, Guido; Guerrieri, Veronica This course covers three sets of topics. The first part will cover business cycle models with imperfect information. We will ask questions such as: What shocks drive business cycles? What is the relative role of shocks to fundamentals and shocks affecting expectations about (current and future) economic developments? How do informational frictions affect the shape of the responses to various shocks? The second part will cover models of investment with credit constraints. We will ask questions such as: What is the transmission mechanism from shocks to the financial sector to the real economy? What determines optimal decisions about capitalization at the individual and at the social level? The third part will cover search models of decentralized trade applied both to labor markets and to financial markets. In particular, the models will have informational imperfections.

21L.501 The American Novel, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.501 The American Novel, Fall 2002 Kelley, Wyn The theme for this class is "American Revolution." We will read authors who record, on the one hand, the failures of the American revolution, with its dream of democracy and freedom for all, and on the other hand the potential for narrative to reenact that revolution successfully. In different ways, these authors overturn traditional or unethical authority through their literary innovations. Although certain classic American historical, political, and cultural issues will be at the center of our study--democracy, slavery, gender equity, social reform--we will concern ourselves primarily with literary strategies, with language and its uses. Essays will pursue close readings of the texts and develop students' abilities to think creatively and critically about fictional works.

21H.912 The World Since 1492, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.912 The World Since 1492, Fall 2004 Ciarlo, David This class offers a look into the last five hundred years of world history. Rather than attempt an exhaustive chronology of everything that has occurred on the globe since 1492 - an impossible task for a lifetime, let alone a single semester - we will be focusing on certain geographic areas at specific times, in order to highlight a particular historical problem or to examine the roots of processes that have had an enormous impact on the contemporary world.

7.341 DNA Damage Checkpoints: The Emergency Brake on the Road to Cancer, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.341 DNA Damage Checkpoints: The Emergency Brake on the Road to Cancer, Fall 2007 Reinhardt, Hans Christian; van Vugt, Marcel A. The DNA contained in human cells is under constant attack by both exogenous and endogenous agents that can damage one of its three billion base pairs. To cope with this permanent exposure to DNA-damaging agents, such as the sun's radiation or by-products of our normal metabolism, powerful DNA damage checkpoints have evolved that allow organisms to survive this constant assault on their genomes. In this class we will analyze classical and recent papers from the primary research literature to gain a profound understanding of checkpoints that act as powerful emergency brakes to prevent cancer. We will consider basic principles of cell proliferation and molecular details of the DNA damage response. We will discuss the methods and model organisms typically used in this field as well as how an understanding of checkpoint mechanisms translates into the development of treatments for human cancer. This course will not stop at discussing literature. We will take it one step further and analyze real data in an MIT Biology laboratory. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

6.101 Introductory Analog Electronics Laboratory, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.101 Introductory Analog Electronics Laboratory, Fall 2002 Roscoe, Byron M. Introductory experimental laboratory explores the design, construction, and debugging of analog electronic circuits. Lectures and six laboratory projects investigate the performance characteristics of diodes, transistors, JFETs and op-amps, including the construction of a small audio amplifier and preamplifier. Seven weeks are devoted to the design and implementation of a project in an environment similar to that of engineering design teams in industry. Provides opportunity to simulate real-world problems and solutions that involve tradeoffs and the use of engineering judgement. From the course home page: Course Description 6.101 is an introductory electronics laboratory. Students learn about the basic principles of analog circuit design and operation in a practical, real-world laboratory setting. They work both with discrete components such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, and transistors as well as with integrated components such as operational amplifiers. In addition, they become familiar with the operation of basic electronic test equipment (digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, function generators, curve tracers, etc.). There are six labs due weekly which start out as cookbook types and progress to design exercises; there are group design projects for the second half of the term.

6.050J / 2.110J Information and Entropy, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.050J / 2.110J Information and Entropy, Spring 2003 Lloyd, Seth; Penfield, Paul Unified theory of information with applications to computing, communications, thermodynamics, and other sciences. Digital signals and streams, codes, compression, noise, and probability. Reversible and irreversible operations. Information in biological systems. Channel capacity. Maximum-entropy formalism. Thermodynamic equilibrium, temperature. The Second Law of Thermodynamics. Quantum computation. From the course home page: Course Description 6.050J / 2.110J presents the unified theory of information with applications to computing, communications, thermodynamics, and other sciences. It covers digital signals and streams, codes, compression, noise, and probability, reversible and irreversible operations, information in biological systems, channel capacity, maximum-entropy formalism, thermodynamic equilibrium, temperature, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and quantum computation. Designed for MIT freshmen as an elective, this course has been jointly developed by MIT's Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering. There is no known course similar to 6.050J / 2.110J offered at any other university.

17.100J / 15.678J / 14.781J Political Economy I, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.100J / 15.678J / 14.781J Political Economy I, Fall 2010 Berger, Suzanne; Piore, Michael Political Economy I explores the major social science paradigms for analyzing relations among state, economy, and society. Through readings, lectures and discussion of original texts in political liberalism and individualism, neo-classical economics, Marxism, sociological and cultural theories, and neo-institutionalism, the seminar examines the fundamental assumptions on which our understanding of the social world and our research are based.

11.380J / 1.252J / ESD.225J Urban Transportation Planning, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.380J / 1.252J / ESD.225J Urban Transportation Planning, Fall 2002 Salvucci, Frederick; Murga, Mikel This class is an introduction to planning transportation in metropolitan areas. The approach, while rooted on the analytical tools which estimate outcomes and alternatives, is holistic. This means starting from a scan of the site, its history and its current trends, in order to frame properly the problem, including the relevant actors, institutions, roles and interests. The design and evaluation of alternatives considers this complexity, in addition to construction, operation and maintenance issues. The decision-making and implementation process, including the needed feedback mechanisms, focuses as well on the need to build constituencies and alliances. The course topics include the history of urban transportation, highway finance, environmental and planning regulations, air quality, modal characteristics, land use and transportation interaction and emerging information technologies for transportation planning. Students either with a primary or peripheral interest in transportation are equally welcome. The course uses examples from the Boston metropolitan area extensively, both because of its proximity and the strong influence Boston has had on US transport policy. In parallel, examples from other countries describe the challenges faced elsewhere, as well as lessons learned. There will be walking tours of several transportation sites in Boston.

CMS.100 Introduction to Media Studies, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.100 Introduction to Media Studies, Fall 2010 Consalvo, Mia This course offers an overview of the social, cultural, political, and economic impact of mediated communication on modern culture. Combines critical discussions with experiments working with different media. Media covered include radio, television, film, the printed word, and digital technologies. Topics include the nature and function of media, core media institutions, and media in transition.

14.126 Game Theory, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.126 Game Theory, Spring 2010 Manea, Mihai; Yildiz, Muhamet This course is a rigorous investigation of the evolutionary and epistemic foundations of solution concepts, such as rationalizability and Nash equilibrium. It covers classical topics, such as repeated games, bargaining, and supermodular games as well as new topics such as global games, heterogeneous priors, psychological games, and games without expected utility maximization. Applications are provided when available.

6.837 Computer Graphics, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.837 Computer Graphics, Fall 2003 Durand, Frédo; Cutler, Barbara 6.837 offers an introduction to computer graphics hardware, algorithms, and software. Topics include: line generators, affine transformations, line and polygon clipping, splines, interactive techniques, perspective projection, solid modeling, hidden surface algorithms, lighting models, shading, and animation. Substantial programming experience is required. This course is worth 6 Engineering Design Points.

9.04 Neural Basis of Vision and Audtion, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.04 Neural Basis of Vision and Audtion, Fall 2004 Schiller, Peter H.; Brown, Merritt Christian Examines the neural bases of visual and auditory processing for perception and sensorimotor control. Focuses on physiological and anatomical studies of the mammalian nervous system as well as behavioral studies of animals and humans. Studies visual pattern, color and depth perception, auditory responses and speech coding, and spatial localization. Offered alternate years.

1.138J / 2.062J / 18.376J Wave Propagation, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.138J / 2.062J / 18.376J Wave Propagation, Fall 2004 Akylas, Triantaphyllos R.; Li, Guangda; Mei, Chiang C.; Rosales, Rodolfo This course discusses the Linearized theory of wave phenomena in applied mechanics. Examples are chosen from elasticity, acoustics, geophysics, hydrodynamics and other subjects. The topics include: basic concepts, one dimensional examples, characteristics, dispersion and group velocity, scattering, transmission and reflection, two dimensional reflection and refraction across an interface, mode conversion in elastic waves, diffraction and parabolic approximation, radiation from a line source, surface Rayleigh waves and Love waves in elastic media, waves on the sea surface and internal waves in a stratified fluid, waves in moving media, ship wave pattern, atmospheric lee waves behind an obstacle, and waves through a laminated media, etc.

24.241 Logic I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.241 Logic I, Fall 2002 McGee, Vann, 1949- Introduction to the aims and techniques of formal logic. The logic of truth functions and quantifiers. The concepts of validity and truth and their relation to formal deduction. Applications of logic and the place of logic in philosophy.

22.54 Neutron Interactions and Applications, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.54 Neutron Interactions and Applications, Spring 2002 Yip, Sidney; Yanch, Jacquelyn Ciel; Zhu, Xuping Comprehensive treatment of neutron interactions in condensed matter at energies from thermal to MeV, focusing on aspects most relevant to radiation therapy, industrial imaging, and materials research applications. Comparative assessment of accelerator and reactor sources, cross sections for capture and charged particle emission, theory of elastic scattering and thermalization, optics and small-angle scattering, static and dynamic structure factors, transport calculations and particle simulations. Term paper and presentation required.

6.046J Introduction to Algorithms (SMA 5503), Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.046J Introduction to Algorithms (SMA 5503), Fall 2004 Leiserson, Charles Eric; Indyk, Piotr Techniques for the design and analysis of efficient algorithms, emphasizing methods useful in practice. Topics: sorting; search trees, heaps, and hashing; divide-and-conquer; dynamic programming; amortized analysis; graph algorithms; shortest paths; network flow; computational geometry; number-theoretic algorithms; polynomial and matrix calculations; caching; and parallel computing. Enrollment may be limited.

BE.440 Analysis of Biological Networks, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

BE.440 Analysis of Biological Networks, Fall 2004 Essigmann, John; Sasisekharan, Ram This class analyzes complex biological processes from the molecular, cellular, extracellular, and organ levels of hierarchy. Emphasis is placed on the basic biochemical and biophysical principles that govern these processes. Examples of processes to be studied include chemotaxis, the fixation of nitrogen into organic biological molecules, growth factor and hormone mediated signaling cascades, and signaling cascades leading to cell death in response to DNA damage. In each case, the availability of a resource, or the presence of a stimulus, results in some biochemical pathways being turned on while others are turned off. The course examines the dynamic aspects of these processes and details how biochemical mechanistic themes impinge on molecular/cellular/tissue/organ-level functions. Chemical and quantitative views of the interplay of multiple pathways as biological networks are emphasized. Student work will culminate in the preparation of a unique grant application in an area of biological networks.

16.410 / 16.413 Principles of Autonomy and Decision Making, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.410 / 16.413 Principles of Autonomy and Decision Making, Fall 2003 Williams, Brian C.; Sullivan, Greg This course surveys a variety of reasoning, optimization, and decision-making methodologies for creating highly autonomous systems and decision support aids. The focus is on principles, algorithms, and their applications, taken from the disciplines of artificial intelligence and operations research. Reasoning paradigms include logic and deduction, heuristic and constraint-based search, model-based reasoning, planning and execution, reasoning under uncertainty, and machine learning. Optimization paradigms include linear, integer and dynamic programming. Decision-making paradigms include decision theoretic planning, and Markov decision processes. This course is offered both to undergraduate (16.410) students as a professional area undergraduate subject, in the field of aerospace information technology, and graduate (16.413) students.

6.830 Database Systems, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.830 Database Systems, Fall 2005 Madden, Samuel This course relies on primary readings from the database community to introduce graduate students to the foundations of database systems, focusing on basics such as the relational algebra and data model, schema normalization, query optimization, and transactions. It is designed for students who have taken MIT course 6.033 (or equivalent); no prior database experience is assumed though students who have taken an undergraduate course in databases are encouraged to attend. Topics related to the engineering and design of database systems, including: data models; database and schema design; schema normalization and integrity constraints; query processing; query optimization and cost estimation; transactions; recovery; concurrency control; isolation and consistency; distributed, parallel, and heterogeneous databases; adaptive databases; trigger systems; pub-sub systems; semi structured data and XML querying.

20.430J / 2.795J / 6.561J / 10.539J / HST.544J Fields, Forces, and Flows in Biological Systems (BE.430J), Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

20.430J / 2.795J / 6.561J / 10.539J / HST.544J Fields, Forces, and Flows in Biological Systems (BE.430J), Fall 2004 Lauffenburger, Douglas; Grodzinsky, Alan This course covers the following topics: conduction, diffusion, convection in electrolytes; fields in heterogeneous media; electrical double layers; Maxwell stress tensor and electrical forces in physiological systems; and fluid and solid continua: equations of motion useful for porous, hydrated biological tissues. Case studies considered include membrane transport; electrode interfaces; electrical, mechanical, and chemical transduction in tissues; electrophoretic and electroosmotic flows; diffusion/reaction; and ECG. The course also examines electromechanical and physicochemical interactions in biomaterials and cells; orthopaedic, cardiovascular, and other clinical examples.

14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics, Fall 2002 Schaller, Huntley This course will provide an overview of macroeconomic issues: the determination of output, employment, unemployment, interest rates, and inflation. Monetary and fiscal policies are discussed, as are the public debt and international economic issues. It introduces basic models of macroeconomics and illustrates principles with the experience of the United States and other economies.

16.885J / ESD.35J Aircraft Systems Engineering, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.885J / ESD.35J Aircraft Systems Engineering, Fall 2003 Hansman, Robert John; Liebeck, Robert H; Murman, Earll M., 1942-; Haggerty, Allen C Subject addresses a holistic systems engineering approach for aircraft development. Focuses on the conceptual phase of product definition during which all aspects relevant to a new or derivative aircraft must be considered. These include technical, economic, market, environmental, regulatory, legal, manufacturing, and societal factors. Subject centers on a realistic aircraft system case study and includes a number of lectures from industry and government. Past examples included the Very Large Transport Aircraft and a Supersonic Business Jet. Subject identifies the critical system level issues and analyzes them in depth via student team projects and individual assignments. The overall goal of the semester is to produce a business plan and aircraft level system specifications document which can serve as an independent assessment of a current candidate aircraft system. From the course home page: Course Description Aircraft are complex products comprised of many subsystems which must meet demanding customer and operational lifecycle value requirements. This course adopts a holistic view of the aircraft as a system, covering: basic systems engineering; cost and weight estimation; basic aircraft performance; safety and reliability; lifecycle topics; aircraft subsystems; risk analysis and management; and system realization. Small student teams "retrospectively analyze" an existing aircraft covering: key design drivers and decisions; aircraft attributes and subsystems; and operational experience. Finally, the student teams deliver oral and written versions of the case study.

5.60 Thermodynamics & Kinetics, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.60 Thermodynamics & Kinetics, Spring 2005 Bawendi, Moungi Gabriel, 1961-; Griffin, Robert Guy This subject deals primarily with equilibrium properties of macroscopic systems, basic thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium of reactions in gas and solution phase, and rates of chemical reactions.

21M.621 Theater and Cultural Diversity in the U.S., Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21M.621 Theater and Cultural Diversity in the U.S., Spring 2004 DeFrantz, Thomas A study of contemporary North American theater movements and selected individual works that are organized around issues of ethnic and socio-cultural identity. Class lectures and discussions analyze samples of African-American, Chicano, Asian-American, Puerto Rican and Native American theater taking into consideration their historical and political context. Performance exercises help students identify the theatrical context and theatrical forms and techniques used by these theaters. From the course home page: Course Description This course explores contemporary American theatrical expression as it may be organized around issues of ethnic and cultural identity. This exploration will include the analysis of performances, scripts, and video documentation, as well as the invention of original documents of theatrical expression. Class lectures and discussions will analyze samples of Native American, Chicano, African American, and Asian American theater, taking into consideration the historical and political context for the creation of these works. Performance exercises will help students identify theatrical forms and techniques used by these theaters, and how these techniques contribute to the overall goals of specific theatrical expressions.

14.123 Microeconomic Theory III, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.123 Microeconomic Theory III, Spring 2001 Diamond, Peter A. General equilibrium, capital theory, incomplete markets, externalities, public goods. From the course web page: Course Description The central topic of this course is the theory of general equilibrium and its applications and extensions.

14.64 Labor Economics and Public Policy, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.64 Labor Economics and Public Policy, Spring 2006 Angrist, Joshua David Theory and evidence concerning the functioning of the labor market. Particular emphasis on the roles played by government and institutions. Topics include minimum wages, labor market effects of social insurance and welfare programs, the collective bargaining relationship, discrimination, human capital, and unemployment. From the course home page: Course Description The course is an introduction to the field of Labor Economics, with an eye to helping students think critically about research and public policy. The emphasis is on applied microeconomics and empirical analysis. Topics to be covered include: labor supply and demand, taxes and transfers, human capital, minimum wages, income distribution, unions and strikes, immigration, incentives, discrimination, unemployment and unemployment insurance.

1.963 Globalization of the Engineering and Construction Industry, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.963 Globalization of the Engineering and Construction Industry, Fall 2006 Moavenzadeh, Fred, 1935-; Wolff, Derish M. This course explores the challenges and risks faced by senior managers of construction, engineering and architecture companies in entering global markets in general, and sponsoring concessions in particular. The course includes a discussion of innovative approaches to nation building, partnering, finance, utilization of specialized delivery systems, privatization, outsourcing and concessions; opportunities created by advanced information technology; and appropriate strategies for entering attractive and rapidly expanding international fields and markets.

18.01 Single Variable Calculus, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.01 Single Variable Calculus, Fall 2003 Starr, Jason M. DIFFERENTIATION AND INTEGRATION OF FUNCTIONS OF ONE VARIABLE, WITH APPLICATIONS. CONCEPTS OF FUNCTION, LIMITS, AND CONTINUITY. DIFFERENTIATION RULES, APPLICATION TO GRAPHING, RATES, APPROXIMATIONS, AND EXTREMUM PROBLEMS. DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE INTEGRATION. FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF CALCULUS. APPLICATIONS OF INTEGRATION TO GEOMETRY AND SCIENCE. ELEMENTARY FUNCTIONS. TECHNIQUES OF INTEGRATION. APPROXIMATION OF DEFINITE INTEGRALS, IMPROPER INTEGRALS, AND L'HÔPITAL'S RULE.

3.016 Mathematics for Materials Scientists and Engineers, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.016 Mathematics for Materials Scientists and Engineers, Fall 2003 Carter, W. Craig The class will cover mathematical techniques necessary for understanding of materials science and engineering topics such as energetics, materials structure and symmetry, materials response to applied fields, mechanics and physics of solids and soft materials. The class uses examples from 3.012 to introduce mathematical concepts and materials-related problem solving skills. Topics include linear algebra and orthonormal basis, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, quadratic forms, tensor operations, symmetry operations, calculus of several variables, introduction to complex analysis, ordinary and partial differential equations, theory of distributions, fourier analysis and random walks.

STS.001 Technology in American History, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

STS.001 Technology in American History, Spring 2003 Smith, Merritt Roe, 1940- A survey of America's transition from a rural, agrarian, and artisan society to one of the world's leading industrial powers. Treats the emergence of industrial capitalism: the rise of the factory system; new forms of power, transport, and communication; the advent of the large industrial corporation; the social relations of production; and the hallmarks of science-based industry. Views technology as part of the larger culture and reveals innovation as a process consisting of a range of possibilities that are chosen or rejected according to the social criteria of the time. From the course home page: Course Description This course will consider the ways in which technology, broadly defined, has contributed to the building of American society from colonial times to the present. This course has three primary goals: to train students to ask critical questions of both technology and the broader American culture of which it is a part; to provide an historical perspective with which to frame and address such questions; and to encourage students to be neither blind critics of new technologies, nor blind advocates for technologies in general, but thoughtful and educated participants in the democratic process.

11.520 Workshop on Geographic Information Systems, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.520 Workshop on Geographic Information Systems, Fall 2002 Ferreira, Joseph This class uses lab exercises and a workshop setting to help students develop a solid understanding of the planning and public management uses of geographic information systems (GIS). The goals are to help students: Acquire technical skills in the use of GIS software. Acquire qualitative methods skills in data and document gathering, analyzing information, and presenting results. Investigate the potential and practicality of GIS technologies in a typical planning setting and evaluate possible applications. The workshop teaches GIS techniques and basic database management at a level that extends somewhat beyond the basic thematic mapping and data manipulation skills included in the MCP core classes (viz.11.204 and 11.220). Instead of focusing on one thematic map of a single variable, students will concentrate on more open-ended planning questions that invite spatial analysis but will require judgment and exploration to select relevant data and mapping techniques, involve mixing and matching new, local data with extracts from official records (such as census data, parcel data and regional employment and population forecasts), utilize spatial analysis techniques such as buffering, address matching, overlays use other modeling and visualization techniques beyond thematic mapping, and raise questions about the skills, strategy, and organizational support needed to sustain such analytic capability within a variety of local and regional planning settings. Students seeking graduate credit should enroll in the subject 11.520; undergraduates should enroll in the subject 11.188. The subjects meet together and have nearly identical content.

9.20 Animal Behavior, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.20 Animal Behavior, Fall 2001 Ramus, Seth Jacob This course will sample the broad diversity of animal behavior and the behavioral adaptation of animals to the environments in which they live. This will include discussion of both field observations and controlled laboratory experiments. Particular emphasis will be placed on the comparison of behavior within an evolutionary framework, animal cognition, and on the genetic, neural, and hormonal mechanisms underlying behavior.

15.094 Systems Optimization: Models and Computation, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.094 Systems Optimization: Models and Computation, Spring 2002 Freund, Robert Michael; Teo, Chungpiaw A computational and application-oriented introduction to the modeling of large-scale systems in a wide variety of decision-making domains and the optimization of such systems using state-of-the-art optimization software. Application domains include transportation and logistics, pattern classification, structural design, financial engineering, and telecommunications system planning. Modeling tools and techniques covered include linear, network, discrete, and nonlinear programming, heuristic methods, sensitivity and postoptimality analysis, decomposition methods for large-scale systems, and stochastic programming. From the course home page: Course Description An applications-oriented course on the modeling of large-scale systems in decision-making domains and the optimization of such systems using state-of-the-art optimization tools. Application domains include: transportation and logistics planning, pattern classification and image processing, data mining, design of structures, scheduling in large systems, supply-chain management, financial engineering, and telecommunications systems planning. Modeling tools and techniques include linear, network, discrete and nonlinear optimization, heuristic methods, sensitivity and post-optimality analysis, decomposition methods for large-scale systems, and stochastic optimization.

9.00W Introduction to Psychology, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.00W Introduction to Psychology, Fall 2002 Wolfe, Jeremy M. This course surveys questions about human behavior and mental life ranging from how you see to why you fall in love. The great controversies: nature and nurture, free will, consciousness, human differences, self and society. Students are exposed to the range of theoretical perspectives including biological, evolutionary, cognitive, and psychoanalytic. One of the best aspects of Psychology is that you are the subject matter. This makes it possible to do many demonstrations in lecture that allow you to experience the topic under study. Lectures work in tandem with the textbook. The course breaks into small recitations sections to allow discussion, oral presentations, and individual contact with instructors.

11.128 Information Technology and the Labor Market, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.128 Information Technology and the Labor Market, Spring 2003 Levy, Frank, 1941- In this course, we will explore how information technology is reshaping the U.S. labor market: the mix of occupations, the skills required to perform an occupation, the way work is organized, labor productivity, wage levels and wage inequality. We begin from the perspective the brain is a wonderful information-processing instrument, but in those cases where a computer and the brain can process information in roughly the same way the computer can often do it at lower cost. This fact leads to a pair of crosscutting market forces: Information technology is opening up many new opportunities through its complementarity with some human skills. In both existing and new jobs, information technology is replacing human labor in certain tasks by substituting for other human skills. We will explore the current limits on computer's ability to substitute for human skills, discuss the human skills that computers complement,and assess the net effect of these forces on the labor market.

8.13 / 8.14 Experimental Physics I & II "Junior Lab", Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.13 / 8.14 Experimental Physics I & II "Junior Lab", Fall 2002 Sewell, Scott D.; Clark, George W.; Becker, Ulrich J.; Kirsch, Jordan Junior Lab consists of two undergraduate courses in experimental physics. The courses are offered by the MIT Physics Department, and are usually taken by Juniors (hence the name). Officially, the courses are called Experimental Physics I and II and are numbered 8.13 for the first half, given in the fall semester, and 8.14 for the second half, given in the spring. The purposes of Junior Lab are to give students hands-on experience with some of the experimental basis of modern physics and, in the process, to deepen their understanding of the relations between experiment and theory, mostly in atomic and nuclear physics.

17.196 Globalization, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.196 Globalization, Fall 2002 Berger, Suzanne Analyzes changes in the international economy and their effects in the politics, economy, and society of advanced and emerging countries. Topics to be explored include: the independence of national governments; wage inequality; unemployment; industrial production outside national borders and its consequences for innovation, efficiency, and jobs; fairness in trade; and mass culture versus local values. 17.195 fulfills undergraduate public policy requirement in the major and minor. Graduate students are expected to explore the subject in greater depth.

9.036 The Visual System, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.036 The Visual System, Spring 2003 Schiller, Peter H. The organization of the mammalian visual system and the manner in which shape, color, texture, motion, and depth are processed. Alternate years.

21F.101 / 21F.151 Chinese I (Regular), Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.101 / 21F.151 Chinese I (Regular), Spring 2005 Wheatley, Julian K. Introduction to modern standard Chinese (Mandarin) with emphasis on developing conversational skills by using fundamental grammatical patterns and vocabulary in functional and cultural suitable contexts. Basic reading and writing are also taught. Work in the language laboratory is coordinated with, and supplemented to, class work. For graduate credit, see 21F.151. Description from course home page: This subject is the first semester of two that form an introduction to modern standard Chinese, commonly called Mandarin. Though not everyone taking this course will be an absolute beginner, the course presupposes no prior background in the language. The emphasis is on developing (a) basic conversational abilities (pronunciation, fundamental grammatical patterns, common vocabulary, and standard usage), (b) basic reading and writing skills, and (c) an understanding of the language learning process so that students are able to continue studying effectively on their own. The main text is J. K. Wheatley’s Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin, part I (unpublished, but available online), which consists of several introductory chapters, seven core lessons (labeled 1, 2, 3…) and six character lessons (labeled A, B, C…). (Part II of the book forms the basis of 21F.102, which will also be published on OpenCourseWare.) The core lessons of Learning Chinese present the language discursively, in English, topic by topic with example sentences, dialogues, conversations and narratives in romanization, interspersed with short exercises by which students can monitor their progress. These lessons serve the rapid accumulation of vocabulary, grammatical patterns and usage, primarily for conversation, but also for reading and composition. The character lessons relate to, but are not identical to the core lessons. They serve to introduce the written language (both the traditional character set and the simplified) at a manageable rate and in appropriate contexts. The two sets of lessons will be interleafed, with lesson 1 followed by A, lesson 2 by B, etc. Assistance in internalizing lesson material is provided by way of a computer program called flashCube, developed by Jordan Gilliland while a graduate student at MIT. FlashCube will not be available at the opening of the 21F.101 OCW site but will be added, along with supporting programs and documentation, in the near future. As the name suggests, flashCube delivers through the medium of the computer what has traditionally been provided by the folk-method of the flashcard, the vocabulary or phrase notebook, and the tape recorder. FlashCube stores, in a compact and convenient format, much of the Chinese material presented in Learning Chinese, and allows students to test themselves into and out of the spoken or written language.

12.141 Electron Microprobe Analysis, January (IAP) 2003

2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

12.141 Electron Microprobe Analysis, January (IAP) 2003 Chatterjee, Nilanjan; Grove, Timothy L. Introduction to the theory of x-ray microanalysis through the electron microprobe including ZAF matrix corrections. Techniques to be discussed are wavelength and energy dispersive spectrometry, scanning backscattered electron, secondary electron, cathodoluminescence, and X-ray imaging. Lab sessions involve hands-on use of the electron microprobe.

21H.433 The Age of Reason: Europe in the 18th and 19th Centuries, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.433 The Age of Reason: Europe in the 18th and 19th Centuries, Spring 2002 Ravel, Jeffrey S. A study of the evolution of European society from the end of the seventeenth century to the outbreak of World War I. Its politics, the nature of its social system, the workings of its economy, and its intellectual accomplishments. Particular attention given to the analyses made by critics and thinkers contemporary to the matters treated in the subject.

9.15 Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Synaptic Transmission, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.15 Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Synaptic Transmission, Fall 2001 Wurtman, Richard J., 1936- Considers the process of neurotransmission, especially chemicals used in the brain and elsewhere to carry signals from nerve terminals to the structures they innervate. Focuses on monoamine transmitters (acetylcholine; serotonin; dopamine and norepinephrine); also examines amino acid and peptide transmitters and neuromodulators like adenosine. Macromolecules that mediate neurotransmitter synthesis, release, inactivation, and receptor-mediated actions are discussed, as well as factors that regulate their activity and the second-messenger systems they control. Alternate years.

11.002J / 17.30J Fundamentals of Public Policy, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.002J / 17.30J Fundamentals of Public Policy, Fall 2002 Meyer, Stephen M.; Laws, David Provides an introduction to policy-making. Explores policy questions from the perspective of different focal actors, including administrative agencies, citizen and interest groups, and the media. Examines the interplay between policy development and institutions, and reviews normative and empirical models of policy-making. Considers the significance of the democratic context for policy-making. Primary focus on domestic policy. From the course home page: Course Description Fundamentals of Public Policy is an introductory course that explores policy-making as both a problem-solving process and a political process. We look at policy-making from the perspective of different focal actors and institutions, including: administrative agencies, legislators, the courts, the mass public, interest groups, and the media. We examine the interplay between policy development and institutions, and review normative and empirical models of policy-making. Exploring these issues will require us to address questions like: How and why does something come to be seen as a "public problem" requiring a governmental response, while others fail to get attention? Why do we need public policies? What determines the content and nature of public policies? Who decides public policy priorities? Does public policy every accomplish anything worthwhile?

21M.734 Design For the Theater - Scenery, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21M.734 Design For the Theater - Scenery, Spring 2003 Fregosi, William A. This course examines scenic design as practiced currently and historically, including the use of performance space in western and other cultures, and the audience-performer relationship. Four plays and/or one act operas are designed, accompanied by a study of the social, political and artistic conditions attendant upon their creation and their relevance to a modern audience. Students develop, present and orally defend designs in a variety of two- and three-dimensional media in open studio with an eye to developing a self-critical ability. The final project is a fifth design of the student's choice, consisting of a written concept statement, script analysis and a colored model or renderings.

21A.340J / STS.075J Technology and Culture, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.340J / STS.075J Technology and Culture, Fall 2003 Helmreich, Stefan, 1966- This course examines relationships among technology, culture, and politics in a variety of social and historical settings ranging from 19th century factories to 21st century techno dance floors, from colonial Melanesia to capitalist Massachusetts. We organize our discussions around three broad questions, corresponding to three syllabus themes: What cultural effects and risks follow from treating biology as technology? How have computers and information technologies changed the ways we think about ourselves? How are politics built into the infrastructures within which we live? We will be interested in how technologies have been used both to facilitate and undermine relations of inequality, and in whether technology has produced a better world, and for whom.

13.013J Dynamics and Vibration, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.013J Dynamics and Vibration, Fall 2002 Patrikalakis, N. M. (Nicholas M.); Vandiver, J. Kim Introduction to dynamics and vibration of lumped-parameter models of mechanical systems. Three-dimensional particle kinematics. Force-momentum formulation for systems of particles and for rigid bodies (direct method). Newton-Euler equations. Work-enery (variational) formulation for systems particles and for rigid bodies (indirect method). Virtual displacements and work. Lagrange's equations for systems of particles and for rigid bodies. Linearization of equations of motion. Linear stability analysis of mechanical systems. Free and forced vibration of linear damped lumped parameter multi-degree of freedom models of mechanical systems. Application to the design of ocean and civil engineering structures such as tension leg platforms.

9.71 Functional MRI of High-Level Vision, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.71 Functional MRI of High-Level Vision, Fall 2002 Kanwisher, Nancy Covers the basics of fMRI, the strengths and limitations of fMRI compared to other techniques, and the design and analysis of fMRI experiments, focusing primarily on experiments on high-level vision. Upon completion, students should be able to understand and critique published fMRI papers, have a good grasp on what is known about high-level vision from fMRI, and design their own fMRI experiments. From the course home page: Highlights of this Course We are now at an unprecedented period in the field of neuroscience: We can watch the human brain in action as it sees, thinks, decides, reads, and remembers. Using the recently-developed technique of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), local neural activity can be monitored in the normal human brain in a noninvasive fashion and with good spatial resolution. A large number of far-reaching and fundamental questions about the human brain can now be answered using straightforward applications of this new technology. This is particularly true in the area of high-level vision, the study of how we interpret and use visual information (including object recognition, visual attention, perceptual awareness, visually guided action, visual memory, and other topics). The goals of this course are to help students to become savvy and critical readers of the current neuroimaging literature, to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the technique, and to design their own cutting-edge, theoretically motivated studies. Students will read, present to the class, and critique current neuroimaging articles, as well as write detailed proposals for experiments of their own. Lectures will cover theoretical background on some of the major areas in high-level vision, including visual recognition and attention, as well as an overview of what fMRI has taught us and can in future teach us about each of these topics. Lectures and discussions will also cover fMRI methods and experimental design. A prior course in statistics and at least one course in perception or cognition are required.

21H.131 America in the Nuclear Age, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.131 America in the Nuclear Age, Fall 2000 Jacobs, Meg This course examines the American experience at home and abroad from Pearl Harbor to the end of the Cold War. Topics include: America's role as global superpower, foreign and domestic anticommunism, social movements of left and right, suburbanization, and popular culture.

3.40J / 22.71J Physical Metallurgy, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.40J / 22.71J Physical Metallurgy, Spring 2004 Russell, Kenneth; van Vliet, Krystyn This course examines how the presence of 1-, 2- and 3D defects and second phases control the mechanical, electromagnetic and chemical behavior of metals and alloys. It considers point, line and interfacial defects in the context of structural transformations including annealing, spinodal decomposition, nucleation, growth, and particle coarsening. In addition, it concentrates on structure-function relationships, and in particular how grain size, interstitial and substitutional solid solutions, and second-phase particles impact mechanical and other properties. Examples include microelectronic circuitry, magnetic memory and drug delivery applications.

18.085 Mathematical Methods for Engineers I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.085 Mathematical Methods for Engineers I, Fall 2002 Strang, Gilbert Review of linear algebra, applications to networks, structures, and estimation, Lagrange multipliers, differential equations of equilibrium, Laplace's equation and potential flow, boundary-value problems, minimum principles and calculus of variations, Fourier series, discrete Fourier transform, convolution, applications.

HST.151 Principles of Pharmacology, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

HST.151 Principles of Pharmacology, Spring 2003 Rosow, Carl E. (Carl Elliott), 1947-; Standaert, David; Strichartz, G. R. (Gary R.), 1943-; Dershwitz, Mark; Di Salvo, Thomas; Ko, Dickens; Kufe, Donald; Langer, Robert S.; Lees, Robert S.; Rubin, Robert H., 1941-; Ruskin, Jeremy N.; Tepper, Robert; Walsh, Carol T.; Weinblatt, Michael E.; Zapol, Warren M., 1942- An introduction to pharmacology. Topics include mechanisms of drug action, dose-response relations, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery systems, drug metabolism, toxicity of pharmacological agents, drug interactions, and substance abuse. Selected agents and classes of agents examined in detail. (Only HST students may register under HST.150, graded P/D/F.) From the course home page: Course Description The objective of this course is to teach and approach to the study of pharmacologic agents. It is not intended to be a review of the pharmacopoeia nor is it intended to be a replace dicussions of relevant drugs in the organ systems HST pathophysiology courses.

6.034 Artificial Intelligence, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.034 Artificial Intelligence, Spring 2003 Lozano-Perez, Tomas; Kaelbling, Leslie Pack; Winston, Patrick Henry Introduces representations, techniques, and architectures used to build applied systems and to account for intelligence from a computational point of view. Applications of rule chaining, heuristic search, constraint propagation, constrained search, inheritance, and other problem-solving paradigms. Applications of identification trees, neural nets, genetic algorithms, and other learning paradigms. Speculations on the contributions of human vision and language systems to human intelligence. Enrollment may be limited.

6.334 Power Electronics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.334 Power Electronics, Spring 2003 Perreault, David John The application of electronics to energy conversion and control; phase-controlled rectifier/inverter circuits, dc/dc converters, high-frequency inverters, and motion control systems. Characteristics of power semiconductor devices: diodes, bipolar and field effect transistors, IGBTS, and thyristors. Modeling, analysis, and control techniques. Magnetic circuits. Numerous application examples.

6.172 Performance Engineering of Software Systems, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.172 Performance Engineering of Software Systems, Fall 2009 Leiserson, Charles; Amarasinghe, Saman Modern computing platforms provide unprecedented amounts of raw computational power. But significant complexity comes along with this power, to the point that making useful computations exploit even a fraction of the potential of the computing platform is a substantial challenge. Indeed, obtaining good performance requires a comprehensive understanding of all layers of the underlying platform, deep insight into the computation at hand, and the ingenuity and creativity required to obtain an effective mapping of the computation onto the machine. The reward for mastering these sophisticated and challenging topics is the ability to make computations that can process large amount of data orders of magnitude more quickly and efficiently and to obtain results that are unavailable with standard practice. This course is a hands-on, project-based introduction to building scalable and high-performance software systems. Topics include: performance analysis, algorithmic techniques for high performance, instruction-level optimizations, cache and memory hierarchy optimization, parallel programming, and building scalable distributed systems. The course also includes code reviews with industry mentors, as described in this MIT News article.

6.035 Computer Language Engineering (SMA 5502), Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.035 Computer Language Engineering (SMA 5502), Fall 2002 Amarasinghe, Saman P.; Rinard, Martin C. Analyzes issues associated with the implementation of higher-level programming languages. Fundamental concepts, functions, and structures of compilers. The interaction of theory and practice. Using tools in building software. Includes a multi-person project on compiler design and implementation. Six extra units possible via registration for 6.907 if instructor approves. From the course home page: Course Description This course analyzes issues associated with the implementation of high-level programming languages. Topics covered include: fundamental concepts, functions, and structures of compilers, basic program optimization techniques, the interaction of theory and practice, and using tools in building software. The course features a multi-person project on design and implementation of a compiler that is written in Java® and generates MIPS executable machine code. This course is worth 8 Engineering Design Points.

6.895 / 6.095J Computational Biology: Genomes, Networks, Evolution, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.895 / 6.095J Computational Biology: Genomes, Networks, Evolution, Fall 2005 Kellis, Manolis; Indyk, Piotr This course is offered to both undergraduates and graduates. The undergraduate version of the course includes a midterm and final project. The graduate version of the course includes additional assignments and a more ambitious final project, which can lead to a thesis or publication. Focus will be on the algorithmic and machine learning foundations of computational biology, combining theory with practice. We study the principles of algorithm design for biological datasets, and analyze influential problems and techniques. We use these to analyze real datasets from large-scale studies in genomics and proteomics. The topics covered include: Genomes: Biological Sequence Analysis, Hidden Markov Models, Gene Finding, RNA Folding, Sequence Alignment, Genome Assembly. Networks: Gene Expression Analysis, Regulatory Motifs, Graph Algorithms, Scale-free Networks, Network Motifs, Network Evolution. Evolution: Comparative Genomics, Phylogenetics, Genome Duplication, Genome Rearrangements, Evolutionary Theory, Rapid Evolution.

6.003 Signals and Systems, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.003 Signals and Systems, Spring 2010 Freeman, Dennis 6.003 covers the fundamentals of signal and system analysis, focusing on representations of discrete-time and continuous-time signals (singularity functions, complex exponentials and geometrics, Fourier representations, Laplace and Z transforms, sampling) and representations of linear, time-invariant systems (difference and differential equations, block diagrams, system functions, poles and zeros, convolution, impulse and step responses, frequency responses). Applications are drawn broadly from engineering and physics, including feedback and control, communications, and signal processing.

6.034 Artificial Intelligence, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.034 Artificial Intelligence, Fall 2002 Winston, Patrick Henry Introduces representations, techniques, and architectures used to build applied systems and to account for intelligence from a computational point of view. Applications of rule chaining, heuristic search, constraint propagation, constrained search, inheritance, and other problem-solving paradigms. Applications of identification trees, neural nets, genetic algorithms, and other learning paradigms. Speculations on the contributions of human vision and language systems to human intelligence. Enrollment may be limited. From the course home page: Course Description This course introduces students to the basic knowledge representation, problem solving, and learning methods of artificial intelligence. Upon completion of 6.034, students should be able to: develop intelligent systems by assembling solutions to concrete computational problems, understand the role of knowledge representation, problem solving, and learning in intelligent-system engineering, and appreciate the role of problem solving, vision, and language in understanding human intelligence from a computational perspective.

6.041 / 6.431 Probabilistic Systems Analysis and Applied Probability, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.041 / 6.431 Probabilistic Systems Analysis and Applied Probability, Spring 2005 Bertsekas, Dimitri; Tsitsiklis, John; Médard, Muriel This course is offered both to undergraduates (6.041) and graduates (6.431), but the assignments differ. 6.041/6.431 introduces students to the modeling, quantification, and analysis of uncertainty. Topics covered include: formulation and solution in sample space, random variables, transform techniques, simple random processes and their probability distributions, Markov processes, limit theorems, and elements of statistical inference.

6.893 Database Systems, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.893 Database Systems, Fall 2004 Madden, Samuel R. (Samuel Ross), 1976- This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the foundations of database systems, focusing on basics such as the relational algebra and data model, query optimization, query processing, and transactions. This is not a course on database design or SQL programming (though we will discuss these issues briefly). It is designed for students who have taken 6.033 (or equivalent); no prior database experience is assumed though students who have taken an undergraduate course in databases are encouraged to attend.

6.231 Dynamic Programming and Stochastic Control, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.231 Dynamic Programming and Stochastic Control, Fall 2011 Bertsekas, Dimitri The course covers the basic models and solution techniques for problems of sequential decision making under uncertainty (stochastic control). We will consider optimal control of a dynamical system over both a finite and an infinite number of stages. This includes systems with finite or infinite state spaces, as well as perfectly or imperfectly observed systems. We will also discuss approximation methods for problems involving large state spaces. Applications of dynamic programming in a variety of fields will be covered in recitations.

6.453 Quantum Optical Communication, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.453 Quantum Optical Communication, Fall 2008 Shapiro, Jeffrey This course is offered to graduate students and covers topics in five major areas of quantum optical communication: quantum optics, single-mode and two-mode quantum systems, multi-mode quantum systems, nonlinear optics, and quantum systems theory. Specific topics include the following: Dirac notation quantum mechanics; harmonic oscillator quantization; number states, coherent states, and squeezed states; P-representation and classical fields; direct, homodyne, and heterodyne detection; linear propagation loss; phase insensitive and phase sensitive amplifiers; entanglement and teleportation; field quantization; quantum photodetection; phase-matched interactions; optical parametric amplifiers; generation of squeezed states, photon-twin beams, non-classical fourth-order interference, and polarization entanglement; optimum binary detection; quantum precision measurements; and quantum cryptography.

6.901 / 3.172 / 16.652 / 6.931 Inventions and Patents, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.901 / 3.172 / 16.652 / 6.931 Inventions and Patents, Fall 2003 Rines, Robert H. Engineering School-Wide Elective Subject. Description given at end of this chapter in SWE section. Description from course home page: This course explores current research concerning patent law and its role in the rapidly changing world of high technology. It is offered in the fall semester as an undergraduate course (6.901) and in the spring semester as a graduate course (6.931). The content for both courses is largely overlapping, and is presented together on this site

6.021J / 2.791J / 2.794J / 6.521J / BE.370J / BE.470J / HST.541J Quantitative Physiology: Cells and Tissues, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.021J / 2.791J / 2.794J / 6.521J / BE.370J / BE.470J / HST.541J Quantitative Physiology: Cells and Tissues, Fall 2002 Freeman, Dennis M.; Weiss, Thomas Fischer; Poe, Mya Principles of mass transport and electrical signal generation for biological membranes, cells, and tissues. Mass transport through membranes: diffusion, osmosis, chemically mediated, and active transport. Electric properties of cells: ion transport; equilibrium, resting, and action potentials. Kinetic and molecular properties of single voltage-gated ion channels. Laboratory and computer exercises illustrate the concepts. For juniors and seniors. Students engage in extensive written and oral communication exercises. Meets with graduate subject 6.521J, but assignments differ.

6.189 A Gentle Introduction to Programming Using Python, January IAP 2010

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

6.189 A Gentle Introduction to Programming Using Python, January IAP 2010 Canelake, Sarina This 6-unit P/D/F course will provide a gentle introduction to programming using Python for highly motivated students with little or no prior experience in programming computers over the first two weeks of IAP. The course will focus on planning and organizing programs, as well as the grammar of the Python programming language. Lectures will be interactive, featuring in-class exercises with lots of support from the course staff. This class is designed to help prepare students for 6.01 Introduction to EECS I. 6.01 assumes some knowledge of Python upon entering; the course material for 6.189 has been specially designed to make sure that concepts important to 6.01 are covered. This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

6.301 Solid-State Circuits, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.301 Solid-State Circuits, Spring 2003 Roberge, James; Lundberg, Kent This course covers analog circuit analysis and design, focusing on the tools and methods necessary for the creative design of useful circuits using active devices. The class stresses insight and intuition, applied to the design of transistor circuits and the estimation of their performance. The course concentrates on circuits using the bipolar junction transistor, but the techniques that are studied can be equally applied to circuits using JFETs, MOSFETs, MESFETs, future exotic devices, or even vacuum tubes.

6.170 Laboratory in Software Engineering, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.170 Laboratory in Software Engineering, Fall 2001 Jackson, Daniel; Devadas, Srinivas Introduces concepts and techniques relevant to the production of large software systems. Students taught a programming method based on the recognition and description of useful abstractions. Topics: modularity; specification; data abstraction; object modeling; design patterns; and testing. Several programming projects of varying size undertaken by students working individually and in groups. Enrollment may be limited. 12 Engineering Design Points.

6.061 / 6.690 Introduction to Electric Power Systems, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.061 / 6.690 Introduction to Electric Power Systems, Spring 2007 Kirtley, James This course is an introductory subject in the field of electric power systems and electrical to mechanical energy conversion. Electric power has become increasingly important as a way of transmitting and transforming energy in industrial, military and transportation uses. Examples of new uses for electric power include all manners of electric transportation systems (electric trains that run under catenary, diesel-electric railroad locomotion, 'maglev' medium and high speed tracked vehicles, electric transmission systems for ships, replacement of hydraulics in high performance actuators, aircraft launch and recovery systems, battery powered factory material transport systems, electric and hybrid electric cars and buses, even the 'more electric' airplane). The material in this subject will be useful to students who pursue careers or research in electric power systems, power electronic systems, vehicle electrical systems (e.g. electric or hybrid vehicles), development or use of electric motors and generators, robots and "mechatronics."

6.034 Artificial Intelligence, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.034 Artificial Intelligence, Fall 2006 Winston, Patrick Henry 6.034 is the header course for the department's "Artificial Intelligence and Applications" concentration. This course introduces students to the basic knowledge representation, problem solving, and learning methods of artificial intelligence. Upon completion of 6.034, students should be able to: develop intelligent systems by assembling solutions to concrete computational problems, understand the role of knowledge representation, problem solving, and learning in intelligent-system engineering, and appreciate the role of problem solving, vision, and language in understanding human intelligence from a computational perspective.

6.854J / 18.415J Advanced Algorithms, Fall 1999

1999-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.854J / 18.415J Advanced Algorithms, Fall 1999 Karger, David A first-year graduate course in algorithms. Emphasizes fundamental algorithms and advanced methods of algorithmic design, analysis, and implementation. Data structures. Network flows. Linear programming. Computational geometry. Approximation algorithms. Alternate years.

ESD.864 Modeling and Assessment for Policy, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.864 Modeling and Assessment for Policy, Spring 2011 Selin, Noelle ESD.864 Modeling and Assessment for Policy explores how scientific information and quantitative models can be used to inform policy decision-making. Students will develop an understanding of quantitative modeling techniques and their role in the policy process through case studies and interactive activities. The course addresses issues such as analysis of scientific assessment processes, uses of integrated assessment models, public perception of quantitative information, methods for dealing with uncertainties, and design choices in building policy-relevant models. Examples used in this class focus on models and information used in earth system governance.

6.152J / 3.155J Microelectronics Processing Technology, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.152J / 3.155J Microelectronics Processing Technology, Fall 2003 Schmidt, Martin A.; O'Handley, Robert C., 1942-; Ruff, Susan Introduces the theory and technology of integrated-circuit fabrication. Lectures and laboratory sessions on basic processing techniques such as diffusion, oxidation, epitaxy, photolithography, chemical vapor deposition, and plasma etching. Emphasis on the interrelationships between material properties, device structure, and the electrical behavior of devices. Provides background for thesis work in microelectronics or for 6.151. From the course home page: Course Description This course introduces the theory and technology of micro/nano fabrication. Lectures and laboratory sessions focus on basic processing techniques such as diffusion, oxidation, photolithography, chemical vapor deposition, and more. Through team lab assignments, students are expected to gain an understanding of these processing techniques, and how they are applied in concert to device fabrication. Students enrolled in this course have a unique opportunity to fashion and test micro/nano-devices, using modern techniques and technology.

6.972 Game Theory and Mechanism Design, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.972 Game Theory and Mechanism Design, Spring 2005 Ozdaglar, Asu This course is offered to graduates and is an introduction to fundamentals of game theory and mechanism design with motivations drawn from various applications including distributed control of wireline and wireless communication networks, incentive-compatible/dynamic resource allocation, and pricing. Emphasis is placed on the foundations of the theory, mathematical tools, as well as modeling and the equilibrium notions in different environments. Topics covered include: normal form games, learning in games, supermodular games, potential games, dynamic games, subgame perfect equilibrium, bargaining, repeated games, auctions, mechanism design, cooperative game theory, network and congestion games, and price of anarchy.

6.831 User Interface Design and Implementation, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.831 User Interface Design and Implementation, Fall 2004 Miller, Robert 6.831 introduces the principles of user interface development, focusing on three key areas: Design: How to design good user interfaces, starting with human capabilities (including the human information processor model, perception, motor skills, color, attention, and errors) and using those capabilities to drive design techniques: task analysis, user-centered design, iterative design, usability guidelines, interaction styles, and graphic design principles. Implementation: Techniques for building user interfaces, including low-fidelity prototypes, Wizard of Oz, and other prototyping tools; input models, output models, model-view-controller, layout, constraints, and toolkits. Evaluation: Techniques for evaluating and measuring interface usability, including heuristic evaluation, predictive evaluation, and user testing. The semester starts with various assignments, and ends with a substantial programming project. This course is worth 6 Engineering Design Points.

6.046J / 18.410J Introduction to Algorithms, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.046J / 18.410J Introduction to Algorithms, Fall 2001 Demaine, Erik D.; Leiserson, Charles Eric; Lee, Wee Sun Techniques for the design and analysis of efficient algorithms, emphasizing methods useful in practice. Topics: sorting; search trees, heaps, and hashing; divide-and-conquer; dynamic programming; amortized analysis; graph algorithms; shortest paths; network flow; computational geometry; number-theoretic algorithms; polynomial and matrix calculations; caching; and parallel computing. Enrollment may be limited.

ESD.801 Leadership Development, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.801 Leadership Development, Fall 2004 Newman, Dava J. Presents basic concepts in group dynamics and leadership. A structured set of outdoor experiences complements classroom activities. Restricted to entering students in the Technology and Policy Program.

6.852J / 18.437J Distributed Algorithms, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.852J / 18.437J Distributed Algorithms, Fall 2001 Lynch, Nancy A. (Nancy Ann), 1948- Design and analysis of concurrent algorithms, emphasizing those suitable for use in distributed networks. Process synchronization, allocation of computational resources, distributed consensus, distributed graph algorithms, election of a leader in a network, distributed termination, deadlock detection, concurrency control, communication, and clock synchronization. Special consideration given to issues of efficiency and fault tolerance. Formal models and proof methods for distributed computation. Alternate years. From the course home page: Course Description 6.852J / 18.437J intends to: (1) provide a rigorous introduction to the most important research results in the area of distributed algorithms, and (2) prepare interested students to carry out independent research in distributed algorithms. Topics covered include: design and analysis of concurrent algorithms, emphasizing those suitable for use in distributed networks, process synchronization, allocation of computational resources, distributed consensus, distributed graph algorithms, election of a leader in a network, distributed termination, deadlock detection, concurrency control, communication, and clock synchronization. Special consideration is given to issues of efficiency and fault tolerance. Formal models and proof methods for distributed computation are also discussed.

6.045J / 18.400J Automata, Computability, and Complexity, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.045J / 18.400J Automata, Computability, and Complexity, Spring 2002 Rivest, Ronald L. Slower paced than 6.840J/18.404J. Introduces basic mathematical models of computation and the finite representation of infinite objects. Finite automata and regular languages. Context-free languages. Turing machines. Partial recursive functions. Church's Thesis. Undecidability. Reducibility and completeness. Time complexity and NP-completeness. Probabilistic computation. Interactive proof systems.

6.042J / 18.062J Mathematics for Computer Science (SMA 5512), Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.042J / 18.062J Mathematics for Computer Science (SMA 5512), Fall 2002 Nagpal, Radhika; Meyer, Albert R. This is an introductory course in Discrete Mathematics oriented toward Computer Science and Engineering. The course divides roughly into thirds: Fundamental concepts of Mathematics: definitions, proofs, sets, functions, relations. Discrete structures: modular arithmetic, graphs, state machines, counting. Discrete probability theory. This course was also taught as part of the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) programme as course number SMA 5512 (Mathematics for Computer Science). Contributors Srinivas Devadas Lars Engebretsen David Karger Eric Lehman Thomson Leighton Charles Leiserson Nancy Lynch Santosh Vempala

6.720J / 3.43J Integrated Microelectronic Devices, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.720J / 3.43J Integrated Microelectronic Devices, Fall 2002 Del Alamo, Jesus; Tuller, Harry L. The physics of microelectronic semiconductor devices for silicon integrated circuit applications. Topics: semiconductor fundamentals, p-n junction, metal-oxide semiconductor structure, metal-semiconductor junction, MOS field-effect transistor, and bipolar junction transistor. Emphasis on physical understanding of device operation through energy band diagrams and short-channel MOSFET device design. Issues in modern device scaling outlined. Includes device characterization projects and device design project.

6.042J / 18.062J Mathematics for Computer Science, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.042J / 18.062J Mathematics for Computer Science, Spring 2010 Meyer, Albert R. This subject offers an introduction to Discrete Mathematics oriented toward Computer Science and Engineering. The subject coverage divides roughly into thirds: Fundamental concepts of mathematics: definitions, proofs, sets, functions, relations. Discrete structures: graphs, state machines, modular arithmetic, counting. Discrete probability theory. On completion of 6.042, students will be able to explain and apply the basic methods of discrete (noncontinuous) mathematics in Computer Science. They will be able to use these methods in subsequent courses in the design and analysis of algorithms, computability theory, software engineering, and computer systems.

6.868J / MAS.731J The Society of Mind, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.868J / MAS.731J The Society of Mind, Spring 2007 Minsky, Marvin This course is an introduction to a theory that tries to explain how minds are made from collections of simpler processes. The subject treats such aspects of thinking as vision, language, learning, reasoning, memory, consciousness, ideals, emotions, and personality. Ideas incorporate psychology, artificial intelligence, and computer science to resolve theoretical issues such as whole vs. parts, structural vs. functional descriptions, declarative vs. procedural representations, symbolic vs. connectionist models, and logical vs. common-sense theories of learning.

6.253 Convex Analysis and Optimization, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.253 Convex Analysis and Optimization, Spring 2010 Bertsekas, Dimitri This course will focus on fundamental subjects in (deterministic) optimization, connected through the themes of convexity, geometric multipliers, and duality. The aim is to develop the core analytical and computational issues of continuous optimization, duality, and saddle point theory using a handful of unifying principles that can be easily visualized and readily understood. The mathematical theory of convex sets and functions will be central, and will allow an intuitive, highly visual, geometrical approach to the subject. This theory will be developed in detail and in parallel with the optimization topics. The first part of the course develops the analytical issues of convexity and duality. The second part is devoted to convex optimization algorithms, and their applications to a variety of large-scale optimization problems from resource allocation, machine learning, engineering design, and other areas.

6.881 Natural Language Processing, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.881 Natural Language Processing, Fall 2004 Barzilay, Regina This course is a graduate level introduction to natural language processing, the primary concern of which is the study of human language from a computational perspective. The class will cover models at the level of syntactic, semantic and discourse processing. The emphasis will be on corpus-based methods and algorithms, such as Hidden Markov Models and probabilistic context free grammars. We will discuss the use of these methods and models in a variety of applications including syntactic parsing, information extraction, statistical machine translation, and summarization. This subject qualifies as an Artificial Intelligence and Applications concentration subject.

6.824 Distributed Computer Systems, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.824 Distributed Computer Systems, Fall 2002 Morris, Robert Tappan Abstractions and implementation techniques for design of distributed systems; server design, network programming, naming, storage systems, security, and fault tolerance. Readings from current literature. 6 Engineering Design Points.

6.851 Advanced Data Structures, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.851 Advanced Data Structures, Spring 2010 Demaine, Erik; Schulz, André Data structures play a central role in modern computer science. You interact with data structures much more often than with algorithms (think of Google, your mail server, and even your network routers). In addition, data structures are essential building blocks in obtaining efficient algorithms. This course will cover major results and current directions of research in data structures.

6.867 Machine Learning, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.867 Machine Learning, Fall 2002 Jaakkola, Tommi S. (Tommi Sakari) Principles, techniques, and algorithms in machine learning from the point of view of statistical inference; representation, generalization, and model selection; and methods such as linear/additive models, active learning, boosting, support vector machines, hidden Markov models, and Bayesian networks. From the course home page: Course Description 6.867 is an introductory course on machine learning which provides an overview of many techniques and algorithms in machine learning, beginning with topics such as simple perceptrons and ending up with more recent topics such as boosting, support vector machines, hidden Markov models, and Bayesian networks. The course gives the student the basic ideas and intuition behind modern machine learning methods as well as a bit more formal understanding of how and why they work. The underlying theme in the course is statistical inference as this provides the foundation for most of the methods covered.

6.005 Elements of Software Construction, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.005 Elements of Software Construction, Fall 2008 Jackson, Daniel; Miller, Robert This course provides an introduction to the fundamental principles and techniques of software development that have greatest impact on practice. Topics include capturing the essence of a problem by recognizing and inventing suitable abstractions; key paradigms, including state machines, functional programming, and object-oriented programming; use of design patterns to bridge gap between models and code; the role of interfaces and specification in achieving modularity and decoupling; reasoning about code using invariants; testing, test-case generation and coverage; and essentials of programming with objects, functions, and abstract types. The course includes exercises in modeling, design, implementation and reasoning.

6.01 Introduction to Electrical Engineering and Computer Science I, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.01 Introduction to Electrical Engineering and Computer Science I, Fall 2009 Kaelbling, Leslie; Abelson, Harold; Freeman, Dennis; Lozano-Pérez, Tomás; White, Jacob 6.01 explores fundamental ideas in electrical engineering and computer science, in the context of working with mobile robots. Key engineering principles, such as abstraction and modularity, are applied in the design of computer programs, electronic circuits, discrete-time controllers, and noisy and/or uncertain systems.

6.453 Quantum Optical Communication, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.453 Quantum Optical Communication, Fall 2004 Shapiro, Jeffrey H. (Jeffrey Howard) This course is offered to graduate students and covers topics in five major areas of quantum optical communication: quantum optics, single-mode and two-mode quantum systems, multi-mode quantum systems, nonlinear optics, and quantum systems theory. From the course home page: Course Description This course is offered to graduate students and covers topics in five major areas of quantum optical communication: quantum optics, single-mode and two-mode quantum systems, multi-mode quantum systems, nonlinear optics, and quantum systems theory. Specific topics include the following. Quantum optics: Dirac notation quantum mechanics; harmonic oscillator quantization; number states, coherent states, and squeezed states; radiation field quantization and quantum field propagation; P-representation and classical fields. Linear loss and linear amplification: commutator preservation and the Uncertainty Principle; beam splitters; phase-insensitive and phase-sensitive amplifiers. Quantum photodetection: direct detection, heterodyne detection, and homodyne detection. Second-order nonlinear optics: phase-matched interactions; optical parametric amplifiers; generation of squeezed states, photon-twin beams, non-classical fourth-order interference, and polarization entanglement. Quantum systems theory: optimum binary detection, quantum precision measurements, quantum cryptography, and quantum teleportation.

6.012 Microelectronic Devices and Circuits, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.012 Microelectronic Devices and Circuits, Spring 2003 Del Alamo, Jesus; Scholvin, Jorg Modeling of microelectronic devices, and basic microelectronic circuit analysis and design. Physical electronics of semiconductor junction and MOS devices. Relation of electrical behavior to internal physical processes; development of circuit models; and understanding the uses and limitations of various models. Use of incremental and large-signal techniques to analyze and design bipolar and field effect transistor circuits, with examples chosen from digital circuits, single-ended and differential linear amplifiers, and other integrated circuits. Design project. From the course home page: Course Description 6.012 is the header course for the department's "Devices, Circuits and Systems" concentration. The topics covered include: modeling of microelectronic devices, basic microelectronic circuit analysis and design, physical electronics of semiconductor junction and MOS devices, relation of electrical behavior to internal physical processes, development of circuit models, and understanding the uses and limitations of various models. The course uses incremental and large-signal techniques to analyze and design bipolar and field effect transistor circuits, with examples chosen from digital circuits, single-ended and differential linear amplifiers, and other integrated circuits. This course is worth 4 Engineering Design Points.

6.641 Electromagnetic Fields, Forces, and Motion, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.641 Electromagnetic Fields, Forces, and Motion, Spring 2003 Zahn, Markus, 1946-; Haus, Hermann A.; Melcher, James R. Electric and magnetic quasistatic forms of Maxwell's equations applied to dielectric, conduction, and magnetization boundary value problems. Electromagnetic forces, force densities, and stress tensors, including magnetization and polarization. Thermodynamics of electromagnetic fields, equations of motion, and energy conservation. Applications to synchronous, induction, and commutator machines; sensors and transducers; microelectromechanical systems; propagation and stability of electromechanical waves; and charge transport phenomena.

6.001 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.001 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, Fall 2002 Grimson, Eric; Lozano-Perez,Tomas; Szolovits, Peter; Boning, Duane Control of complexity in large programming systems. Building abstractions: computational processes; higher-order procedures; compound data; and data abstractions. Controlling interactions: generic operations; self-describing data; message passing; streams and infinite data structures; and object-oriented programming. Meta-linguistic abstraction: interpretation of programming languages; machine model; compilation; and embedded languages. Substantial weekly programming assignments are an integral part of the course. Enrollment may be limited.

6.441 Transmission of Information, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.441 Transmission of Information, Spring 2003 Zheng, Lizhong; Médard, Muriel 6.441 offers an introduction to the quantitative theory of information and its applications to reliable, efficient communication systems. Topics include: mathematical definition and properties of information; source coding theorem, lossless compression of data, optimal lossless coding; noisy communication channels, channel coding theorem, the source-channel separation theorem, multiple access channels, broadcast channels, Gaussian noise, and time-varying channels.

6.092 Introduction to Software Engineering in Java, January (IAP) 2008

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

6.092 Introduction to Software Engineering in Java, January (IAP) 2008 Akeju, Usman O.; Jones, Evan Philip Charles; Koch, Olivier (Olivier A.) This course is an introduction to software engineering, using the Java™ programming language; it covers concepts useful to 6.005. The focus is on developing high quality, working software that solves real problems. Students will learn the fundamentals of Java™, and how to use 3rd party libraries to get more done with less work. The class is designed for students with some programming experience, but if you have none and are motivated you will do fine. Students who have taken 6.170 or 6.005 should not take this course. Each session includes one hour of lecture and one hour of assisted lab work. Short labs are assigned with each lecture. This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

14.42 / 14.420 Environmental Policy and Economics, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.42 / 14.420 Environmental Policy and Economics, Spring 2004 Greenstone, Michael This course explores the proper role of government in the regulation of the environment. It will help students develop the tools to estimate the costs and benefits of environmental regulations. These tools will be used to evaluate a series of current policy questions, including: Should air and water pollution regulations be tightened or loosened? What are the costs of climate change in the U.S. and abroad? Is there a "Race to the Bottom" in environmental regulation? Students will help design and execute a cutting edge research project that tests whether air pollution causes infant mortality. To gain real world experience, the course will include a guest lecture from a former EPA plant inspector and is tentatively scheduled to include a visit to a local polluting plant.

6.096 Introduction to C++, January IAP 2009

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

6.096 Introduction to C++, January IAP 2009 Dunietz, Jesse; Malik, Radhika; Kumar, Tanmay This course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students in science, social science and engineering programs who need to learn fundamental programming skills quickly but not in great depth. The course is ideal for undergraduate research positions or summer jobs requiring C++. It is not a class for experienced programmers in C++. Students with no programming background are welcome. Topics include control structures, arrays, functions, classes, objects, file handling, and simple algorithms for common tasks. This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

6.003 Signals and Systems, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.003 Signals and Systems, Fall 2003 Rohrs, Charles; Voldman, Joel; Gray, Paul; Zue, Victor; Willsky, Alan This course covers fundamentals of signal and system analysis, with applications drawn from filtering, audio and image processing, communications, and automatic control. Topics include convolution, Fourier series and transforms, sampling and discrete-time processing of continuous-time signals, modulation, Laplace and Z-transforms, and feedback systems.

6.891 Computational Evolutionary Biology, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.891 Computational Evolutionary Biology, Fall 2004 Berwick, Robert Why has it been easier to develop a vaccine to eliminate polio than to control influenza or AIDS? Has there been natural selection for a 'language gene'? Why are there no animals with wheels? When does 'maximizing fitness' lead to evolutionary extinction? How are sex and parasites related? Why don't snakes eat grass? Why don't we have eyes in the back of our heads? How does modern genomics illustrate and challenge the field? This course analyzes evolution from a computational, modeling, and engineering perspective. The course has extensive hands-on laboratory exercises in model-building and analyzing evolutionary data.

6.630 Electromagnetic Theory, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.630 Electromagnetic Theory, Fall 2002 Kong, Jin Au, 1942- 6.630 is an introductory subject on electromagnetics, emphasizing fundamental concepts and applications of Maxwell equations. Topics covered include: polarization, dipole antennas, wireless communications, forces and energy, phase matching, dielectric waveguides and optical fibers, transmission line theory and circuit concepts, antennas, and equivalent principle. Examples deal with electrodynamics, propagation, guidance, and radiation of electromagnetic waves.

6.823 Computer System Architecture, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.823 Computer System Architecture, Spring 2002 Asanovic, Krste; Arvind, V.; Devadas, Srinivas; Hoe, James C. (James Chu-Yue) Emphasizes the relationship among technology, hardware organization, and programming systems in the evolution of computer architecture. Pipelined, out-of-order, and speculative execution. Superscaler, VLIW, vector, and multithreaded processors. Addressing structures and virtual memory, and exception handling. I/O and memory systems. Parallel computers; message passing and shared memory systems. Memory models, synchronization, and cache coherence protocols. Vector supercomputers. Assumes an undergraduate knowledge of computer systems. From the course home page: Course Description 6.823 is a study of the evolution of computer architecture and the factors influencing the design of hardware and software elements of computer systems. Topics may include: instruction set design; processor micro-architecture and pipelining; cache and virtual memory organizations; protection and sharing; I/O and interrupts; in-order and out-of-order superscalar architectures; VLIW machines; vector supercomputers; multithreaded architectures; symmetric multiprocessors; and parallel computers.

6.828 Operating System Engineering, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.828 Operating System Engineering, Fall 2006 Kaashoek, Frans 6.828 teaches the fundamentals of engineering operating systems. The following topics are studied in detail: virtual memory, kernel and user mode, system calls, threads, context switches, interrupts, interprocess communication, coordination of concurrent activities, and the interface between software and hardware. Most importantly, the interactions between these concepts are examined. The course is divided into two blocks; the first block introduces an operating system, xv6, which runs on x86 SMPs and provides the basic Unix semantics of Unix v6. The second block of lectures covers important operating systems concepts invented after Unix® v6, which was introduced in 1976.

14.454 Macroeconomic Theory IV, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.454 Macroeconomic Theory IV, Fall 2004 Caballero, Ricardo This half-term course covers the macroeconomic implications of imperfections in labor markets, goods markets, credit and financial markets. The role of nominal rigidities is also an area of focus.

6.302 Feedback Systems, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.302 Feedback Systems, Fall 2002 Lundberg, Kent H.; Roberge, Jim; Leeb, Steven B. Introduction to design of feedback systems. Properties and advantages of feedback systems. Time-domain and frequency-domain performance measures. Stability and degree of stability. Nyquist criterion. Frequency-domain design. Root locus method. Compensation techniques. Application to a wide variety of physical systems. Some previous laboratory experience with electronic systems is assumed (6.002 or 6.071 or 16.040).

14.12 Economic Applications of Game Theory, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.12 Economic Applications of Game Theory, Fall 2002 Yildiz, Muhamet Analysis of strategic behavior in multi-person economic settings. Introduction to Nash equilibrium and its refinements: subgame-perfect equilibrium and sequential equilibrium. Applications drawn from labor economics, the economics of organization, industrial organization, international trade, and macroeconomics.

14.41 Public Economics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.41 Public Economics, Fall 2002 Gruber, Jonathan The study of the role of the government in the US economy. Topics include externalities and the environment; government-provided goods such as education; social insurance programs such as Social Security; government provision of health insurance; redistribution and welfare programs; and the design and implications of tax policy. From the course home page: Course Description This course examines the role of the public sector in the economy. The aim of the course is to provide an understanding of the reasons for government intervention in the economy, the extent of that intervention, and the response of private agents to the government’s actions.

14.384 Time Series Analysis, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.384 Time Series Analysis, Fall 2008 Schrimpf, Paul; Mikusheva, Anna The course provides a survey of the theory and application of time series methods in econometrics. Topics covered will include univariate stationary and non-stationary models, vector autoregressions, frequency domain methods, models for estimation and inference in persistent time series, and structural breaks. We will cover different methods of estimation and inferences of modern dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models (DSGE): simulated method of moments, maximum likelihood and Bayesian approach. The empirical applications in the course will be drawn primarily from macroeconomics.

14.384 Time Series Analysis, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.384 Time Series Analysis, Fall 2002 Kuersteiner, Guido M. Theory and application of time series methods in econometrics, including representation theorems, decomposition theorems, prediction, spectral analysis, estimation with stationary and nonstationary processes, VARs, unit roots, and cointegration. From the course home page: Course Description The course is an introduction to univariate and multivariate time series models. It starts by introducing basic concepts and progresses to more complicated models. The course intends to meet two goals. It provides tools for empirical work with time series data and is an introduction into the theoretical foundation of time series models.

14.472 Public Economics II, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.472 Public Economics II, Spring 2002 Diamond, Peter A.; Duggan, Mark G. (Mark Gregory) Theory and evidence on government expenditure policy. Topics include the theory of public goods; education; state and local public goods; political economy; redistribution and welfare policy; social insurance programs such as social security and unemployment insurance; and health care policy.

14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics, Fall 2009 Guerrieri, Veronica This course is designed to introduce classic macroeconomic issues such as growth, inflation, unemployment, interest rates, exchange rates, technological progress, and budget deficits. The course will provide a unified framework to address these issues and to study the impact of different policies, such as monetary and fiscal policies, on the aggregate behavior of individuals. These analytical tools will be used to understand the recent experience of the United States and other countries and to address how current policy initiatives affect their macroeconomic performance.

14.73 The Challenge of World Poverty, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.73 The Challenge of World Poverty, Fall 2009 Donaldson, Dave; Duflo, Esther This is a course for those who are interested in the challenge posed by massive and persistent world poverty, and are hopeful that economists might have something useful to say about this challenge. The questions we will take up include: Is extreme poverty a thing of the past? What is economic life like when living under a dollar per day? Why do some countries grow fast and others fall further behind? Does growth help the poor? Are famines unavoidable? How can we end child labor—or should we? How do we make schools work for poor citizens? How do we deal with the disease burden? Is micro finance invaluable or overrated? Without property rights, is life destined to be "nasty, brutish and short"? Has globalization been good to the poor? Should we leave economic development to the market? Should we leave economic development to non-governmental organizations (NGOs)? Does foreign aid help or hinder? Where is the best place to intervene?

14.126 Game Theory, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.126 Game Theory, Fall 2002 Izmalkov, Sergei; Yildiz, Muhamet How should economic agents act when their optimal decisions depend on what they expect other agents to do? We study various models of equilibrium, which correspond to different ways that the agents might make their decisions, and various kinds of games—static games, dynamic games, and games of incomplete information.

14.731 Economic History, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.731 Economic History, Fall 2003 Temin, Peter A survey of world economic history, designed to introduce economics graduate students to the subject matter and methodology of economic history. Topics chosen to show a wide variety of historical experience and illuminate the process of industrialization. Term paper due at the end of IAP. From the course home page: Course Description This subject is taught at MIT in an open format. The interactive discussion ranges widely and is designed to help entering graduate students understand the context of the specific papers, read empirical work critically, and make up their minds whether an argument is convincing. The aims of the subject therefore are both to inform students about economic history and to give them a taste of applied economic research.

14.27 Economics and E-commerce, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.27 Economics and E-commerce, Fall 2000 Ellison, Glenn This course uses theoretical models and studies of "old economy" industries to help understand the growth and future of electronic commerce. We will begin with a discussion of relevant topics from industrial organization including monopoly pricing, price discrimination, product differentiation, barriers to entry, network externalities, search and first-mover advantages. The largest part of the course will be a discussion of a number of e-industries. In this section we'll discuss extensions and applications of the ideas from the first part of the course, draw analogies to previous technological revolutions and read current case studies. Finally, we'll discuss two additional topics: bubbles in asset markets and the macroeconomic effects of the Internet.

14.72 Capitalism and Its Critics, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.72 Capitalism and Its Critics, Fall 2006 Piore, Michael This course examines the implications of economic theories for social and political organization in the context of the historical evolution of industrial societies. Among the authors whose theories will be discussed are Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Joseph Schumpeter, and John Kenneth Galbraith. Emphasis will be placed on class discussion of specific texts. Students will be encouraged to ground their views in concrete textual and empirical material and to consider the implications of different arguments for the understanding of personal, political, and economic events today.

14.05 Intermediate Applied Macroeconomics, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.05 Intermediate Applied Macroeconomics, Fall 2005 Termin, Peter This subject considers three topics of macroeconomics that are alive and controversial for policy today. The topics are: economic growth - the roles of capital accumulation, increased education, and technological progress in determining economic growth; savings - the effect of government and private debt on economic growth; and exchange-rate regimes - their role in the Great Depression and today.

14.30 Introduction to Statistical Method in Economics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.30 Introduction to Statistical Method in Economics, Fall 2004 Bennett, Herman This course is a self-contained introduction to statistics with economic applications. Elements of probability theory, sampling theory, statistical estimation, regression analysis, and hypothesis testing. It uses elementary econometrics and other applications of statistical tools to economic data. It also provides a solid foundation in probability and statistics for economists and other social scientists. We will emphasize topics needed in the further study of econometrics and provide basic preparation for 14.32. No prior preparation in probability and statistics is required, but familiarity with basic algebra and calculus is assumed.

14.452 Macroeconomic Theory II, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.452 Macroeconomic Theory II, Spring 2002 Blanchard, Olivier (Olivier J.) The basic machines of macroeconomics. Ramsey, Solow, Samuelson-Diamond, RBCs, ISLM, Mundell-Fleming, Fischer-Taylor. How they work, what shortcuts they take, and how they can be used. Half-term subject. From the course home page: Course Description This is the second course in the four-quarter graduate sequence in macroeconomics. Its purpose is to introduce the basic models macroeconomists use to study fluctuations. The course is organized around nine topics/sections: Fluctuations and Facts The basic model: the consumption/saving choice Allowing for a labor/leisure choice (the RBC model) Allowing for non trivial investment decisions Allowing for two goods Introducing money Introducing price setting Introducing staggering of price decisions Applications to fiscal and monetary policy

14.32 Econometrics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.32 Econometrics, Spring 2003 Angrist, Joshua David Introduction to econometric models and techniques, emphasizing regression. Advanced topics include instrumental variables, panel data methods, measurement error, and limited dependent variable models. Includes problem sets. May not count toward HASS requirement. From the course home page: Course Description This course covers the statistical tools needed to understand empirical economic research and to plan and execute independent research projects. Topics include statistical inference, regression, generalized least squares, instrumental variables, simultaneous equations models, and the evaluation of government policies and programs.

14.384 Time Series Analysis, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.384 Time Series Analysis, Fall 2007 Mikusheva, Anna, 1976-; Schrimpf, Paul The course provides a survey of the theory and application of time series methods in econometrics. Topics covered will include univariate stationary and non-stationary models, vector autoregressions, frequency domain methods, models for estimation and inference in persistent time series, and structural breaks. We will cover different methods of estimation and inferences of modern dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models (DSGE): simulated method of moments, maximum likelihood and Bayesian approach. The empirical applications in the course will be drawn primarily from macroeconomics.

15.281 Advanced Managerial Communication, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.281 Advanced Managerial Communication, Spring 2009 Hartman, Neal This course builds on managerial communication skills developed in (15.279) Management Communication for Undergraduates or (15.280) Communication for Managers. It introduces interactive oral and interpersonal communication skills important to managers, including presenting to a hostile audience, running meetings, listening, and contributing to group decision-making. Working in teams, students present a communication topic of their choosing to the class. An individual project challenges students to address a business audience in written and oral forms.

12.800 Fluid Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.800 Fluid Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean, Fall 2003 Hansen, James A. This class introduces fluid dynamics to first year graduate students. The aim is to help students acquire an understanding of some of the basic concepts of fluid dynamics that will be needed as a foundation for advanced courses in atmospheric science, physical oceanography, ocean engineering, etc. The emphasis will be on fluid fundamentals, but with an atmosphere/ocean twist.

9.14 Structure & Development of the Mammalian Brain, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.14 Structure & Development of the Mammalian Brain, Spring 2002 Schneider, Gerald E. Lectures plus guided readings and discussion with project reports, covering major CNS structures, with emphasis on systems being used as models for experimental studies of development and plasticity. Topics include: basic patterns of connections in CNS; review of lab techniques (anatomy, tissue culture); embryogenesis; PNS anatomy and development; process outgrowth and synaptogenesis; growth factors and cell survival; spinal and hindbrain anatomy; development of regional specificity with introduction to comparative anatomy and CNS evolution; trigeminal system; retinotectal system development, plasticity, regeneration; neocortex anatomy and development; olfactory system; corpus striatum; brain transplants; limbic system and hippocampal anatomy and plasticity.

7.02 Introduction to Experimental Biology, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.02 Introduction to Experimental Biology, Fall 2001 Amon, Angelika; Rich, Alexander; Pardue, Mary Lou; Chess, Andrew; Schneider, Katherine Bacon; Kruzel, Deborah 7.02 and 7.021 require simultaneous registration. Application of experimental techniques in biochemistry, microbiology, and cell biology. Emphasizes integrating factual knowledge with understanding the design of experiments and data analysis to prepare the students for research projects. Concurrent registration with 7.03 or 7.05 is recommended. 12 units may be applied to the General Institute Laboratory Requirement. Instruction and practice in written communication provided. From the course home page: Course Description 7.02 is a laboratory course introducing you to experimental techniques in microbiology, biochemistry, and cell biology. 7.02 emphasizes integrating factual knowledge with understanding the design of experiments and data analysis. The course is divided into four modules: Genetics (GEN) Protein Biochemistry (PBC) Recombinant DNA Methods (RDM) Development (DEV) Each model introduces different experimental techniques and approaches. Although the techniques used in these modules may appear different, many of the underlying theoretical concepts are similar. The skills you learn in 7.02 will be very important should you later enter any research environment, or go on to graduate or medical school.

6.805J / 6.806 / STS.085 Ethics and Law on the Electronic Frontier, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.805J / 6.806 / STS.085 Ethics and Law on the Electronic Frontier, Spring 2002 Abelson, Harold; Zittrain, Jonathan The interaction between law, policy, and technology as they relate to the evolving controversies over control of the Internet. Topics include: intellectual property and copyright control, privacy and government surveillance, and freedom of expression and content control.

18.S34 Problem Solving Seminar, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.S34 Problem Solving Seminar, Fall 2002 Stanley, Richard P., 1944-; Rogers, H. (Hartley), 1926- This course is an undergraduate seminar on mathematical problem solving. It is intended for students who enjoy solving challenging mathematical problems and who are interested in learning various techniques and background information useful for problem solving.

6.642 Continuum Electromechanics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.642 Continuum Electromechanics, Fall 2004 Zahn, Markus, 1946- This course focuses on laws, approximations, and relations of continuum mechanics. Topics include mechanical and electromechanical transfer relations, statics and dynamics of electromechanical systems having a static equilibrium, electromechanical flows, and field coupling with thermal and molecular diffusion. See the syllabus section for a more detailed list of topics.

2.737 Mechatronics, Spring 1999

1999-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.737 Mechatronics, Spring 1999 Trumper, David This course teaches the design of mechatronic systems which integrate mechanical, electrical, and control systems engineering. A computer hard disk drive is an example of a complex mechatronic system discussed in the class. Laboratories form the core of the course. They cover topics such as aliasing, quantization, electronic feedback, power amplifiers, digital logic, encoder interfacing, and motor control. The labs make extensive use of Simulink®, a MATLAB® toolbox which allows for graphical simulation and programming of real-time control systems. The new lab facilities feature dSPACE digital signal processors which are programmed through Simulink®. Each student builds circuits on a breadboard kit which is issued to them.

HST.921 / HST.922 Information Technology in the Health Care System of the Future, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

HST.921 / HST.922 Information Technology in the Health Care System of the Future, Spring 2007 Bergeron, Bryan; Sands, Daniel; Blander, Jeffrey; Yoo, Julie; Locke, Steven This course will show how information technologies (IT) shape and redefine the health care marketplace. Students will learn how IT enhances medical care through: 1) improved economies of scale, 2) greater technical efficiencies in the delivery of care, 3) advanced tools for patient education and self-care, 4) network-integrated decision support tools for clinicians, and 5) opportunities for e-health delivery over the internet. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to design an innovative solution to a current or future health care problem. Students' proposed solutions will draw upon understanding of tools and principles acquired and will be presented as an application design during the final days of the course. Adjunct Faculty Mirena Bagur Sherri Dorfman Paul Heinzelman Gary Hirsch David Lash

6.852J / 18.437J Distributed Algorithms, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.852J / 18.437J Distributed Algorithms, Fall 2005 Lynch, Nancy This course intends to provide a rigorous introduction to the most important research results in the area of distributed algorithms, and prepare interested students to carry out independent research in distributed algorithms. Topics covered include: design and analysis of concurrent algorithms, emphasizing those suitable for use in distributed networks, process synchronization, allocation of computational resources, distributed consensus, distributed graph algorithms, election of a leader in a network, distributed termination, deadlock detection, concurrency control, communication, and clock synchronization. Special consideration is given to issues of efficiency and fault tolerance. Formal models and proof methods for distributed computation are also discussed. Detailed information on the course textbook can be found here: Lynch, Nancy A. Distributed Algorithms. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann, 1997. ISBN: 1558603484.

21A.218J / SP.454J / WGS.454J Identity and Difference, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.218J / SP.454J / WGS.454J Identity and Difference, Spring 2007 Paxson, Heather How can the individual be at once cause and consequence of society, a unique agent of social action and also a social product? This course explores how identities, whether of individuals or groups, based on single behaviors or institutional practices, are produced, maintained, and transformed. Students will be introduced to various theoretical perspectives that are used to make sense of identity formation, including essentialism, constructivism, stigma, deviance, discourse, and performance. We will explore the utility of these terms in discussing issues of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, etc.

18.306 Advanced Partial Differential Equations with Applications, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.306 Advanced Partial Differential Equations with Applications, Spring 2004 Margetis, Dionisios A comprehensive treatment of the theory of partial differential equations (pde) from an applied mathematics perspective. Equilibrium, propagation, diffusion, and other phenomena. Initial and boundary value problems. Transform methods, eigenvalue and eigenfunction expansions, Green's functions. Theory of characteristics and shocks. Boundary layers and other singular perturbation phenomena. Elementary concepts for the numerical solution of pde's. Illustrative examples from fluid dynamics, nonlinear waves, geometrical optics, and other applications.

2.080J / 1.573J Structural Mechanics (13.10J), Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.080J / 1.573J Structural Mechanics (13.10J), Fall 2002 Connor, Jerome; Patrikalakis, Nicholas Fundamental concepts of structural mechanics with applications to marine, civil, and mechanical structures. Residual stresses. Thermal effects. Analysis of beams, columns, tensioned beams, trusses, frames, cables, and shafts of general shape and material, including composites. Elastic buckling of columns. Exact and approximate methods, energy methods, principle of virtual work, introduction to computational structural mechanics. Examples from civil, mechanical, offshore, and ship structures. This course was originally offered in Course 13 (Department of Ocean Engineering) as 13.10J. In 2005, ocean engineering subjects became part of Course 2 (Department of Mechanical Engineering), and this course was renumbered 2.080J.

18.701 Algebra I, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.701 Algebra I, Fall 2003 Artin, Michael The Algebra I class covers subjects such as Group Theory, Linear Algebra, and Geometry. In more detail groups, vector spaces, linear transformations, symmetry groups, bilinear forms, and linear groups are discussed.

8.334 Statistical Mechanics II: Statistical Mechanics of Fields, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.334 Statistical Mechanics II: Statistical Mechanics of Fields, Spring 2004 Kardar, Mehran A two-semester course on statistical mechanics. Basic principles are examined in 8.333: the laws of thermodynamics and the concepts of temperature, work, heat, and entropy. Postulates of classical statistical mechanics, microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical distributions; applications to lattice vibrations, ideal gas, photon gas. Quantum statistical mechanics; Fermi and Bose systems. Interacting systems: cluster expansions, van der Waal's gas, and mean-field theory. Topics from modern statistical mechanics are explored in 8.334: the hydrodynamic limit and classical field theories. Phase transitions and broken symmetries: universality, correlation functions, and scaling theory. The renormalization approach to collective phenomena. Dynamic critical behavior. Random systems.

18.950 Differential Geometry, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.950 Differential Geometry, Spring 2005 Wickramasekera, Neshan Geethike This course is an introduction to differential geometry. Metrics, Lie bracket, connections, geodesics, tensors, intrinsic and extrinsic curvature are studied on abstractly defined manifolds using coordinate charts. Curves and surfaces in three dimensions are studied as important special cases. Gauss-Bonnet theorem for surfaces and selected introductory topics in special and general relativity are also analyzed. From the course home page: Course Description This course is an introduction to differential geometry of curves and surfaces in three dimensional Euclidean space. First and second fundamental forms, Gaussian and mean curvature, parallel transport, geodesics, Gauss-Bonnet theorem, complete surfaces, minimal surfaces and Bernstein's theorem are among the main topics studied.

15.270 Ethical Practice: Professionalism, Social Responsibility, and the Purpose of the Corporation, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.270 Ethical Practice: Professionalism, Social Responsibility, and the Purpose of the Corporation, Spring 2010 Hafrey, Leigh This course is an introduction to ethics in business, with a focus on business management. Over the course of thirteen sessions, students explore theoretical concepts in business ethics, and cases representing the challenges they will likely face as managers. Individual sessions take the form of moderated discussion, with occasional short lectures from instructor.

22.312 Engineering of Nuclear Reactors, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.312 Engineering of Nuclear Reactors, Fall 2007 Buongiorno, Jacopo This course covers the engineering principles of nuclear reactors, emphasizing power reactors. Specific topics include power plant thermodynamics, reactor heat generation and removal (single-phase as well as two-phase coolant flow and heat transfer), and structural mechanics. It also discusses engineering considerations in reactor design.

14.121 Microeconomic Theory I, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.121 Microeconomic Theory I, Fall 2009 Pathak, Parag This half-semester course provides an introduction to microeconomic theory designed to meet the needs of students in the economics Ph.D. program. Some parts of the course are designed to teach material that all graduate students should know. Others are used to introduce methodologies. Topics include consumer and producer theory, markets and competition, general equilibrium, and tools of comparative statics and their application to price theory. Some topics of recent interest may also be covered.

21H.615 The Middle East in 20th Century, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.615 The Middle East in 20th Century, Spring 2003 Russell, Mona L.; Lewitt, Shariann This course explores the 20th-century history of the Middle East, concentrating on the Fertile Crescent, Egypt, Turkey, the Arabian peninsula, and Iran. We will begin by examining the late Ottoman Empire and close with the events of 9/11 and their aftermath. Readings will include historical surveys, novels, and primary source documents.

21F.311 / 21F.312 Introduction to French Culture, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.311 / 21F.312 Introduction to French Culture, Fall 2004 de Courtivron, Isabelle Ce cours est une introduction à la culture et la société françaises depuis la Révolution, mais surtout à partir du Second Empire. Nous tacherons de cerner ce qui définit la singularité francaise dans une perspective historique. Nous commencerons avec la notion "d'exception francaise" et de ce qui la constitue depuis la Révolution (La République, L'Universalisme, La Laicité, etc.) Nous explorerons l'impact de l'industrialisation, ainsi que la tension entre la France pays de la modernité dans les arts et la technologie et la France nostalgique de sa grandeur passée. Nous discuterons les moments charnières de cette tension avec les grands débats d'idées autour des impressionistes, de "Fleurs du Mal", du Paris de Haussmann, de la construction de la Tour Eiffel, des expositions universelles et coloniales. Nous analyserons la représentation littéraire et filmique des moments historiques et des crises hexagonales qui ont marqué le 20e siècle: l'Affaire Dreyfus, les deux guerres mondiales le colonialisme et la guerre d'Algérie, Mai 68. A travers des textes, des images, des articles de journaux, des films, nous tenteront de faire le lien entre cette histoire et les débats contemporrains sur l'identité Française.

2.701 Introduction to Naval Architecture (13.400), Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.701 Introduction to Naval Architecture (13.400), Fall 2004 Herbein, David; McCoy, Timothy This course is an introduction to principles of naval architecture, ship geometry, hydrostatics, calculation and drawing of curves of form. It also explores concepts of intact and damaged stability, hull structure strength calculations and ship resistance. Projects include analysis of ship lines drawings and ship model testing. This course was originally offered in Course 13 (Department of Ocean Engineering) as 13.400. In 2005, ocean engineering subjects became part of Course 2 (Department of Mechanical Engineering), and this course was renumbered 2.701.

9.68 Affect: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of "Feelings", Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.68 Affect: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of "Feelings", Spring 2009 Chorover, Stephan L. Affect is to cognition and behavior as feeling is to thinking and acting, or as values are to beliefs and practices. Considers these relations, both at the psychological level of organization and also in terms of their neurobiological and sociocultural counterparts. In addition to attending weekly class sessions and doing regular homework assignments, students are required to participate in small study groups that meet independently for two hours per week.

9.14 Brain Structure and Its Origins, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.14 Brain Structure and Its Origins, Spring 2009 Schneider, Gerald E. Outline of mammalian functional neuroanatomy, aided by studies of comparative neuroanatomy and evolution, and of brain development. Topics include early steps to a central nervous system, basic patterns of brain and spinal cord connections, regional development and differentiation, regeneration, motor and sensory pathways and structures, systems underlying motivations, innate action patterns, formation of habits, and various cognitive functions. Lab techniques reviewed. Optional brain dissections.

3.40J / 22.71J Physical Metallurgy, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.40J / 22.71J Physical Metallurgy, Spring 2003 Russell, Kenneth Discusses structure-property relationships in metallic alloys selected to illustrate some basic concepts of physical metallurgy and alloy design. Fundamentals of annealing, spinodal decomposition, nucleation, growth, and particle coarsening. Concentrates on structure, structure formation, and structure-properties relationships. Also considers structural features: grain size, interstitial and substitutional solutes, precipitates, second-phase particles, and eutectoids. Examples from advanced structural alloys and low-dimensional alloys for magnetic recording media and integrated circuits.

21W.777 The Science Essay, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.777 The Science Essay, Spring 2004 Boiko, Karen Drawing in part from their own interests and ideas, students write about science within a broad cultural context. Students employ a broad repertoire of literary tools, such as narrative, scene-setting, and attention to larger issues of structure. Students study the work of other science writers, but subject's focus is less critical and analytical than synthetical -- on creating works of substance, grace, and flow that have science and technology as their subjects. From the course home page: This class celebrates, analyzes and practices the art and craft of the Science Essay - that is, writing for a general audience on topics in science and technology. We read a variety of essays, but writing and revision are the main work of the class. This class is conducted as a combination workshop/seminar style class. (It is not a lecture class.)

18.312 Algebraic Combinatorics, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.312 Algebraic Combinatorics, Spring 2005 Postnikov, Alexander Applications of algebra to combinatorics and conversely. Topics include enumeration methods, partially ordered sets and lattices, matching theory, partitions and tableaux, algebraic graph theory, and combinatorics of polytopes.

21A.215 Medical Anthropology, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.215 Medical Anthropology, Fall 2004 Jackson, Jean E. (Jean Elizabeth), 1943- Examination of how medicine is practiced cross-culturally, with particular emphasis on Western biomedicine. Analysis of medical practice as a cultural system, focusing on the human, as opposed to the biological, side of things. Also, examines how we and people in other cultures think of disease, health, body, and mind.

22.00J / 1.021J / 2.030J / 3.021J / 10.333J / 18.361J / HST.558J Introduction to Modeling and Simulation, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.00J / 1.021J / 2.030J / 3.021J / 10.333J / 18.361J / HST.558J Introduction to Modeling and Simulation, Spring 2006 Yip, Sidney; Beers, Kenneth J.; Buehler, Markus J.; Hadjiconstantinou, Nicolas G (Nicholas George); Mirny, Leonid A.; Bazant, Martin Z.; Marzari, Nicola; Powell, Adam C.; Radovitzky, Raul A.; Rosales, Rodolfo; Ulm, F.-J. (Franz-Josef) Basic concepts of computer modeling in science and engineering using discrete particle systems and continuum fields. Techniques and software for statistical sampling, simulation, data analysis and visualization. Use of statistical, quantum chemical, molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo, mesoscale and continuum methods to study fundamental physical phenomena encountered in the fields of computational physics, chemistry, mechanics, materials science, biology, and applied mathematics. Applications drawn from a range of disciplines to build a broad-based understanding of complex structures and interactions in problems where simulation is on equal-footing with theory and experiment. Term project allows development of individual interest. Student mentoring by a coordinated team of participating faculty from across the Institute.

21F.101 Chinese I (Regular), Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.101 Chinese I (Regular), Fall 2004 Wheatley, Julian K. Introduction to modern standard Chinese (Mandarin) with emphasis on developing conversational skills by using fundamental grammatical patterns and vocabulary in functional and cultural suitable contexts. Basic reading and writing are also taught. Work in the language laboratory is coordinated with, and supplemented to, class work. For graduate credit, see 21F.151. Description from course home page: This subject is the first semester of two that form an introduction to modern standard Chinese, commonly called Mandarin. Though not everyone taking this course will be an absolute beginner, the course presupposes no prior background in the language. The emphasis is on developing (a) basic conversational abilities (pronunciation, fundamental grammatical patterns, common vocabulary, and standard usage), (b) basic reading and writing skills, and (c) an understanding of the language learning process so that students are able to continue studying effectively on their own. The main text is J. K. Wheatley’s Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin, part I (unpublished, but available online), which consists of several introductory chapters, seven core lessons (labeled 1, 2, 3…) and six character lessons (labeled A, B, C…). (Part II of the book forms the basis of 21F.102, which will also be published on OpenCourseWare.) The core lessons of Learning Chinese present the language discursively, in English, topic by topic with example sentences, dialogues, conversations and narratives in romanization, interspersed with short exercises by which students can monitor their progress. These lessons serve the rapid accumulation of vocabulary, grammatical patterns and usage, primarily for conversation, but also for reading and composition. The character lessons relate to, but are not identical to the core lessons. They serve to introduce the written language (both the traditional character set and the simplified) at a manageable rate and in appropriate contexts. The two sets of lessons will be interleafed, with lesson 1 followed by A, lesson 2 by B, etc. Assistance in internalizing lesson material is provided by way of a computer program called flashCube, developed by Jordan Gilliland while a graduate student at MIT. FlashCube will not be available at the opening of the 21F.101 OCW site but will be added, along with supporting programs and documentation, in the near future. As the name suggests, flashCube delivers through the medium of the computer what has traditionally been provided by the folk-method of the flashcard, the vocabulary or phrase notebook, and the tape recorder. FlashCube stores, in a compact and convenient format, much of the Chinese material presented in Learning Chinese, and allows students to test themselves into and out of the spoken or written language.

BE.420J Biomolecular Kinetics and Cellular Dynamics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

BE.420J Biomolecular Kinetics and Cellular Dynamics, Fall 2004 Wittrup, K. Dane; Tidor, Bruce This subject deals primarily with kinetic and equilibrium mathematical models of biomolecular interactions, as well as the application of these quantitative analyses to biological problems across a wide range of levels of organization, from individual molecular interactions to populations of cells.

11.301J / 4.252J Introduction to Urban Design and Development, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.301J / 4.252J Introduction to Urban Design and Development, Fall 2005 Frenchman, Dennis M.; Rojas, Francisca M., 1976- Examines both the structure of cities and ways they can be changed. Includes historical forces that have produced cities, models of urban analysis, contemporary theories of urban design, implementation strategies. Core lectures supplemented by discussion group focusing on student work. Speakers present cases involving current projects illustrating the scope and methods of urban design practice.

9.68 Affect: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of "Feelings'', Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.68 Affect: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of "Feelings'', Spring 2002 Chorover, Stephan L. Affect is to cognition and behavior as feeling is to thinking and acting or as values are to beliefs and practices. Subject considers these relations, both at the psychological level of organization and in terms of their neurobiological and sociocultural counterparts.

8.231 Physics of Solids I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.231 Physics of Solids I, Fall 2002 Greytak, Thomas John, 1940-; Ashoori, Raymond Introduction to the basic concepts of the quantum theory of solids. Topics: periodic structure and symmetry of crystals; diffraction; reciprocal lattice; chemical bonding; lattice dynamics, phonons, thermal properties; free electron gas; model of metals; Bloch theorem and band structure, nearly free electron approximation; tight binding method; Fermi surface; semiconductors, electrons, holes, impurities; optical properties, excitons; and magnetism. From the course home page: Course Highlights Physics of Solids I provides an introduction to the basic concepts of the quantum theory of solids. This website features comprehensive problem sets. Course Description The topics covered in this course include: * Periodic Structure and Symmetry of Crystals * Diffraction, Reciprocal Lattice * Chemical Bonding * Lattice Dynamics * Phonons * Thermal Properties * Free Electron Gas * Model of Metals * Bloch Theorem and Band Structure * Nearly Free Electron Approximation * Tight Binding Method * Fermi Surface * Semiconductors * Electrons * Holes * Impurities * Optical Properties * Excitons and * Magnetism

15.912 Technology Strategy, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.912 Technology Strategy, Spring 2003 Henderson, Rebecca Outlines tools for formulating and evaluating technology strategy, including an introduction to the economics of technical change, models of technological evolution, and models of organizational dynamics and innovation. Topics covered include: making money from innovation; competition between technologies and the selection of standards; optimal licensing policies; joint ventures; organization of R&D; and theories of diffusion and adoption. Taught using a combination of readings and case studies.

13.012 Hydrodynamics for Ocean Engineering, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.012 Hydrodynamics for Ocean Engineering, Fall 2002 Techet, Alexandra Hughes Development of the fundamental equations of fluid mechanics and their simplifications for several areas of marine hydrodynamics. Application of these principles to the solution of ocean engineering problems. Topics include the principles of conservation of mass, momentum and energy; hydrostatic behavior of floating and submerged bodies; lift and drag forces; dimensional analysis; wave forces on ships and offshore platforms; laminar and turbulent flows. Experimental projects conducted in ocean engineering laboratories illustrating concepts taught in class, including ship resistance and model testing, lift and drag forces on submerged bodies, and vehicle propulsion.

24.954 Pragmatics in Linguistic Theory, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.954 Pragmatics in Linguistic Theory, Fall 2004 Von Fintel, Kai Formal theories of context-dependency, presupposition, implicature, context-change, focus and topic. Special emphasis on the division of labor between semantics and pragmatics. Applications to the analysis of quantification, definiteness, presupposition projection, conditionals and modality, anaphora, questions and answers.

3.91J / 1.593J Mechanical Behavior of Plastics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.91J / 1.593J Mechanical Behavior of Plastics, Spring 2003 Roylance, David Relation among chemical composition, physical structure, and mechanical behavior of plastics or synthetic high polymers. Study of types of polymers; fundamentals of viscoelastic phenomena such as creep, stress relaxation, stress rupture, mechanical damping, impact; effects of chemical composition and structure on viscoelastic and strength properties; methods of mechanical property evaluation. Influences of plastics fabrication methods. Emphasis on recent research techniques and results. Individual laboratory projects investigating problems related to current research.

8.333 Statistical Mechanics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.333 Statistical Mechanics, Fall 2002 Todadri, Senthil 8.333 is the first course in a two-semester sequence on statistical mechanics. Basic principles are examined in 8.333: the laws of thermodynamics and the concepts of temperature, work, heat, and entropy. Postulates of classical statistical mechanics, micro canonical, canonical, and grand canonical distributions; applications to lattice vibrations, ideal gas, photon gas. Quantum statistical mechanics; Fermi and Bose systems. Interacting systems: cluster expansions, van der Waal's gas, and mean-field theory.

12.006J / 18.353J Nonlinear Dynamics I: Chaos, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.006J / 18.353J Nonlinear Dynamics I: Chaos, Fall 2005 Rothman, Daniel H. Introduction to the theory and phenomenology of nonlinear dynamics and chaos in dissipative systems. Forced and parametric oscillators. Phase space. Periodic, quasiperiodic, and aperiodic flows. Sensitivity to initial conditions and strange attractors. Lorenz attractor. Period doubling, intermittency, and quasiperiodicity. Scaling and universality. Analysis of experimental data: Fourier transforms, Poincar, sections, fractal dimension, and Lyapunov exponents. Applications drawn from fluid dynamics, physics, geophysics, and chemistry. See 12.207J/18.354J for Nonlinear Dynamics II.

12.479 Trace-Element Geochemistry, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.479 Trace-Element Geochemistry, Spring 2009 Frey, Frederick The emphasis of this course is to use Trace Element Geochemistry to understand the origin and evolution of igneous rocks. The approach is to discuss the parameters that control partitioning of trace elements between phases and to develop models for the partitioning of trace elements between phases in igneous systems, especially between minerals and melt. Subsequently, published papers that are examples of utilizing Trace Element Geochemistry are read and discussed.

21W.742J / SP.575J / WGS.575J Writing About Race, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.742J / SP.575J / WGS.575J Writing About Race, Spring 2007 Faery, Rebecca Blevins In The Souls of Black Folk (1903), the great cultural critic W. E. B. Du Bois wrote that "...the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line." A century after Du Bois penned those words, most Americans would agree that at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the color line remains one of our most pressing social issues. In this course, we will explore the terrain of race in America by reading the works of writers of color and others concerned with the issue of race, by viewing films that address racial issues, and by writing to explore how the fictions and facts of race condition all our lives, social and civic, private and public. We will consider the complex question of racial identity, test the givens of history by uncovering histories that have been more elusive or more thoroughly suppressed, and explore how writing and reading can both reflect and challenge racial categories, hierarchies, and perceptions. We will read the work of such writers as Suzan-Lori Parks, Toni Morrison, Sandra Cisneros, James Baldwin, Louise Erdrich, Amy Tan, Chang-Rae Lee, Jhumpa Lahiri, and William Faulkner, among others, as we consider the story of race in its peculiarly American dimensions. We will also view films such as Skins, The Long Walk Home, and Crash. Both the reading and the writing of members of the class will be the focus of class discussion and workshops. Students explore race and ethnicity in personal essays, pieces of cultural criticism or analysis, or (with permission of instructor) fiction.

20.201 Mechanisms of Drug Actions, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

20.201 Mechanisms of Drug Actions, Fall 2005 Dedon, Peter; Tannenbaum, Steven This course covers the chemical and biological analysis of the metabolism and distribution of drugs, toxins and chemicals in animals and humans, and the mechanism by which they cause therapeutic and toxic responses. Metabolism and toxicity as a basis for drug development is also covered.

15.872 System Dynamics II, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.872 System Dynamics II, Fall 2010 Sterman, John 15.872 is a continuation of 15.871 Introduction to System Dynamics. It emphasizes tools and methods needed to apply systems thinking and simulation modeling successfully in complex real-world settings. The course uses simulation models, management flight simulators and case studies to deepen the conceptual and modeling skills introduced in 15.871. Through models and case studies of successful applications, students learn how to use qualitative and quantitative data to formulate and test models, and how to work effectively with senior executives to implement change successfully. 15.872 is a prerequisite for further work in the field.

21W.749 / CMS.935 Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of a World in Motion, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.749 / CMS.935 Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of a World in Motion, Spring 2009 Colen, B. D. This course is an introduction to the great tradition of documentary photography. Students learn to see the world around them in a new way and produce a documentary project. The course requires reading and writing about photography, as well as doing it on a regular basis. The class emphasis is on thinking about why people photograph, what photographs do and do not mean to us, and on doing documentary work, on telling stories with photographs. This is not a technical class, and it should not be considered an "introduction to photography." I work on the assumption that any student signing up for the class has at least a minimal sense of the difference between f stops and T stops, and can find his or her way around a camera. While there will be some technical discussion in class, it will be limited.

5.95J / 6.982J / 7.59J / 8.395J / 18.094J / 1.95J / 2.978J Teaching College-Level Science and Engineering, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.95J / 6.982J / 7.59J / 8.395J / 18.094J / 1.95J / 2.978J Teaching College-Level Science and Engineering, Fall 2012 Rankin, Janet This participatory seminar focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary for teaching science and engineering in higher education. This course is designed for graduate students interested in an academic career, and anyone else interested in teaching. Topics include theories of adult learning; course development; promoting active learning, problem-solving, and critical thinking in students; communicating with a diverse student body; using educational technology to further learning; lecturing; creating effective tests and assignments; and assessment and evaluation. Students research and present a relevant topic of particular interest. The subject is appropriate for both novices and those with teaching experience.

RES.STP.001 Science Policy Bootcamp, January IAP 2010

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

RES.STP.001 Science Policy Bootcamp, January IAP 2010 Bonvillian, William The careers of MIT scientists and engineers are significantly determined by public policy decisions made in Washington by the government. However, their access to information on how this system works is limited. Meanwhile, we increasingly understand that science and technology-based innovation is deeply connected to society's economic growth and its ability to generate societal wellbeing, so the public role of science is growing. This course will examine the public policy behind and the government's role in the science and technology innovation system. Given the challenges to future federal science support, this seminar will aim to equip those planning careers in and around science and technology with a basic background for involvement in science policymaking. This course is offered during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month. It features student-led discussion incorporated into the course structure as well as opportunities to interact with MIT students and faculty involved in aspects of science policy. The course has been offered since 2006 and has developed as a collaborative effort between the instructor and MIT students from the Science Policy Initiative.

17.20 Introduction to the American Political Process, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.20 Introduction to the American Political Process, Fall 2006 Lenz, Gabriel This course provides students with an introduction to the basic institutions of American government, especially as established in the constitution, and with an introduction to currents of thought among social scientists about the workings of U.S. politics. This is a communication intensive course. As such you are required to write at least 20 pages - that's the C.I. requirement - and participate in class discussions.

21H.001 How to Stage a Revolution, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.001 How to Stage a Revolution, Fall 2007 Ravel, Jeffrey S.; Jacobs, Meg; Perdue, Peter C.; Broadhead, William 21H.001, a HASS-D, CI course, explores fundamental questions about the causes and nature of revolutions. How do people overthrow their rulers? How do they establish new governments? Do radical upheavals require bloodshed, violence, or even terror? How have revolutionaries attempted to establish their ideals and realize their goals? We will look at a set of major political transformations throughout the world and across centuries to understand the meaning of revolution and evaluate its impact. By the end of the course, students will be able to offer reasons why some revolutions succeed and others fail. Materials for the course include the writings of revolutionaries, declarations and constitutions, music, films, art, memoirs, and newspapers.

6.047 / 6.878 Computational Biology: Genomes, Networks, Evolution, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.047 / 6.878 Computational Biology: Genomes, Networks, Evolution, Fall 2008 Kellis, Manolis; Galagan, James This course focuses on the algorithmic and machine learning foundations of computational biology, combining theory with practice. We study the principles of algorithm design for biological datasets, and analyze influential problems and techniques. We use these to analyze real datasets from large-scale studies in genomics and proteomics. The topics covered include: Genomes: biological sequence analysis, hidden Markov models, gene finding, RNA folding, sequence alignment, genome assembly Networks: gene expression analysis, regulatory motifs, graph algorithms, scale-free networks, network motifs, network evolution Evolution: comparative genomics, phylogenetics, genome duplication, genome rearrangements, evolutionary theory, rapid evolution

15.975 Special Seminar in Management The Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans, January IAP 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

15.975 Special Seminar in Management The Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans, January IAP 2005 Hadzima, Joseph The nuts and bolts of preparing a Business Plan will be explored in this 16th annual course offering. The course is open to members of the MIT Community and to others interested in entrepreneurship. It is particularly recommended for persons who are interested in starting or are involved in a new business. Because some of the speakers will be judges of the MIT $50K Entrepreneurship Competition, persons who are planning to enter the Competition should find the course particularly useful. Historically, the number of students taking the course is 250+, divided approximately 50/50 between Scientist/Engineers and Sloan students.

21G.039 / 21G.037 Japanese Popular Culture, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.039 / 21G.037 Japanese Popular Culture, Spring 2003 Condry, Ian This course examines Japanese popular culture as a way of understanding the changing character of media, capitalism, fan communities and culture. Topics include manga (comic books), hip-hop and other popular music in Japan, anime (Japanese animated films) and feature films, sports (sumo, soccer, baseball), and online communication. Emphasis will be on contemporary popular culture and theories of gender, sexuality, race, and the workings of power in global culture industries.

21G.102 / 21G.152 Chinese II (Regular), Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.102 / 21G.152 Chinese II (Regular), Spring 2006 Wheatley, Julian K. This subject is the second semester of two that form an introduction to modern standard Chinese, commonly called Mandarin. Though not everyone taking this course will be an absolute beginner, the course presupposes only 21G.101/151, the beginning course in the sequence. The purpose of this course is to develop: (a) basic conversational abilities (pronunciation, fundamental grammatical patterns, common vocabulary, and standard usage); (b) basic reading skills (in both the traditional character set and the simplified); (c) an understanding of the way the Chinese writing system is structured, and the ability to copy and write characters; and (d) a sense of what learning a language like Chinese entails, and the sort of learning processes that it involves, so students are able to continue studying effectively on their own. The main text is J. K. Wheatley's Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin, part II (unpublished, but available online). (Part I of the book forms the basis of 21G.101/151, which is also published on OpenCourseWare.) Chinese Sequence on OCW OpenCourseWare now offers a complete sequence of four Chinese language courses, covering beginning to intermediate levels of instruction at MIT. They can be used not just as the basis for taught courses, but also for self-instruction and elementary-to-intermediate review. The four Chinese subjects provide the following materials: an online textbook in four parts, J. K. Wheatley's Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin; audio files of the main conversational and narrative material in this book; and syllabi and day-by-day schedules for each term. Course sequnce on OCW. CHINESE COURSES COURSE SITES Chinese I (Spring 2006) 21G.101/151 Chinese II (Spring 2006) 21G.102/152 Chinese III (Fall 2005) 21G.103 Chinese IV (Spring 2006) 21G.104

21G.108 / 21G.158 Chinese II (Streamlined), Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.108 / 21G.158 Chinese II (Streamlined), Spring 2006 Zhang, Jin; Chen, Tong This course, along with 21G.107 / 21G.157 Chinese I (Streamlined) offered in the previous fall, form the elementary level of the streamlined sequence, which is intended for students who, when they began the sequence at beginning level, had basic conversational skills (gained, typically, from growing up in a Chinese speaking environment), but lacked a corresponding level of literacy. The focus of the course is on learning standard usage of expressions for everyday use, on reading in both traditional and simplified characters, and on writing.

CMS.611J / 6.073J Creating Video Games, Fall 2013

2013-12-01T00:00:00Z

CMS.611J / 6.073J Creating Video Games, Fall 2013 Tan, Philip B.; Eberhardt, Richard; Verrilli, Sara Students will learn creative design and production methods, working together in small teams to design, develop, and thoroughly test their own original digital games. Design iteration across all aspects of video game development (game design, audio design, visual aesthetics, fiction, and programming) will be stressed. Students will also be required to focus test their games, and will need to support and challenge their game design decisions with appropriate focus testing and data analysis.

21G.225 / 21G.226 Advanced Workshop in Writing for Science and Engineering (ELS), Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.225 / 21G.226 Advanced Workshop in Writing for Science and Engineering (ELS), Spring 2007 Dunphy, Jane Analysis and practice of various forms of scientific and technical writing, from memos to journal articles. Strategies for conveying technical information to specialist and non-specialist audiences. Comparable to 21W.780 but methods designed to deal with special problems of advanced ELS or bilingual students. The goal of the workshop is to develop effective writing skills for academic and professional contexts. Models, materials, topics and assignments vary from semester to semester.

ES.2H3 Ancient Philosophy and Mathematics, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

ES.2H3 Ancient Philosophy and Mathematics, Fall 2009 Perlman, Lee Western philosophy and theoretical mathematics were born together, and the cross-fertilization of ideas in the two disciplines was continuously acknowledged throughout antiquity. In this course, we read works of ancient Greek philosophy and mathematics, and investigate the way in which ideas of definition, reason, argument and proof, rationality and irrationality, number, quality and quantity, truth, and even the idea of an idea were shaped by the interplay of philosophic and mathematical inquiry.

21W.747 Rhetoric, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.747 Rhetoric, Fall 2002 Strang, Steven M. For students with a special interest in learning how to make forceful arguments in written form. Studies the forms and structures of argumentation, including organization of ideas, awareness of audience, methods of persuasion, evidence, factual vs emotional argument, figures of speech, and historical forms and uses of arguments. From the course home page: Course Description Introduction to 21W.747 This course is an introduction to the history, the theory, the practice, and the implications (both social and ethical) of rhetoric, the art and craft of persuasion. This semester, many of your skills will be deepened by practice, including your analytical skills, your critical thinking skills, your persuasive writing skills, and your oral presentation skills. In this course you will act as both a rhetor (a person who uses rhetoric) and a rhetorician (one who studies the art of rhetoric). Because the study of rhetoric has always had as one of its goals the creation of active and informed citizens and because rhetors write to influence the real world and thus to become agents of positive change, 21W.747 has an optional Service Learning (SL) component: You may elect to write/work for a non-profit organization that deals with some social issue. To offset the 20-30 hours during the semester that the SL option will involve, those who select it will substitute their non-profit writing for essay #4 or use their experiences there as the main source for one of their essays. Further, their experiences may be the basis for their final extemporaneous speech (thus reducing time spent on research). What is Rhetoric? Rhetoric is the art and craft of discourse; it is the study and creation of effective communication and persuasion. Studying rhetoric teaches us not only how to write persuasively but also how to understand the rhetorical efforts of others. Understanding rhetoric gives us the means of judging whose opinion about issues is the most accurate, useful, or valid, because such knowledge allows us to see beyond the persuasive techniques to the essence of the opinions. Further, understanding rhetoric is the best way of understanding the assumptions of and the points made by those who disagree with our positions. Further still, understanding rhetoric is the best way for us to deepen and refine our own positions and beliefs by exploring our own assumptions and our cultural contexts. In short, rhetoric teaches us how to find the limits of our own positions, how to argue effectively against others' positions, and how to create powerful and persuasive arguments for our own beliefs. At its best, rhetoric is used ethically by people of good will who wish to present their ideas forcibly but fairly to their communities. At its worst, however, rhetoric is used unethically by people to manipulate us instead of enlightening us, to spread propaganda instead of seeking truth, to make palatable those ideas and products whose adoption actually runs counter to our best interests. Understanding rhetoric, then, is our best defense against its abusers-- e.g., political "spin doctors," advertisers, demagogues, apologists for immoral business practices, and hate mongers. Using rhetoric in an ethical manner is our best method for becoming agents for positive change in our society.

21W.730 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Social and Ethical Issues, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Social and Ethical Issues, Spring 2010 Walsh, Andrea This course provides the opportunity for students-as readers, viewers, writers and speakers-to engage with social and ethical issues they care deeply about. Over the course of the semester, through discussing the writing of classic and contemporary authors, we will explore different perspectives on a range of social issues such as free speech, poverty and homelessness, mental illness, capital punishment and racial and gender inequality. In addition, we will analyze selected documentary and feature films and photographs that represent or dramatize social problems or issues. In assigned essays, students will have the opportunity to write about social and ethical issues of their own choice. This course aims to help students to grow significantly in their ability to understand and grapple with arguments, to integrate secondary print and visual sources and to craft well-reasoned and elegant essays. Students will also keep a reading journal and give oral presentations. In class we will discuss assigned texts, explore strategies for successful academic writing, freewrite and respond to one another's essays.

RES.TTL-01 Guidelines on Learning that Inform Teaching, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

RES.TTL-01 Guidelines on Learning that Inform Teaching, Fall 2009 Breslow, Lori This handbook includes 16 Guidelines on Learning based on the research literature on student learning and accepted good teaching practice, that inform the teaching at MIT. Each Guideline is explained with appropriate quotes and there are links to examples of the guideline in action. The handbook was adapted by The MIT Teaching and Learning Laboratory from the "Guidelines on Learning that inform teaching at the University of New South Wales" and it's associated Toolkit. This has now been expanded as a generic "Guidelines on Learning that inform teaching" website with exemplar examples and written in a format to encourage other universities to draft their own set of guidelines and examples. Online Publication

21W.747-1 Rhetoric, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.747-1 Rhetoric, Spring 2006 Strang, Steven This course is an introduction to the history, the theory, the practice, and the implications (both social and ethical) of rhetoric, the art and craft of persuasion. By the end of the semester, you will have been exposed to several of the key concepts of rhetoric (e.g., ethos, pathos, logos, invention, style, arrangement, kairos, stasis, commonplaces) and to the over-riding importance of writing to your audience. You will have gotten a taste of rhetorical history and theory. You will explore and analyze and respond to some key texts by significant writers. You will have had a chance to practice speaking and debating before the class. You will have written and revised several texts. You will have examined some of your core beliefs and assumptions. In this course you will act as both a rhetor (a person who uses rhetoric) and a rhetorician (one who studies the art of rhetoric). Because the study of rhetoric has always had as one of its goals the creation of active and informed citizens and because rhetors write to influence the real world and thus to become agents of positive change, the topics you choose and the essays you write will have the important purpose of persuading your readers (the class and me).

11.203 Microeconomics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.203 Microeconomics, Fall 2002 Levy, Frank, 1941- Introduces basic economic analysis for planning students including the functioning of markets, the allocation of scarce resources among competing uses, profit maximizing behavior under different market structure, and intertemporal investment decisions.

RES.21W-01 Angles, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

RES.21W-01 Angles, Spring 2010 Boiko, Karen; Faery, Rebecca Blevins; Lin, Jessica; Max, Lucy; Walsh, Andrea Angles is an annual online magazine of exemplary writing by students in four foundational writing courses at MIT: 21W.730: Writing on Contemporary Issues; 21W.731: Writing and Experience; 21W.732: Science Writing and New Media; and 21W.734J: Writing About Literature. In these classes, students learn to read more critically, to address specific audiences for particular purposes, to construct effective arguments and narratives, and to use and cite source material properly. Students in these courses write a great deal; they prewrite, write, revise, and edit their work for content, clarity, tone, and grammar and receive detailed feedback from instructors and classmates. Assigned readings are related to the thematic focus of each course, and are used as demonstrations of writing techniques. The pieces in Angles may be used as teaching tools and practical examples for other students and self-learners to emulate. Angles 2009 Angles 2008

21W.747-3 Classical Rhetoric and Modern Politics, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.747-3 Classical Rhetoric and Modern Politics, Spring 2006 Perelman, Leslie This course is an introduction to the history, theory, practice, and implications of rhetoric, the art and craft of persuasion. The course is designed to let you practice your own rhetorical prowess. This combination of reading, speaking, and writing will help you succeed in: Learning to read and think critically. Learning techniques of rhetorical analysis. Learning techniques of argument. Learning and practicing some basics about oral presentation.

21W.780 Communicating in Technical Organizations, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.780 Communicating in Technical Organizations, Spring 2006 Barrett, Edward C.; Bentley, Frank This class offers students an opportunity to experiment with various forms and practices of cellphone communication and, most importantly, to propose and develop a semester-long project using advanced A780 cellphones donated by Motorola along with access to J2ME™ source code for programming cellphone applications. Class size is limited. Students in small collaborative groups will propose, implement and report on a semester-long project.

21W.775 Writing about Nature and Environmental Issues, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.775 Writing about Nature and Environmental Issues, Spring 2006 Lioi, Anthony This course focuses on traditional nature writing and the environmentalist essay. Students will keep a web log as a journal. Writings are drawn from the tradition of nature writing and from contemporary forms of the environmentalist essay. Authors include Henry Thoreau, Loren Eiseley, Annie Dillard, Chet Raymo, Sue Hubbel, Rachel Carson, Bill McKibben, and Terry Tempest Williams.

11.002J / 17.30J Fundamentals of Public Policy, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.002J / 17.30J Fundamentals of Public Policy, Fall 2004 Meyer, Steve; Laws, David Fundamentals of Public Policy is an introductory course that explores policy-making as both a problem-solving process and a political process. We look at policy-making from the perspective of different focal actors and institutions, including: administrative agencies, legislators, the courts, the mass public, interest groups, and the media. We examine the interplay between policy development and institutions, and review normative and empirical models of policy-making. Exploring these issues will require us to address questions like: How and why does something come to be seen as a "public problem" requiring a governmental response, while others fail to get attention? Why do we need public policies? What determines the content and nature of public policies? Who decides public policy priorities? Does public policy ever accomplish anything worthwhile?

WGS.101 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

WGS.101 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Fall 2010 Walsh, Andrea; Fox, Elizabeth This course offers an introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary academic field that asks critical questions about the meaning of gender in society. The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions and debates in Women's and Gender Studies scholarship, both historical and contemporary. Gender scholarship critically analyzes themes of gendered performance and power in a range of social spheres, such as law, culture, work, medicine and the family.

11.127J / 11.252J / CMS.590J / CMS.863J Computer Games and Simulations for Investigation and Education, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.127J / 11.252J / CMS.590J / CMS.863J Computer Games and Simulations for Investigation and Education, Spring 2009 Klopfer, Eric In this project-based course, students from all disciplines are encouraged to understand how we learn from interactive computer environments, and delve into the process of designing and understanding simulations and games for learning.

21W.731-1 Writing and Experience: Culture Shock! Writing, Editing, and Publishing in Cyberspace, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.731-1 Writing and Experience: Culture Shock! Writing, Editing, and Publishing in Cyberspace, Fall 2005 Faery, Rebecca Blevins This course is an introduction to writing prose for a public audience—specifically, prose grounded in, though not confined to, personal narrative and perspective. The focus of our reading and your writing will be American popular culture, broadly defined. That is, you will write essays that engage elements and aspects of contemporary American popular culture and that do so via a vivid personal voice and presence.

21W.730-1 Imagining the Future, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-1 Imagining the Future, Spring 2004 Faery, Rebecca Blevins Turn-of-the-century eras have historically been times when people are more than usually inclined to scrutinize the present and speculate about the future. Now, the turn not just of a century but of a millennium having recently passed, such scrutiny and speculations inevitably intensify. What will the future that awaits us in this twenty-first century and beyond be like? And how do visions of that future reflect and respond to the world we live in now? In this writing course we will read and write about how some twentieth-century writers and filmmakers have attended to the present as a way of imagining-and warning about-possible worlds to come. Guided by our reading and discussion, we will scrutinize our own present and construct our own visions of the future through close readings of the texts as well as of some aspects of contemporary culture-urban and environmental crises, economic imperialism, sexual and reproductive politics, issues of race and gender, the romance of technology, robotics and cyborg cultures, media saturation, language and representation-and the persistent questions they pose about what it means to be human at this threshold of a new millennium.

WGS.111 Gender and Media Studies: Women and the Media, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

WGS.111 Gender and Media Studies: Women and the Media, Fall 2008 Surkan, K.J. This course examines representations of race, class, gender, and sexual identity in the media. We will be considering issues of authorship, spectatorship, (audience) and the ways in which various media content (film, television, print journalism, advertising) enables, facilitates, and challenges these social constructions in society. In addition, we will examine how gender and race affects the production of media, and discuss the impact of new media and digital media and how it has transformed access and participation, moving contemporary media users from a traditional position of "readers" to "writers" and/or commentators. Students will analyze gendered and racialized language and embodiment as it is produced online in blogs and vlogs, avatars, and in the construction of cyberidentities. The course provides an introduction to feminist approaches to media studies by drawing from work in feminist film theory, journalism, cultural studies, gender and politics, and cyberfeminism.

11.432J / 15.427J Real Estate Finance & Investments II: Macro-Level Analysis & Advanced Topics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.432J / 15.427J Real Estate Finance & Investments II: Macro-Level Analysis & Advanced Topics, Spring 2003 Geltner, David, 1951-; Mcgrath, William Tod The evolving organization and operation of real estate capital markets. Sources of real estate capital. Primary and secondary mortgage markets. The investment behavior of real estate assets. The development of REITs and securitized debt markets. Advanced pricing techniques for complex real estate securities. From the course home page: Course Description This course presents some of the major concepts, principles, analytical methods and tools useful for making investment and finance decisions regarding commercial real estate assets. As the second in a two-course sequence, this course focuses on more advanced topics and the "macro" level, which pertains to decisions about collections of many individual real estate assets, that is, portfolio or firm level decisions and investment management considerations. (More fundamental "micro" level analysis, pertaining to individual properties and deals, is covered in 11.431 taught in the fall semester). This course also introduces and surveys the major public capital market real estate vehicles, REITs and MBS. Other topics treated include a selection among such subjects as real options, land valuation, development project financial analysis, corporate real estate, capital structure, portfolio strategy, equilibrium pricing of asset classes, investment performance measurement and benchmarking, investment management, and international real estate investing (not all subjects covered every semester). Students can take 11.432/15.427 without having taken 11.431/15.426 provided they have taken 15.401. Such students may have to do some review of the real estate terminology presented in the earlier course if they are not already familiar with basic real estate finance and investment terminology (see the "Key Terms" listed in the backs especially of Chs.1, 9, 11, 14, 16-18 of the text).

11.164 / 11.497 / 17.391 Human Rights in Theory and Practice, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.164 / 11.497 / 17.391 Human Rights in Theory and Practice, Fall 2010 Rajagopal, Balakrishnan This course provides a rigorous and critical introduction to the foundation, structure and operation of the international human rights movement. It includes leading theoretical and institutional issues and the functioning of the international human rights mechanisms including non-governmental and inter-governmental ones. It covers cutting-edge human rights issues including gender and race discrimination, religion and state, national security and terrorism, globalization and human rights, and technology and human rights.

21W.749 Documentary Photography and Photo Journalism: Still Images of A World In Motion, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.749 Documentary Photography and Photo Journalism: Still Images of A World In Motion, Spring 2002 Colen, B. D. Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of A World In Motion exposes students to the work of a number of great documentary photographers and photojournalists, as well as to writing about the documentary tradition. Students work throughout the term on a photo documentary project of their own, attempting to reduce a tiny area of the moving world to a set of still images that convey what the viewer needs to know about what they saw - without hearing the sounds, smelling the odors, experiencing what was happening outside the viewfinder, and without seeing the motion. Students also write papers about the subjects of their photo documentaries.

11.301J / 4.252J Introduction to Urban Design and Development, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.301J / 4.252J Introduction to Urban Design and Development, Fall 2003 Frenchman, Dennis M.; Morrow, Greg Examines both the structure of cities and ways they can be changed. Includes historical forces that have produced cities, models of urban analysis, contemporary theories of urban design, implementation strategies. Core lectures supplemented by discussion group focusing on student work. Speakers present cases involving current projects illustrating the scope and methods of urban design practice. From the course home page: Course Description This course introduces graduate students to ideas about the form of cities and how they are designed and developed. Part 1 explores the forces which act to shape and to change cities. Part 2 surveys models of urban design which have been invented in response to forces acting on cities.

11.165 / 11.477 Infrastructure in Crisis: Energy and Security Challenges, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.165 / 11.477 Infrastructure in Crisis: Energy and Security Challenges, Fall 2009 Polenske, Karen R.; Ratanawaraha, Apiwat The purpose of this seminar is to examine efforts in developing and advanced nations and regions to create, finance and regulate infrastructure systems and services that affect energy security. We will introduce a variety of methodological and disciplinary perspectives. During the seminar, students will explore how an energy crisis can be an opportunity for making fundamental changes to improve collapsing infrastructure networks. The sessions will be used to introduce the challenges to modern society concerning energy security, and for students to study how food security and energy security are intertwined, as well as how infrastructure supports the energy system. We will review the moral hazard aspects of infrastructure and the common arguments for withholding adequate support to the rebuilding of energy systems. Students taking the graduate version will complete additional assignments.

11.309J / 4.215J Sensing Place: Photography as Inquiry, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.309J / 4.215J Sensing Place: Photography as Inquiry, Spring 2006 MacLean, Alex; Spirn, Anne Whiston This course explores photography as a disciplined way of seeing, of investigating landscapes and expressing ideas. Readings, observations, and photographs form the basis of discussions on landscape, light, significant detail, place, poetics, narrative, and how photography can inform design and planning, among other issues. The class Web site can be found here: Sensing Place: Photography as Inquiry.

11.124 Introduction to Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.124 Introduction to Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science, Fall 2004 Klopfer, Eric This course provides an introduction to teaching and learning in a variety of K-12 settings. Through visits to schools, classroom discussions, selected readings, and hands-on activities, we explore the challenges and opportunities of teaching. Topics of study include educational technology, design and experimentation, student learning, and careers in education.

11.482J / 1.285J / ESD.193J Regional Socioeconomic Impact Analysis and Modeling, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.482J / 1.285J / ESD.193J Regional Socioeconomic Impact Analysis and Modeling, Fall 2006 Polenske, Karen; Biderman, Ciro Reviews regional economic theories and models and provides students with experience in using alternative economic impact assessment models on microcomputers. Problem sets are oriented around infrastructure, housing, energy, and environmental issues. Students work with a client generally in Boston and make a presentation to the client. Emphasis on written and oral presentation skills. From the course home page: Course Description The seminar is designed to provide advanced graduate students with a thorough understanding of selected regional economic theories and techniques and with experience in using alternative socioeconomic impact assessment models and related regional techniques on microcomputers. Discussions will be held on particular theoretical modeling and economic issues; linkages among theories, accounts, and policies; relationships between national and regional economic structures; and methods of adjusting and estimating regional input-output accounts and tables. Examples from the Boston area and other U.S. cities/regions will be used to illustrate points throughout the seminar. We will also examine how such models are used in other countries. New material on analyzing regional development issues will be covered.

11.481J / 1.284J / ESD.192J Analyzing & Accounting for Regional Economic Change, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.481J / 1.284J / ESD.192J Analyzing & Accounting for Regional Economic Change, Spring 2005 Polenske, Karen R.; Wang, Xiaodong Surveys theories of regional growth, factor mobility, clustering, industrial restructuring, learning regions, and global supply chains from a political-economy perspective. Examines/critiques accounting frameworks including accounting for the underground economy, multipliers, linkages, and supply chains used to assess employment and environmental impacts, infrastructure investments. Assesses price indices, industrial location and employment measures, and shift-share analyses. Discussions of US and foreign applications.

11.481J / 1.284J / ESD.284J Analyzing and Accounting for Regional Economic Change, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.481J / 1.284J / ESD.284J Analyzing and Accounting for Regional Economic Change, Spring 2004 Polenske, Karen R.; Wang, Xiaodong Surveys theories of regional growth, factor mobility, clustering, industrial restructuring, learning regions, and global supply chains from a political-economy perspective. Examines/critiques accounting frameworks including accounting for the underground economy, multipliers, linkages, and supply chains used to assess employment and environmental impacts, infrastructure investments. Assesses price indices, industrial location and employment measures, and shift-share analyses. Discussions of US and foreign applications. From the course home page: Course Description Students examine and critique accounting frameworks, including accounting for the underground economy, multipliers, linkages, and supply chains used to assess employment and environmental impacts and infrastructure investments. They also assess the value of price indices, industrial location and employment measures, and shift-share analyses. Discussions of US and foreign applications and their relation will be featured in the class.

11.482J / 1.285J / ESD.193J Regional Socioeconomic Impact Analysis and Modeling, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.482J / 1.285J / ESD.193J Regional Socioeconomic Impact Analysis and Modeling, Fall 2004 Polenske, Karen R.; Kumar, Rajendra, 1967- Reviews regional economic theories and models and provides students with experience in using alternative economic impact assessment models on microcomputers. Problem sets are oriented around infrastructure, housing, energy, and environmental issues. Students work with a client generally in Boston and make a presentation to the client. Emphasis on written and oral presentation skills. From the course home page: Course Description The seminar is designed to provide advanced graduate students with a thorough understanding of selected regional economic theories and techniques and with experience in using alternative socioeconomic impact assessment models and related regional techniques on microcomputers. Discussions will be held on particular theoretical modeling and economic issues; linkages among theories, accounts, and policies; relationships between national and regional economic structures; and methods of adjusting and estimating regional input-output accounts and tables. Examples from the Boston area and other U.S. cities/regions will be used to illustrate points throughout the seminar. We will also examine how such models are used in other countries. New material on analyzing regional development issues will be covered.

11.126J / 14.48J / 11.249J Economics of Education, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.126J / 14.48J / 11.249J Economics of Education, Spring 2006 Levy, Frank, 1941- Discusses the economic aspects of current issues in education, using both economic theory and econometric and institutional readings. Topics include discussion of basic human capital theory; the growing impact of education on earnings and earnings inequality; statistical issues in determining the true rate of return to education; the labor market for teachers, implications of the impact of computers on the demand for worker skills; the effectiveness of mid-career training for adult workers; the roles of school choice, charter schools, state standards and educational technology in improving K-12 education, and the issue of college financial aid. From the course home page: Course Description This course combines economic theory, econometric literature and institutional literature to examine current issues in U.S. education. Topics include human capital theory, the problem of disentangling the return to education from the return to innate ability, the role of education in national economic growth, the association between education and individual earnings and reasons why that relationship has changed over time, the main approaches to K-12 school reform, and the problem of increasing access to higher education.

11.701 Introduction to Planning and Institutional Processes in Developing Countries, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.701 Introduction to Planning and Institutional Processes in Developing Countries, Fall 2005 Sanyal, Bishwapriya This introductory course is structured to cultivate the key sensibilities necessary for effective planning practice in newly industrializing countries. The word "sensibility" refers to an awareness of key developmental issues, interdependent causalities, and anticipated as well as unanticipated consequences of social action which mark most planning efforts. In cultivating such sensibilities, this course will use examples from varying institutional settings, ranging from the local to the international levels, and probe how the particularities of each setting call for an awareness of particular institutional opportunities and constraints that planners need to account for when devising planning strategies.

11.164 / 11.497 Human Rights in Theory and Practice, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.164 / 11.497 Human Rights in Theory and Practice, Spring 2005 Rajagopal, Balakrishnan This course provides a rigorous and critical introduction to the foundation, structure and operation of the international human rights movement. It includes leading theoretical and institutional issues and the functioning of the international human rights mechanisms including non-governmental and inter-governmental ones. It covers cutting-edge human rights issues including gender and race discrimination, religion and state, national security and terrorism, globalization and human rights, and technology and human rights.

11.124 Introduction to Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.124 Introduction to Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science, Fall 2002 Klopfer, Eric Subject provides an introduction to teaching and learning science and mathematics in a variety of K-12 settings. Through visits to schools, classroom discussions, selected readings, and hands-on activities, subject explores the challenges and opportunities of teaching. Topics of study include educational technology, design and experimentation, education reform, standards and standardized testing, scientific models, methods of solving problems, student learning, and careers in education.

11.127 / 11.252 Computer Modeling for Investigation and Education, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.127 / 11.252 Computer Modeling for Investigation and Education, Spring 2003 Klopfer, Eric Project-based subject in which students from multiple disciplines are encouraged to develop and investigate systems and ideas from their fields of study as they explore the process of building and testing models and simulations. Explores various modeling software packages, criteria for developing the most appropriate simulation for a given situation, and methods for evaluating the success and utility of models. Students with an education focus consider what and how people learn from simulations, and how modeling tools can be implemented in public school settings. Graduate students are expected to complete additional assignments. From the course home page: Course Description During the past ten years, simulation modeling, especially as it helps people to understand complex systems, has become a mainstream use of computational technology. The widespread popularity of "edutainment" software like SimCity and Civilization gives a clear indication of the extent to which simulation games have permeated popular culture. As these and other games have found places in the classroom, researchers have tried to ascertain what and how students learn from these environments, and what implications this has for software and curriculum design. While it can be useful to experiment with pre-built models like SimCity, a deeper understanding can come through building and manipulating models whose underlying structure is accessible. Just as a young child learns more by building a bridge out of blocks instead of merely playing with a pre-fabricated bridge, designing and creating your own models provide richer learning experiences than simply playing with pre-built models. This learning process is critically important in domains that require an understanding of complex systems, from economics and mathematics to physics and biology. In this project-based course, students from all disciplines are encouraged to understand how we learn from computer environments, develop and investigate systems and ideas from their fields of study, and delve into the process of building and testing models and simulations. In the first part of the course we will explore the design and use of games and simulations in the classroom, and the research and development issues associated with this software. We will then explore various modeling and simulation software packages, criteria for developing the most appropriate simulation for a given situation, and methods for evaluating the success and utility of models. We will also study what and how people learn from simulations (including field testing of software), and how modeling and simulation tools can be implemented in educational settings. All levels of computer experience welcome. Graduate students are expected to complete additional assignments.

11.701 Introduction to International Development Planning, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.701 Introduction to International Development Planning, Fall 2010 Rajagopal, Balakrishnan This introductory survey course is intended to develop an understanding of key issues and dilemmas of planning in non-western countries. The topics covered in this course will include state intervention, governance, law and institutions in development, privatization, participatory planning, decentralization, poverty, urban-rural linkages, corruption and civil service reform, trade and outsourcing, labor standards, post-conflict development, and the role of aid in development. The course will illuminate current development challenges through published research in the field. The literature is rich, and across many disciplines in the social sciences. Case studies and real world examples through interaction with planning practitioners are drawn from around the world.

11.701 Introduction to Planning and Institutional Processes in Developing Countries, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.701 Introduction to Planning and Institutional Processes in Developing Countries, Fall 2004 Sanyal, Bishwapriya The planning process in developing countries. Interaction between planners and institutions at both national and local levels. Overview of theories of state, organizational arrangements, implementation mechanisms, and planning styles. Case studies of planning: decentralization, provision of low-cost housing, and new-town development. Analyzes various roles planners play in different institutional contexts. Professional ethics and values amidst conflicting demands. Restricted to first-year M.C.P. and SPURS students.

11.437 Financing Economic Development, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.437 Financing Economic Development, Fall 2003 Seidman, Karl F. Focuses on financing tools and program models to support local economic development. Includes an overview of private capital markets and financing sources to understand capital market imperfections that constrain economic development; business accounting; financial statement analysis; federal economic development programs; and public finance tools. Program models covered include revolving loan funds, guarantee programs, venture capital funds, bank holding companies, community development loan funds and credit unions, micro enterprise funds, and the use of the Community Reinvestment Act to leverage bank financing.

11.540J / 1.252J / ESD.225J Urban Transportation Planning, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.540J / 1.252J / ESD.225J Urban Transportation Planning, Fall 2006 Salvucci, Frederick; Antos, Justin; Murga, Mikel The history, policy, and politics of urban transportation are discussed in this class. Also covered are the role of the federal government, the "highway revolt" and public transit in the auto era, using analytic tools for transportation planning and policy analysis. The class then explores the contribution of transportation to air pollution and climate change, land use and transportation interactions, together with issues with bicycles, pedestrians, and traffic calming. Examples used in the class are taken mainly from the Boston metropolitan area.

WGS.110 Sexual and Gender Identities, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

WGS.110 Sexual and Gender Identities, Fall 2010 Surkan, K.J. This course introduces scholarly debates about sexual identities, gender identities and expressions, and sexual orientation and its representation in film and literature. We begin with a contemporary debate about biology and gender identity, considering its relationship to the historical understanding of sex, gender, and sexual identity. Our investigation continues with the theoretical underpinnings of the emerging field of queer studies, from the nineteenth century to the present day, and considers how subsequent work in transgender studies continues to challenge traditional understandings of sex, gender, and sexuality.

11.016J / 4.211J The City, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.016J / 4.211J The City, Spring 2003 Spirn, Anne Whiston, 1947- Examines the evolving structure of cities, the dynamic processes that shape them, and the significance of a city's history for its future development. Develops the ability to read urban form as an interplay of natural processes and human purposes over time. Field assignments in Boston provide the opportunity to use, develop, and refine these concepts.

11.014J / 21H.232J American Urban History II, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.014J / 21H.232J American Urban History II, Fall 2004 Fogelson, Robert This is a seminar course that explores the history of selected features of the physical environment of urban America. Among the features considered are parks, cemeteries, tenements, suburbs, zoos, skyscrapers, department stores, supermarkets, and amusement parks. The course gives students experience in working with primary documentation sources through its selection of readings and class discussions. Students then have the opportunity to apply this experience by researching their own historical questions and writing a term paper.

11.482J / 1.285J / ESD.193J Regional Socioeconomic Impact Analyses and Modeling, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.482J / 1.285J / ESD.193J Regional Socioeconomic Impact Analyses and Modeling, Fall 2003 Polenske, Karen R.; Thompson, Annie Kinsella Reviews regional economic theories and models and provides students with experience in using alternative economic impact assessment models on microcomputers. Problem sets are oriented around infrastructure, housing, energy, and environmental issues. Students work with a client generally in Boston and make a presentation to the client. Emphasis on written and oral presentation skills. From the course home page: Course Description The advanced graduate seminar is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of selected regional economic theories and techniques and with experience in using alternative socioeconomic impact assessment models and related regional techniques on microcomputers. Discussions will be held on particular theoretical modeling and economic issues; linkages among theories, accounts, and policies; relationships between national and regional economic structures; and methods of adjusting and estimating regional input-output accounts and tables. Examples from the Boston area and other U.S. cities/regions will be used to illustrate points throughout the seminar. This year we will also examine international employment outsourcing from Boston industries and the economic impacts on the local economy. New material on analyzing regional-development issues will also be covered.

11.001J / 4.250J Introduction to Urban Design and Development, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.001J / 4.250J Introduction to Urban Design and Development, Fall 2001 Vale, Lawrence Examines the evolving structure of cities and the way that cities, suburbs, and metropolitan areas can be designed and developed. Guest speakers present cases, involving current projects, which illustrate the scope and methods of urban design practice. From the course home page: Course Description This is a class about how cities, suburbs, and metropolitan areas change. It is an introductory subject for undergraduates that examines both the evolving structure of the American metropolis and the ways that it can be designed and developed. Topics range from grand ideas proposed by single individuals to smaller more incremental processes carried out through collaboration by a variety of contending parties. You will see how cities and suburbs have been changed in the past and how you and others may help change them in the future.

11.131 Educational Theory and Practice III, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.131 Educational Theory and Practice III, Spring 2007 Klopfer, Eric; Gibb, Reen This is the final course in the three course sequence (11.129, 11.130 and 11.131) that deals with the practicalities of teaching students. Our areas of study will include: educational psychology, identification of useful resources that support instruction, learning to use technology in meaningful ways in the classroom, finding more methods of motivating students, implementing differentiated instruction and obtaining a teaching job.

11.308J / 4.213J Advanced Seminar: Urban Nature and City Design, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.308J / 4.213J Advanced Seminar: Urban Nature and City Design, Fall 2005 Spirn, Anne Whiston This course explores the urban environment as a natural phenomenon, human habitat, medium of expression, and forum for action. The course has several major themes: how ideas of nature influence the way cities are perceived, designed, built, and managed; how natural processes and urban form interact and the consequences for human health and welfare; how planners and designers can shape the urban natural environment. Each student researches and presents a case, either historical or an example of contemporary theory and practice.

11.235 Analyzing Projects and Organizations: How Organizations Behave, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.235 Analyzing Projects and Organizations: How Organizations Behave, Fall 2006 Tendler, Judith Seminar builds analytic skills for evaluating programs and projects, organizations, and environments. Subject covers: using proxy indicators with poor data and limited time; preparing for, conducting, and interpreting interviews; conducting cross-project and cross-organization comparisons; and finding rationality in seemingly chaotic organizational and project environments. From the course home page: Course Description This class analyzes how organizations behave, both government and nongovernment, drawing on the literature of the sociology of organizations, political science, and public administration. The class seeks to demonstrate rationality in otherwise seemingly chaotic organizational environments and implementation experiences. It builds analytical skills for evaluating programs and projects, organizations, and environments, and draws equally on developing-country and developed-country literature.

11.479 Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning in Developing Countries, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.479 Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning in Developing Countries, Spring 2004 Davis, Jennifer Policy and planning for the provision of water supply and sanitation services in developing countries. Reviews available technologies, but emphasizes the planning and policy process, including economic, social, environmental, and health issues. Incorporates considerations of financing, pricing, institutional structure, consumer demand, and community participation in the planning process. Evaluates policies and projects in case studies from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.

11.204 Planning, Communications, and Digital Media, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.204 Planning, Communications, and Digital Media, Fall 2002 Hoyt, Lorlene M.; Cao, Liou Subject focuses on methods of digital visualization and communication and their application to planning issues. Lectures introduce methods for describing or representing a place and its residents, for simulating actions and changes, for presenting visions of the future, and for engaging multiple actors in the process of envisioning change and guiding action. Laboratory time allows students to apply these methods by designing a web-based portfolio that is critiqued throughout the semester, and evolves as they advance through the program. From the Course Home Page: Course Description This course focuses on methods of digital visualization and communication and their application to planning issues. Lectures will introduce a variety of methods for describing or representing a place and its residents, for simulating changes, for presenting visions of the future, and for engaging multiple actors in the process of guiding action. Through a series of laboratory exercises, students will apply these methods in the construction of a web-based portfolio. The portfolio is not only the final project for the course, but will serve as a container for other course work throughout the MCP program. This course aims to introduce students to (1) such persistent and recurring themes as place, race, power and the environment that face planners, (2) the role of digital technologies in representing, analyzing, and mobilizing communities, (3) MIT faculty and their work, (4) MIT's computing environment and resources including Athena, Element K, the ESRI virtual campus, Computer Resources Laboratory (CRL), Campus Wide Information Systems Support (CWIS), the GIS Laboratory at Rotch Library and (5) software tools like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, ESRI ArcView, Microsoft Access, and Macromedia® Dreamweaver that will assist them in creating digital images, working with relational databases, and launching a web-based portfolio. Macromedia® is a trademark or registered trademark of Macromedia, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

11.202 Gateway: Planning Economics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.202 Gateway: Planning Economics, Fall 2002 Levy, Frank, 1941- Introduces applications of microeconomic theory to planning problems including urban form and structure, environmental controls, zoning and property rights, and income inequality and poverty. From the course home page: Course Description Planning Economics (11.202) is a course that runs for the last one-third of a semester and covers economics topics of particular interest to city planning students: location theory, the interplay between externalities and zoning, international trade and globalization, and housing finance. Few incoming students have had prior exposure to these topics. The first two-thirds of the semester is given over to Microeconomics (11.203). It is designed for incoming city planning students with little or no economics background. Incoming students take a voluntary microeconomics test-out at the beginning of the semester. Those that pass the test-out are exempt from taking Microeconomics. To minimize disruption, Planning Economics is positioned as the last third of a semester long core course on Planning Institutions and Economics. All students are required to take this final segment of the semester, including students who have tested out of microeconomics. From the course home page: Course Description Planning Economics, 11.202, explores applications of microeconomics to four topics of interest to planners: Public Good and Externality Theory in Practice; Location Theory and the Economic Rationale of Cities; Globalization, Trade and Labor Standards; Investment Theory and Housing Finance

11.220 Quantitative Reasoning and Statistical Method for Planning I, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.220 Quantitative Reasoning and Statistical Method for Planning I, Spring 2006 Zegras, P. Christopher; Ryznar, Rhonda Marie This course develops logical, empirically based arguments using statistical techniques and analytic methods. It covers elementary statistics, probability, and other types of quantitative reasoning useful for description, estimation, comparison, and explanation. Emphasis is placed on the use and limitations of analytical techniques in planning practice. This course is required for and restricted to first-year Master in City Planning students.

17.433 / 17.434 International Relations of East Asia, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.433 / 17.434 International Relations of East Asia, Spring 2005 Fravel, M. Taylor The aim of this lecture course is to introduce and analyze the international relations of East Asia. With four great powers, three nuclear weapons states and two of the world's largest economies, East Asia is one of the most dynamic and consequential regions in world politics. During the Cold War, East Asia witnessed intense competition and conflict between the superpowers and among the states in the region. In the post-Cold War era, the region has been an engine of the global economy while undergoing a major shift in the balance power whose trajectory and outcome remain uncertain. This course will examine the sources of conflict and cooperation in both periods, assessing competing explanations for key events in East Asia's international relations. Readings will be drawn from international relations theory, political science and history.

17.953 U.S. Military Budget and Force Planning, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.953 U.S. Military Budget and Force Planning, Fall 2004 Williams, Cindy The United States is spending about $400 billion this year on national defense, some $40 billion on homeland security, and $85 billion on military operations and nation-building in Iraq and Afghanistan. This course is for students who want to know how the dollars we spend on national security relate to military forces, systems, and policy choices, and who wish to develop a personal tool kit for framing and assessing defense policy alternatives. The course aims to familiarize students with budgetary concepts and processes; to examine relationships among strategy, forces, and budgets; to explore tradeoffs among the main categories of defense spending; and to develop frameworks for identifying the costs of new military policies. The course begins with an overview of U.S. spending for national defense over the past 35 years and a look at the federal fiscal pressures that may affect military spending in the future. It continues with an examination of mismatches between the defense budget and the military strategy and forces it supports. Later sessions grapple with matching forces to budgets and developing alternatives for equipping the force. One session focuses on federal spending for homeland security and combating terrorism. In addition, several sessions will explore frameworks for reform of the infrastructure activities and military pay and benefits that together make up the lion's share of the military budget.

17.100J / 14.781J / 15.678J Political Economy I: Theories of the State and the Economy, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.100J / 14.781J / 15.678J Political Economy I: Theories of the State and the Economy, Fall 2005 Piore, Michael; Berger, Suzanne Political Economy I explores the major social science paradigms for analyzing relations among state, economy, and society. Through readings, lectures and discussion of original texts in political liberalism and individualism, neo-classical economics, Marxism, sociological and cultural theories, and neo-institutionalism, the seminar examines the fundamental assumptions on which our understanding of the social world and our research are based. All participants in the seminar are required to do the weekly readings before class meetings. The course also requires two 12-15 page essays on assigned topics. The seminar is open to graduate students in all departments and also to undergraduates with prior course work in economics or political science and with permission of the instructors.

17.582 Civil War, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.582 Civil War, Spring 2005 Petersen, Roger This course surveys the social science literature on civil war. It studies the origins of civil war, discusses variables affecting duration, and examines termination of conflict. This subject is highly interdisciplinary and covers a wide variety of cases, although with concentration on various Balkan civil wars.

17.884J / 14.296J Collective Choice I, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.884J / 14.296J Collective Choice I, Fall 2005 Snyder, James M. Examines political institutions from a rational choice perspective. The now burgeoning rational choice literature on legislatures, bureaucracies, courts, and elections constitutes the chief focus. Some focus on institutions from a comparative and/or international perspective. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research. Advanced undergrads may take subject with faculty approval. From the course home page: Course Description This is an applied theory course covering topics in the political economy of democratic countries. This course examines political institutions from a rational choice perspective. The now burgeoning rational choice literature on legislatures, bureaucracies, courts, and elections constitutes the chief focus. Some focus will be placed on institutions from a comparative and/or international perspective.

17.871 Political Science Laboratory, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.871 Political Science Laboratory, Spring 2004 Stewart III, Charles This course introduces students to the conduct of political research using quantitative methodologies. The methods are examined in the context of specific political research activities like public opinion surveys, voting behavior, Congressional behavior, comparisons of political processes in different countries, and the evaluation of public policies. Students participate in joint class projects and conduct individual projects.

17.418 Field Seminar: International Relations Theory, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.418 Field Seminar: International Relations Theory, Spring 2009 Fravel, M. Taylor This seminar provides an overview of the field of international relations. Each week, a different approach to explaining international relations will be examined. By surveying major concepts and theories in the field, the seminar will also assist graduate students in preparing for the comprehensive examination and further study in the department's more specialized offerings in international relations.

17.100J / 14.781J / 15.678J Political Economy I: Theories of the State and the Economy, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.100J / 14.781J / 15.678J Political Economy I: Theories of the State and the Economy, Fall 2002 Berger, Suzanne; Piore, Michael J. Critical analysis of liberal, neoclassical, and Marxist perspectives on modern society. Alternative theories of economic growth, historical change, the state, classes, and ideology. Description from course home page: Political Economy I explores the major social science paradigms for analyzing relations among state, economy, and society. Through readings, lectures and discussion of original texts in political liberalism and individualism, neo-classical economics, Marxism, sociological and cultural theories, and neo-institutionalism, the seminar examines the fundamental assumptions on which our understanding of the social world and our research are based. All participants in the seminar are required to do the weekly readings before class meetings. The course also requires two 12-15 page essays on assigned topics. The seminar is open to graduate students in all departments and also to undergraduates with prior course work in economics or political science and with permission of the instructors.

17.181 / 17.182 Sustainable Development: Theory, Research and Policy, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.181 / 17.182 Sustainable Development: Theory, Research and Policy, Spring 2003 Choucri, Nazli Examines alternative conceptions and theoretical underpinnings of the notion of "sustainable development." Focuses on the sustainability problems of industrial countries (i.e., aging of populations, sustainable consumption, institutional adjustments, etc.); and of developing states and economies in transition (i.e., managing growth, sustainability of production patterns, pressures of population change, etc.). Explores the sociology of knowledge around sustainability, the economic and technological dimensions and institutional imperatives. Implications for political constitution of economic performance.

17.952 Great Power Military Intervention, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.952 Great Power Military Intervention, Spring 2004 Posen, Barry The purpose of this seminar is to examine systematically, and comparatively, great and middle power military interventions into civil wars during the 1990's. These civil wars were high on the policy agenda of western states during the 1990's. Yet, these interventions were usually not motivated by obvious classical vital interests. Given the extraordinary security enjoyed by the great and middle powers of the west in the Cold War's aftermath, these activities are puzzling.

SP.287 / 5.S15 / ESG.SP287 Kitchen Chemistry, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.287 / 5.S15 / ESG.SP287 Kitchen Chemistry, Spring 2006 Christie, Patricia Dianne, 1967- This course includes Special topic seminars and independent study projects. Seminars are run by a staff member or supervised undergraduate instructor and meet weekly. Independent study projects require approval and regular supervision by a staff member, as well as a written proposal and a final report. From the course home page: Course Description This seminar is designed to be an experimental and hands-on approach to applied chemistry (as seen in cooking). Cooking may be the oldest and most widespread application of chemistry and recipes may be the oldest practical result of chemical research. We shall do some cooking experiments to illustrate some chemical principles, including extraction, denaturation, and phase changes.

15.818 Pricing, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.818 Pricing, Spring 2005 Tucker, Catherine This course, primarily discussion based, provides a framework for understanding pricing strategies and tactics. Topics covered include pricing in competitive markets, estimating demand, price discrimination, the role of price cues, anticipating competitive responses, pricing in business to business markets, and pricing of new products. Lectures and cases are the primary modes of learning.

15.021J / 11.433J Real Estate Economics, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.021J / 11.433J Real Estate Economics, Spring 2004 Wheaton, William C., 1944- This course, offered by the MIT Center for Real Estate, focuses on developing an understanding of the macroeconomic factors that shape and influence markets for real property. We will develop the theory of land markets and locational choice. The material covered includes studies of changing economic activities, demographic trends, transportation and local government behavior as they affect real estate.

SP.778 Toy Product Design, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.778 Toy Product Design, Spring 2006 Kudrowitz, Barry; Wallace, David This course is an introduction to the product design process with an emphasis on designing for children and entertainment. Students will work in small teams to develop a working prototype of a toy. Throughout the semester students will visit local elementary schools to teach basic design practice and understand the minds of young children.

15.389 G-Lab: Global Entrepreneurship Lab, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.389 G-Lab: Global Entrepreneurship Lab, Fall 2007 Morse, Kenneth; Lehrich, M. Jonathan; Locke, Richard; Loessberg, Shari; Huang, Yasheng Entrepreneurship in the 21st century is evolving. Because of global changes in technology, communications, and capital markets, today's innovative startups are building successful companies in countries around the globe, in many instances with investors, vendors, customers, and employees located thousands of miles away. The challenges these leading-edge companies face, particularly in emerging markets, are some of the most sophisticated issues both for businesses and governments alike. These challenges are the focus of G-Lab.

15.223 Global Markets, National Policies, and the Competitive Advantages of Firms, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.223 Global Markets, National Policies, and the Competitive Advantages of Firms, Fall 2007 Locke, Richard The world is changing in two fundamental ways. First, the development of a truly global market in products, services, capital, and even certain types of labor is changing the basic terms of competition for an array of different firms and industries. Second, the rules and institutions governing the new international economic order are still in flux. National regulations are no longer adequate yet international accords over trade, intellectual property, labor standards, and a host of other issues are fiercely and frequently contested by competing interests. The final results of these debates will determine who wins and who loses in the new global economy. Understanding the interaction between environment and business around the world is the key to understanding both the possibilities for and constraints on either managing an existing or starting a new business in today's fast-changing economy.

15.082J / 6.855J Network Optimization, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.082J / 6.855J Network Optimization, Spring 2003 Orlin, James 15.082J/6.855J is an H-level graduate subject in the theory and practice of network flows and its extensions. Network flow problems form a subclass of linear programming problems with applications to transportation, logistics, manufacturing, computer science, project management, finance as well as a number of other domains. This subject will survey some of the applications of network flows and focus on key special cases of network flow problems including the following: the shortest path problem, the maximum flow problem, the minimum cost flow problem, and the multi-commodity flow problem.

15.792J / 2.890J / 3.80J / 10.792J / 16.985J Proseminar in Manufacturing, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.792J / 2.890J / 3.80J / 10.792J / 16.985J Proseminar in Manufacturing, Fall 2002 Rosenfield, Donald B., 1947- Provides an integrative forum for operations and manufacturing students and is the focus for projects in leadership, service, and improvement. Covers a set of integrative manufacturing topics or issues such as leadership and related topics, and includes presentations by guest speakers such as senior level managers of manufacturing companies. Subject is largely managed by students. Primarily for LFM Fellows and Operations and Manufacturing Track students.

15.269 Literature, Ethics, Authority, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.269 Literature, Ethics, Authority, Fall 2009 Hafrey, Leigh Literature, Ethics, and Authority uses story in the form of readings and movies to address the relationship between ethics and leadership. The course covers a range of topics, from issues of diversity and gender in the workplace to coping with the human realities of war and death. The course syllabus includes short stories, novels, plays, works of non-fiction, and films, and is representative of many different cultures and nationalities. This class is taught as a seminar to encourage discussion of these issues.

15.431 Entrepreneurial Finance, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.431 Entrepreneurial Finance, Spring 2002 Scharfstein, David; Schoar, Antoinette This class examines the elements of entrepreneurial finance, focusing on technology-based start-up ventures, and the early stages of company development. It addresses key questions which challenge all entrepreneurs: how much money can and should be raised; when should it be raised and from whom; what is a reasonable valuation of the company; and how funding should be structured. The subject aims to prepare students for these decisions, both as entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.

15.665B Power and Negotiation, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.665B Power and Negotiation, Fall 2002 Williams, Michele This course is designed to provide you with a competitive advantage in negotiation. You will learn and practice the technical skills and analytic frameworks that are necessary to negotiate successfully with peers from other top business schools, and you will learn methods for developing the powerful social capital you will need to rise in the executive ranks of any organization. In this course, you will learn to successfully face the challenge of negotiating materially rewarding deals while also building your social capital. You will work with training materials on leadership and relationship building that have been used with over 200 principals and partners in international professional service firms (40% were non-US nationals), and a social capital assessment tool used by these executives to receive feedback from senior partners and over 2000 clients. In addition, you will have the opportunity to participate in a lunchtime workshop on "Leadership and Emotional Intelligence" led by an executive coach, Charles Wolfe of Charles J Wolfe Associates. Overall, this course is designed to enhance your ability to negotiate within the context of an ongoing relationship. As a manager, consultant, or professional service provider you will negotiate with your counterparts, team members, clients, and subordinates on an ongoing basis. Further, in today's less hierarchical organizations, you will be forced to negotiate with others to get your work done. Every time a project falls behind, critical new information is uncovered, or the competitive landscape of your industry changes, you will need to renegotiate tasks, plans, goals, or fees with your key stakeholders. In sum, we will focus both on the analytic tools necessary to become a highly successful negotiator and on the relationship building skills necessary to negotiate deals that will enhance your social capital, your ability to lead others, and your book of loyal clients.

15.053 Introduction to Optimization, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.053 Introduction to Optimization, Spring 2004 Orlin, James B., 1953- Introduces students to the theory, algorithms, and applications of optimization. The optimization methodologies include linear programming, network optimization, dynamic programming, integer programming, non-linear programming, and heuristics. Applications to logistics, manufacturing, transportation, E-commerce, project management, and finance.

15.965 Ethical Practice: Professionalism, Social Responsibility, and the Purpose of the Corporation, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.965 Ethical Practice: Professionalism, Social Responsibility, and the Purpose of the Corporation, Spring 2007 Penn, Kara; Hafrey, Leigh This special seminar in management is designed as an introduction to ethics and business, with a focus on business management. Over 13 sessions, students will have the opportunity to explore theoretical concepts in business ethics, as well as cases that represent the challenges they will likely face as managers; they will also have the opportunity to work with guest faculty and business and other professional practitioners. Individual sessions will take the form of moderated discussion, with occasional short lectures from the instructor.

15.762J / 1.273J / ESD.267J Supply Chain Planning (SMA 6305), Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.762J / 1.273J / ESD.267J Supply Chain Planning (SMA 6305), Spring 2005 Simchi-Levi, David; Graves, Stephen 15.762J focuses on effective supply chain strategies for companies that operate globally with emphasis on how to plan and integrate supply chain components into a coordinated system. Students are exposed to concepts and models important in supply chain planning with emphasis on key tradeoffs and phenomena. The course introduces and utilizes key tactics such as risk pooling and inventory placement, integrated planning and collaboration, and information sharing. Lectures, computer exercises, and case discussions introduce various models and methods for supply chain analysis and optimization. The class is recommended for Operations Management concentrators and is a first half-term subject. This course was also taught as part of the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) programme as course number SMA 6305 (Manufacturing Systems II: System Design and Optimisation).

15.060 Data, Models, and Decisions, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.060 Data, Models, and Decisions, Fall 2007 Gamarnik, David; Freund, Robert; Schulz, Andreas This course is designed to introduce first-year MBA students to the fundamental quantitative techniques of using data to make informed management decisions. In particular, the course focuses on various ways of modeling, or thinking structurally about, decision problems in order to enhance decision-making skills. Topics include decision analysis, probability, random variables, statistical estimation, regression, simulation, linear optimization, as well as nonlinear and discrete optimization. Management cases are used extensively to illustrate the practical use of modeling tools to improve the management practice.

STS.330 History and Anthropology of Medicine and Biology, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

STS.330 History and Anthropology of Medicine and Biology, Fall 2006 Helmreich, Stefan, 1966-; Jones, David S. (David Shumway) This course explores recent historical and anthropological approaches to the study of medicine and biology. Topics include histories of bodies and embodiment in medicine; institutional and social genealogies and futures for genes and genomes; the role of science and medicine in racial formation; epidemics and emergent diseases; new reproductive technologies and socialities; the laboratory and field lives of animals, plants, microbes, molecules, and environments.

STS.036 Industrial Landscapes, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

STS.036 Industrial Landscapes, Fall 2004 Fitzgerald, Deborah Kay Subject considers how the visual and material world of "nature" has been reshaped by industrial practices, beliefs, structures, and activities. Readings in historical geography, aesthetics, American history, environmental and ecological history, architecture, city planning, and landscape studies. Several field trips planned to visit local industrial landscapes. Assignments involve weekly short, written responses to the readings, and discussion-leading. Final project is a photo-essay on the student's choice of industrial site (photographic experience not necessary). Description from course home page: What makes a landscape industrial? What makes an industrial site a landscape? This class considers how the development of technology in America intersected with the natural world, in some cases reshaping its contours and meanings, and in other cases getting redefined by nature's largesse or diminished capacity. The dynamic relationship between these two forces offers many examples of "historical camouflage" in which places and things are not entirely what they seem to be. At this point in history, what things that we see are not industrial in some way? How can we learn the history of places, both obviously industrial like factories, and not so obviously, like supermarkets? Is there a pattern in urban and rural places regarding where things are located, such as railroad lines, houses, refineries? How do industrial patterns differ from non-industrial patterns? The goal of this class is to develop a richer appreciation for the ways in which nature has pushed back, resisted, and collaborated with technologies in America.

STS.003 The Rise of Modern Science, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

STS.003 The Rise of Modern Science, Spring 2005 Jones, David S. (David Shumway) This course will study the development of modern science from the seventeenth century to the present, focusing on Europe and the United States. It will not focus on discoveries and their discoverers. Instead, it will examine: What is science? How has science been practiced, and by whom? How are discoveries made and accepted? What is the nature of scientific progress? What is the impact of science and society? What is the impact of society on science? Topics will be drawn from the histories of physics, chemistry, biology, geology, medicine, psychology, and computer science.

STS.436 Cold War Science, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

STS.436 Cold War Science, Spring 2004 Kaiser, David This course examines the history and legacy of the Cold War on science, looking predominantly at examples in the United States. It begins by exploring scientists’ new political roles after World War II, ranging from elite policy-makers in the nuclear age to victims of domestic anti-Communism. The course next examines the changing institutions in which the physical, biological, and social sciences were conducted during the postwar decades, investigating the links between institutions and epistemology. The course closes by considering the place of science in the post-Cold-War era.

17.007J / 17.006 / 24.237 / SP.601J / WGS.601J Feminist Political Thought, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.007J / 17.006 / 24.237 / SP.601J / WGS.601J Feminist Political Thought, Spring 2006 Surkan, Kim This course is designed as a focused survey of feminist political thought and theory, exploring the various and often competing ways feminists have framed discussions about sex, gender, and oppression. Beginning with a consideration of key terms (sex, gender, oppression) and the meaning of social construction, we will move on to study three central feminist approaches to political thought (humanist, gynocentric, and dominance). The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions and debates in feminist theory, both historical and contemporary. This semester you will become acquainted with many of the critical questions and concepts feminist scholars have developed as tools for thinking about gendered experience. In addition to the presentation of theoretical ideas, we will consider examples of practical political application of those concepts. The concluding weeks of the course address the many tensions between generalized theoretical approaches and localized political efforts, particularly as they relate to identity politics and issues of diversity within feminist groups and movements. Finally, we will consider the connections, commonalities, and differences between feminist political thought and other theoretical approaches to political movements, such as queer theory, postcolonial theory, and global and human rights organizing.

STS.042J / 8.225J Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman: Physics in the 20th Century, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

STS.042J / 8.225J Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman: Physics in the 20th Century, Spring 2006 Kaiser, David This class explores the changing roles of physics and physicists during the 20th century. Topics range from relativity theory and quantum mechanics to high-energy physics and cosmology. The course also examines the development of modern physics within shifting institutional, cultural, and political contexts, such as physics in Imperial Britain, Nazi Germany, U.S. efforts during World War II, and physicists' roles during the Cold War.

17.118J / SP.412J / WGS.412J Feminist Political Thought, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.118J / SP.412J / WGS.412J Feminist Political Thought, Fall 2000 Wood, Elizabeth A. This course focuses on a range of theories of gender in modern life. In recent years feminist scholars in a range of disciplines have challenged previously accepted notions of political theory such as the distinctions between public and private, the definitions of politics itself, the nature of citizenship, and the roles of women in civil society. In this course we will examine different aspects of women's lives through the life cycle as seen from the vantage point of political theory. In addition we will consider different ways of looking at power and political culture in modern societies, issues of race and class, poverty and welfare, sexuality and morality.

15.628 Patents, Copyrights, and the Law of Intellectual Property, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.628 Patents, Copyrights, and the Law of Intellectual Property, Spring 2003 This weekly seminar examines key concepts of U.S. intellectual property law, with emphasis on patents and copyrights and a briefer look at trade secrets and trademarks. Current issues relating to information technologies and business methods will be highlighted. The seminar has no prerequisites, and is designed for both graduate students and undergraduates. Half of the seats in the seminar are reserved for students from MIT departments other than Sloan.

17.01J / 24.04J Justice, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.01J / 24.04J Justice, Spring 2006 Cohen, Joshua This course explores three fundamental questions about the ideal of a just society and the place of values of liberty and equality in such a society. Answers to the questions provided by three contemporary theories of justice: Utilitarianism, Libertarianism, and Egalitarian Liberalism will be examined. To assess the strengths and weaknesses of these theories, a discussion of their implications for some topics of ongoing moral-political controversy will also be covered.

STS.003 The Rise of Modern Science, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

STS.003 The Rise of Modern Science, Spring 2008 Gerovitch, Slava This course studies the development of modern science from the seventeenth century to the present, focusing on Europe and the United States. Key questions include: What is science, and how is it done? How are discoveries made and accepted? What is the nature of scientific progress? What is the impact of science on society? What is the impact of society on science? Topics will be drawn from the histories of physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, and medicine.AcknowledgementThis class is based on the one originally designed and taught by Prof. David Jones. His Spring 2005 version can be viewed by following the link under Archived Courses on the right side of this page.

STS.011 American Science: Ethical Conflicts and Political Choices, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

STS.011 American Science: Ethical Conflicts and Political Choices, Fall 2004 Gusterson, Hugh Explores the changing roles, ethical conflicts, and public perceptions of science and scientists in American society from World War II to the present. Studies specific historical episodes focusing on debates between scientists and the contextual factors influencing their opinions and decisions. Topics include the atomic bomb project, environmental controversies, the Challenger disaster, biomedical research, genetic engineering, (mis)use of human subjects, scientific misconduct and whistleblowing.

STS.062J / 21A.344J Drugs, Politics, and Culture, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

STS.062J / 21A.344J Drugs, Politics, and Culture, Spring 2003 Dumit, Joseph Examines the relationship between drugs, politics, and society in cross-cultural perspective; use of mind-altering and habit-forming substances by "traditional societies"; the development of a global trade in sugar, opium, and cocaine with the rise of capitalism; and the use and abuse of alcohol, LSD, and Prozac in the US. Finishes by looking at the war on drugs, shifting attitudes to tobacco, and by evaluating America's drug laws.

15.369 Corporate Entrepreneurship: Strategies for Technology-Based New Business Development, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.369 Corporate Entrepreneurship: Strategies for Technology-Based New Business Development, Fall 2007 Livada, Val This course is about "corporate entrepreneurship", my label for the alternative approaches that existing firms use to generate new technology-based products and businesses. It emphasizes various kinds of internal ventures and multiple "external" collaborative approaches that include corporate venture capital investments, licensing and different types of alliances and formal joint ventures. Basis for the new knowledge presented in this course is a combination of academic research and my personal experience supplemented by that of the several guest lecturers.

17.57J / 21H.467J Soviet Politics and Society, 1917-1991, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.57J / 21H.467J Soviet Politics and Society, 1917-1991, Spring 2003 Woodruff, David; Wood, Elizabeth A. At its greatest extent the former Soviet Union encompassed a geographical area that covered one-sixth of the Earth's landmass. It spanned 11 time zones and contained over 100 distinct nationalities, 22 of which numbered over one million in population. In the 74 years from the October Revolution in 1917 to the fall of Communism in 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, its leaders and its people, had to face a number of difficult challenges: the overthrow of the Tsarist autocracy, the establishment of a new state, four years of civil war, a famine, transition to a mixed economy, political strife after Lenin's death, industrialization, collectivization, a second famine, political Show Trials, World War II, post-war reconstruction and repression, the "Thaw" after Stalin's death, Khrushchev's experimentation, and Brezhnev's decline. Each of these challenges engendered new solutions and modifications in what can be loosely called the evolving "Soviet system."

STS.330J / 21A.830J History and Anthropology of Medicine and Biology, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

STS.330J / 21A.830J History and Anthropology of Medicine and Biology, Spring 2009 Jones, David; Helmreich, Stefan This course explores recent historical and anthropological approaches to the study of life, in both medicine and biology. After grounding our conversation in accounts of natural history and medicine that predate the rise of biology as a discipline, we explore modes of theorizing historical and contemporary bioscience. Drawing on the work of historian William Coleman, we examine the forms, functions, and transformations of biological and medical objects of study. Along the way we treat the history of heredity, molecular biology, race, medicine in the colonies and the metropole, and bioeconomic exchange. We read anthropological literature on old and new forms of biopower, at scales from the molecular to the organismic to the global. The course includes readings from the HASTS Common Exam List. The aim of this seminar is to train students to be participants in scholarly debates in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences about the nature of life, the body, and biomedicine.

15.075 Applied Statistics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.075 Applied Statistics, Spring 2003 Newton, Elizabeth This course is an introduction to applied statistics and data analysis. Topics include collecting and exploring data, basic inference, simple and multiple linear regression, analysis of variance, nonparametric methods, and statistical computing. It is not a course in mathematical statistics, but provides a balance between statistical theory and application. Prerequisites are calculus, probability, and linear algebra. We would like to acknowledge the contributions that Prof. Roy Welsch (MIT), Prof. Gordon Kaufman (MIT), Prof. Jacqueline Telford (Johns Hopkins University), and Prof. Ramón León (University of Tennessee) have made to the course material.

15.902 Strategic Management I, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.902 Strategic Management I, Fall 2005 Hax, Arnoldo C. Subject focuses on some of the important current issues in strategic management. It concentrates on modern analytical approaches and on enduring successful strategic practices. It is consciously designed with a technological and global outlook since this orientation in many ways highlights the significant emerging trends in strategic management. Subject is intended to provide the students with a pragmatic approach that guides the formulation and implementation of corporate, business, and functional strategies. Restricted to Sloan Fellows.

15.568A Management Information Systems, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.568A Management Information Systems, Spring 2003 Gibson, Cyrus F. The course purpose is to provide the substance and skill necessary to make sound business decisions relating to information systems, and to work with senior line managers in the resolution of issues and problems in this area. Categories of issues which will be addressed in the course include: How do IT and its various manifestations in business, such as the Internet, affect current & future COMPETITIVENESS? How do we align business strategy and plans with IT strategy and IT plans? How can we ENGAGE executives in learning and leading IT-related change? How do we IMPLEMENT new systems, CHANGE work behavior, MANAGE projects? How should we ORGANIZE and GOVERN IT in an organization?

15.269 Literature, Ethics and Authority, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.269 Literature, Ethics and Authority, Fall 2005 Hafrey, Leigh This course explores how we use story to articulate ethical norms. The syllabus consists of short fiction, novels, plays, feature films and some non-fiction. Major topics include leadership and authority, professionalism, the universality of ethical standards, and social enterprise, as well as questions of gender, cultural identity, the balance of family and work life, and the relation of science to ethics. Readings include work by Robert Bolt, Jane Smiley, Virginia Woolf, Ursula LeGuin, Wole Soyinka, and others; films include "Three Kings," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Hotel Rwanda," and others. The course draws on various professions and national cultures, and is run as a series of moderated discussions, with students centrally engaged in the teaching process.

11.967 Special Studies in Urban Studies: Economic Development Planning Skills, January (IAP) 2003

2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

11.967 Special Studies in Urban Studies: Economic Development Planning Skills, January (IAP) 2003 Seidman, Karl F. Small group study of advanced subjects under staff supervision. For graduate students wishing to pursue further study in advanced areas of urban studies and city and regional planning not covered in regular subjects of instruction. From the course home page: Course Description Economic Development Planning Skills introduces analytical tools that are used to assess local economic development conditions, issues, and opportunities as part of formulating economic development plans. The course is designed to provide MCP students with skills needed for applied economic development planning work in other courses, particularly Economic Development Planning (11.438) and Revitalizing Urban Main Streets (11.439). Consequently, it omits many aspects of economic development planning and does not provide a complete overview or introduction to economic development practice.

11.123 Big Plans, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.123 Big Plans, Spring 2003 de Monchaux, John This course explores social, technological, political, economic, and cultural implications of "Big Plans" in the urban context. Local and international case studies (such as Boston's Central Artery and Curitiba, Brazil's bus transit system) are used to understand the process of making major changes to the city fabric. The efficacy of top-down and bottom-up planning and the applicability of planning strategies across cultural boundaries are considered.

11.422 Business Improvement Districts, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.422 Business Improvement Districts, Spring 2003 Hoyt, Lorlene M. Focuses on the role of the business improvement district (BID) as a popular and contemporary tool for urban revitalization. Explores BID origins, theoretical underpinnings, enabling legislation, and organizational issues. Emphasizes BID service provision including advocacy, marketing, sanitation, streetscape improvement, security and transportation, while examining BID performance using such indicators as crime rates, vacancy rates, and retail sales. Considers BID organizations throughout North America as well as comparable schemes in Australia, Holland, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

SP.691 / WGS.691 Studies in Women's Life Narratives: Feminist Inquiry, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.691 / WGS.691 Studies in Women's Life Narratives: Feminist Inquiry, Spring 2009 Maher, Frinde; Bergland, Renee Feminist Inquiry starts with questions: What is feminism? What is feminist scholarship? Is feminist scholarship inherently interdisciplinary? Must feminist work interrogate disciplinarity? Must feminists collaborate? Our aim is to promote the development of feminist theory and methods by providing a forum for sharing, assessing, discussing and debating strategies used by feminist scholars to study topics such as gender and the body; sexualities; color and whiteness; migration, colonialism, and indigeneity.

15.783J / 2.739J / ESD.32J Product Design and Development, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.783J / 2.739J / ESD.32J Product Design and Development, Spring 2002 Eppinger, Steven D.; Whitney, Daniel E.; Kressy, Matt; Roemer, Thomas; Whitcomb, Clifford A.; Yassine, Ali Covers modern tools and methods for product design and development. The cornerstone is a project in which teams of management, engineering, and industrial design students conceive, design, and prototype a physical product. Class sessions employ cases and hands-on exercises to reinforce the key ideas. Topics include: product planning, identifying customer needs, concept generation, product architecture, industrial design, concept design, and design-for-manufacturing.

15.083J / 6.859 Integer Programming and Combinatorial Optimization, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.083J / 6.859 Integer Programming and Combinatorial Optimization, Fall 2004 Bertsimas, Dimitris The course is a comprehensive introduction to the theory, algorithms and applications of integer optimization and is organized in four parts: formulations and relaxations, algebra and geometry of integer optimization, algorithms for integer optimization, and extensions of integer optimization.

SP.401 / WGS.401 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.401 / WGS.401 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Spring 2009 Surkan, Kim This course is designed as an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Women's and Gender Studies, an academic area of study focused on the ways that sex and gender manifest themselves in social, cultural, and political contexts. The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions and debates in Women's Studies scholarship, both historical and contemporary. This semester you will become acquainted with many of the critical questions and concepts feminist scholars have developed as tools for thinking about gendered experience. In addition, we will study the interconnections among systems of oppression (such as sexism, racism, classism, ethnocentrism, homophobia/heterosexism, transphobia, ableism and others.) In this course you will learn to "read" and analyze gender, exploring how it impacts our understanding of the world.

15.902 Strategic Management I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.902 Strategic Management I, Fall 2002 Hax, Arnoldo C. Subject focuses on some of the important current issues in strategic management. It concentrates on modern analytical approaches and on enduring successful strategic practices. It is consciously designed with a technological and global outlook since this orientation in many ways highlights the significant emerging trends in strategic management. Subject is intended to provide the students with a pragmatic approach that guides the formulation and implementation of corporate, business, and functional strategies. Restricted to Sloan Fellows.

SP.401 / WGS.401 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

SP.401 / WGS.401 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Fall 2007 Walsh, Andrea This course offers an introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary academic field that asks critical questions about the meaning of gender in society. The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions and debates in Women's and Gender Studies scholarship, both historical and contemporary. Gender scholarship critically analyzes themes of gendered performance and power in a range of social spheres, such as law, culture, work, medicine and the family.

SP.778 Toy Product Design, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.778 Toy Product Design, Spring 2007 Kudrowitz, Barry M. (Barry Matthew); Wallace, David Toy Product Design is a MIT Public Service Center learning design course offered in the Spring semester. This course is an introduction to the product design process with a focus on designing for play and entertainment. At the end of the course, students present their toy products at the Playsentations to toy designers, engineers, elementary school children and the MIT community. In this course, students work in small teams of 5-6 members to design and prototype new toys. Students work closely with a local sponsor and experienced mentors on a themed toy design project. Students will be introduced to the product development process, including: determining customer needs; brainstorming; estimation; sketching; sketch modeling; concept development; design aesthetics; detailed design; prototyping; and written, visual, and oral communication.

SP.406 / WMN.406 Sexual and Gender Identities, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

SP.406 / WMN.406 Sexual and Gender Identities, Fall 2005 Surkan, Kim This course introduces scholarly debates about sexual identities, gender identities and expressions, and sexual orientation and its representation in various media. We begin with an investigation of the theoretical underpinnings of the emerging field of queer studies, from the nineteenth century to the present day. Tracing theories of and about gender, sexuality and sexual identity over time, we will examine the genealogy of "queer" as a term that has emerged to trouble and challenge static and essentialized notions of identity. The social, cultural, and political effect of "queer" has been to pose critical challenges to gay/lesbian/straight identities predicated on a sexual binary. Queer studies shifts the focus of inquiry from sexual identities to sexual practices, many of which contradict traditional assumptions about the relationships between sex, gender, and sexuality. The course moves from a philosophical consideration of key theoretical texts (Foucault, Freud, Sedgwick, Rubin, Butler, etc.) to an exploration of the impact of those theories on historical and contemporary sexual and gender identities and communities.

SP.406 / WGS.406 Sexual and Gender Identities, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

SP.406 / WGS.406 Sexual and Gender Identities, Fall 2005 Surkan, Kim This course introduces scholarly debates about sexual identities, gender identities and expressions, and sexual orientation and its representation in various media. We begin with an investigation of the theoretical underpinnings of the emerging field of queer studies, from the nineteenth century to the present day. Tracing theories of and about gender, sexuality and sexual identity over time, we will examine the genealogy of "queer" as a term that has emerged to trouble and challenge static and essentialized notions of identity. The social, cultural, and political effect of "queer" has been to pose critical challenges to gay/lesbian/straight identities predicated on a sexual binary. Queer studies shifts the focus of inquiry from sexual identities to sexual practices, many of which contradict traditional assumptions about the relationships between sex, gender, and sexuality. The course moves from a philosophical consideration of key theoretical texts (Foucault, Freud, Sedgwick, Rubin, Butler, etc.) to an exploration of the impact of those theories on historical and contemporary sexual and gender identities and communities.

15.997 Advanced Corporate Risk Management, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.997 Advanced Corporate Risk Management, Spring 2007 Parsons, John E.; Obizhaeva, Anna Opportunity for group study by graduate students on current topics related to management not otherwise included in curriculum. From the course home page: Course Description This is a course on how corporations make use of the insights and tools of risk management. Most courses on derivatives, futures and options, and financial engineering are taught from the viewpoint of investment bankers and traders in the securities. This course is taught from the point of view of the manufacturing corporation, the utility, the software firm — any potential end-user of derivatives, but not the dealer. Among the topics we will discuss are how companies manage risk, instruments for hedging, liability management and organization, governance and control.

17.245 The Supreme Court, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.245 The Supreme Court, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights, Spring 2006 Ghachem, Malick W. (Malick Walid) Subject considers constitutional rights, processes, civil rights and liberties, and criminal procedure. Focus on Supreme Court case law. Description from course home page: This course introduces students to the work of the Supreme Court and to the main outlines of American constitutional law, with an emphasis on the development of American ideas about civil rights. The goal of the course is to provide students with a framework for understanding the major constitutional controversies of the present day through a reading of landmark Supreme Court cases and the public debates they have generated. The principal topics are civil liberties in wartime, race relations, privacy rights, and the law of criminal procedure.

17.869 Political Science Scope and Methods, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.869 Political Science Scope and Methods, Fall 2003 Berinsky, Adam This course is designed to provide an introduction to a variety of empirical research methods used by political scientists. The primary aims of the course are to make you a more sophisticated consumer of diverse empirical research and to allow you to conduct sophisticated independent work in your junior and senior years. This is not a course in data analysis. Rather, it is a course on how to approach political science research.

8.05 Quantum Physics II, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.05 Quantum Physics II, Fall 2002 Rajagopal, Krishna, 1965- Together 8.05 and 8.06 cover quantum physics with applications drawn from modern physics. General formalism of quantum mechanics: states, operators, Dirac notation, representations, measurement theory. Harmonic oscillator: operator algebra, states. Quantum mechanics in three-dimensions: central potentials and the radial equation, bound and scattering states, qualitative analysis of wavefunctions. Angular momentum: operators, commutator algebra, eigenvalues and eigenstates, spherical harmonics. Spin: Stern-Gerlach devices and measurements, nuclear magnetic resonance, spin and statistics. Addition of angular momentum: Clebsch-Gordan series and coefficients, spin systems, and allotropic forms of hydrogen.

17.460 Defense Politics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.460 Defense Politics, Fall 2002 Sapolsky, Harvey M. This course focuses on the institutional relationships that affect the raising, maintenance and use of military forces in the United States. It is about civil/military, government/industry, military/science and military service/military service relations. The course examines how politicians, defense contractors, and military officers determine the military might of the United States. It analyses the military strategies of the nation and the bureaucratic strategies of the armed services, contractors, and defense scientists. It offers a combination of military sociology, organizational politics, and the political economy of defense.

17.423 Causes and Prevention of War, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.423 Causes and Prevention of War, Spring 2001 Van Evera, Stephen Examines the causes of war, with a focus on practical measures to prevent and control war. Topics covered include: causes and consequences of national misperception; military strategy and policy as cause of war; US foreign policy as a cause of war and peace; and the likelihood and possible nature of another world war. Historical cases are examined, including World War I, World War II, Korea, and Indochina. From the course home page: Course Description Course topic: the causes and prevention of interstate war. Course goal: discovering and assessing means to prevent or control war. Hence we focus on manipulable or controllable war-causes. Covered topics include the dilemmas, misperceptions, crimes and blunders that caused wars of the past; the origins of these and other war-causes; the possible causes of wars of the future; and possible means to prevent such wars, including short-term policy steps and more utopian schemes. Covered historical cases include World War I, World War II, Korea, Indochina, and the Peloponnesian, Crimean and Seven Years wars.

17.40 American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.40 American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future, Fall 2002 Van Evera, Stephen Course mission: to explain and evaluate past and present United States foreign policies. What caused the United States' past involvement in foreign wars and interventions? Were the results of U.S. policies good or bad? Would other policies have better served the U.S. and/or the wider world? Were the beliefs that guided U.S. policy true or false? If false, what explains these misperceptions? General theories that bear on the causes and consequences of American policy will be applied to explain and evaluate past and present policies. The history of United States foreign policy in the 20th century is covered in detail. Functional topics are also covered: U.S. military policy, U.S. foreign economic policy, and U.S. policy on human rights and democracy overseas. Finally, we will predict and prescribe for the future. What policies should the U.S. adopt toward current problems and crises? These problems include the war against Al Qaeda and the wider war on terror; Iraq and Saddam Hussein; the Taiwan Straits; the Central African conflicts; and more. What should be the U.S. stance on global environmental and human rights questions?

8.592J / HST.452J Statistical Physics in Biology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.592J / HST.452J Statistical Physics in Biology, Spring 2005 Mirny, Leonid; Kardar, Mehran Statistical Physics in Biology is a survey of problems at the interface of statistical physics and modern biology. Topics include: bioinformatic methods for extracting information content of DNA; gene finding, sequence comparison, and phylogenetic trees; physical interactions responsible for structure of biopolymers; DNA double helix, secondary structure of RNA, and elements of protein folding; considerations of force, motion, and packaging; protein motors, membranes. We also look at collective behavior of biological elements, cellular networks, neural networks, and evolution.

8.251 String Theory for Undergraduates, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.251 String Theory for Undergraduates, Spring 2005 Zwiebach, Barton Introduction to the main concepts of string theory to undergraduates. Since string theory is quantum mechanics of a relativistic string, the foundations of the subject can be explained to students exposed to both special relativity (8.033) and basic quantum mechanics (8.05). Subject develops the aspects of string theory and makes it accessible to students familiar with basic electromagnetism (8.02) and statistical mechanics (8.044). This includes the study of D-branes and string thermodynamics. From the course home page: Course Description This course introduces string theory to undergraduate and is based upon Prof. Zwiebach's textbook entitled A First Course in String Theory. Since string theory is quantum mechanics of a relativistic string, the foundations of the subject can be explained to students exposed to both special relativity and basic quantum mechanics. This course develops the aspects of string theory and makes it accessible to students familiar with basic electromagnetism and statistical mechanics.

8.282J / 12.402J Introduction to Astronomy, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.282J / 12.402J Introduction to Astronomy, Spring 2003 Rappaport, S. A., 1942-; Elliot, James, 1943- Quantitative introduction to physics of the solar system, stars, interstellar medium, the Galaxy, and Universe, as determined from a variety of astronomical observations and models. Topics: planets, planet formation; stars, the Sun, "normal" stars, star formation; stellar evolution, supernovae, compact objects (white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes), plusars, binary X-ray sources; star clusters, globular and open clusters; interstellar medium, gas, dust, magnetic fields, cosmic rays; distance ladder; galaxies, normal and active galaxies, jets; gravitational lensing; large scaling structure; Newtonian cosmology, dynamical expansion and thermal history of the Universe; cosmic microwave background radiation; big-bang nucleosynthesis. No prior knowledge of astronomy necessary. Not usable as a restricted elective by physics majors. Description from course home page: Introduction to Astronomy provides a quantitative introduction to physics of the solar system, stars, interstellar medium, the galaxy, and universe, as determined from a variety of astronomical observations and models. Topics include: planets, planet formation; stars, the Sun, "normal" stars, star formation; stellar evolution, supernovae, compact objects (white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes), plusars, binary X-ray sources; star clusters, globular and open clusters; interstellar medium, gas, dust, magnetic fields, cosmic rays; distance ladder; galaxies, normal and active galaxies, jets; gravitational lensing; large scaling structure; Newtonian cosmology, dynamical expansion and thermal history of the Universe; cosmic microwave background radiation; big-bang nucleosynthesis. No prior knowledge of astronomy necessary.

8.512 Theory of Solids II, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.512 Theory of Solids II, Spring 2004 Lee, P. A. (Patrick A.), 1946- Second term of a theoretical treatment of the physics of solids. Interacting electron gas: many-body formulation, Feynman diagrams, random phase approximation and beyond. General theory of linear response: dielectric function; sum rules; plasmons; optical properties; applications to semiconductors, metals, and insulators. Transport properties: non-interacting electron gas with impurities, diffusons. Quantum Hall effect: integral and fractional. Electron-phonon interaction: general theory, applications to metals, semiconductors and insulators, polarons, and field-theory description. Superconductivity: experimental observations, phenomenological theories, and B.C.S. theory. From the course home page: Course Description This is the second term of a theoretical treatment of the physics of solids. Topics covered include linear response theory; the physics of disorder; superconductivity; the local moment and itinerant magnetism; the Kondo problem and Fermi liquid theory.

17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics, Spring 2006 Lawson, Chappell H., 1967- This class first offers some basic analytical frameworks -- culture, social structure, and institutions -- that you can use examine a wide range of political outcomes. We then use these frameworks to understand (1) the relationship between democracy and economic development and (2) the relative centralization of political authority across countries. We will use theoretical arguments and a wide range of case studies to address several questions: Why are some countries democratic and others not? How does democracy affect economic development and political conflict? Why do some countries centralize power while others threaten to fall apart through secession and civil war? We will use examples from a wide range of countries including Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Mexico, and the United States. The lessons drawn from these countries will prepare you to analyze other countries of your own choosing in the paper assignments. At the end of the course, you should be able to analyze political events around the world, drawing on the theoretical explanations provided in the class.

8.286 The Early Universe, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.286 The Early Universe, Spring 2004 Guth, Alan The Early Universe provides an introduction to modern cosmology. The first half deals with the development of the big-bang theory from 1915 to 1980, and latter half with recent impact of particle theory.

8.324 Quantum Field Theory II, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.324 Quantum Field Theory II, Fall 2002 Hanany, Amihay Second semester of a three-semester subject sequence on quantum field theory stressing the relativistic quantum field theories relevant to the physics of the Standard Model. Develops in depth some of the topics discussed in 8.323 and introduces some advanced material. Topics: Quantization of nonabelian gauge theories. BRST symmetry. Perturbation theory anomalies. Renormalization and symmetry breaking. The renormalization group. Critical exponents and scalar field theory. Conformal field theory.

8.044 Statistical Physics I, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.044 Statistical Physics I, Spring 2004 Greytak, Thomas John, 1940- Introduction to probability, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics. Random variables, joint and conditional probability densities, and functions of a random variable. Concepts of macroscopic variables and thermodynamic equilibrium, fundamental assumption of statistical mechanics, microcanonical and canonical ensembles. First, second, and third laws of thermodynamics. Numerous examples illustrating a wide variety of physical phenomena such as magnetism, polyatomic gases, thermal radiation, electrons in solids, and noise in electronic devices. Concurrent enrollment in 8.04 [Quantum Physics I] is recommended.

8.334 Statistical Mechanics II: Statistical Physics of Fields, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.334 Statistical Mechanics II: Statistical Physics of Fields, Spring 2008 Kardar, Mehran This is the second term in a two-semester course on statistical mechanics. Basic principles are examined in 8.334, such as the laws of thermodynamics and the concepts of temperature, work, heat, and entropy. Topics from modern statistical mechanics are also explored including the hydrodynamic limit and classical field theories.

8.962 General Relativity, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.962 General Relativity, Spring 2002 Bertschinger, Edmund W. This course covers the basic principles of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Also discussed are differential geometry, experimental tests of general relativity, black holes, and cosmology.

8.04 Quantum Physics I, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.04 Quantum Physics I, Spring 2006 Vuletic, Vladan This course covers the experimental basis of quantum physics, introduces wave mechanics, Schrödinger's equation in a single dimension, and Schrödinger's equation in three dimensions.

8.592 Statistical Physics in Biology, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.592 Statistical Physics in Biology, Spring 2003 Kardar, Mehran; Mirny, Leonid A. A survey of problems at the interface of statistical physics and modern biology: Bioinformatic methods for extracting information content of DNA; gene finding, sequence comparison, phylogenetic trees. Physical interactions responsible for structure of biopolymers; DNA double helix, secondary structure of RNA, elements of protein folding. Considerations of force, motion, and packaging; protein motors, membranes. Collective behavior of biological elements; cellular networks, neural networks, and evolution.

8.044 Statistical Physics I, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.044 Statistical Physics I, Spring 2003 Greytak, Thomas John, 1940- Introduction to probability, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics. Random variables, joint and conditional probability densities, and functions of a random variable. Concepts of macroscopic variables and thermodynamic equilibrium, fundamental assumption of statistical mechanics, microcanonical and canonical ensembles. First, second, and third laws of thermodynamics. Numerous examples illustrating a wide variety of physical phenomena such as magnetism, polyatomic gases, thermal radiation, electrons in solids, and noise in electronic devices. Concurrent enrollment in 8.04 [Quantum Physics I] is recommended.

8.21 The Physics of Energy, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.21 The Physics of Energy, Fall 2008 Jaffe, Robert L.; Taylor, Washington This course is designed to give you the scientific understanding you need to answer questions like - How much energy can we really get from wind? - How does a solar photovoltaic work? - What is an OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Converter) and how does it work? - What is the physics behind global warming? - What makes engines efficient? - How does a nuclear reactor work, and what are the realistic hazards? The course is designed for MIT sophomores, juniors, and seniors who want to understand the fundamental laws and physical processes that govern the sources, extraction, transmission, storage, degradation, and end uses of energy. Special note about this course: The Physics of Energy is a new subject at MIT, offered for the first time in the Fall of 2008. The materials for the course, as such, are not yet ready for wider distribution. However, given the relevance of this topic worldwide, OCW is presenting a basic version of the course now to provide insight into how this subject is being developed at MIT. We expect to add more content after it is taught again in the Fall of 2009.

8.20 Introduction to Special Relativity, January (IAP) 2003

2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

8.20 Introduction to Special Relativity, January (IAP) 2003 Jaffe, Robert L. Introduces the basic ideas and equations of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity. Topics include: Lorentz transformations, length contraction and time dilation, four vectors, Lorentz invariants, relativistic energy and momentum, relativistic kinematics, Doppler shift, space-time diagrams, relativity paradoxes, and some concepts of General Relativity.

21M.220 Early Music, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21M.220 Early Music, Spring 2007 Cuthbert, Michael Scott This class covers the history of Western music from antiquity until approximately 1680, about 2000 years worth of music. Rather than cover each topic at the same level of depth, we will focus on four topics in particular and glue them together with a broad overview of other topics. The four topics chosen for this term are (1) chant structure, performance, and development; (2) 14th century music of Italy and France; (3) Elizabethan London; and (4) Venice in the Baroque era. The class will also introduce many of the tools we use in studying music history such as manuscript study, original notation work (the musical equivalent of foreign language study), and historical performance practice.

2.14 / 2.140 Analysis and Design of Feedback Control Systems, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.14 / 2.140 Analysis and Design of Feedback Control Systems, Spring 2007 Trumper, David This course develops the fundamentals of feedback control using linear transfer function system models. It covers analysis in time and frequency domains; design in the s-plane (root locus) and in the frequency domain (loop shaping); describing functions for stability of certain non-linear systems; extension to state variable systems and multivariable control with observers; discrete and digital hybrid systems and the use of z-plane design. Assignments include extended design case studies and capstone group projects. Graduate students are expected to complete additional assignments.

2.72 Elements of Mechanical Design, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.72 Elements of Mechanical Design, Fall 2002 Blanco, Ernesto E.; Paul, Igor Examination and practice in the application of many mechanical design elements, including control components. Students working in groups design, fabricate, and test prototype devices in response to requests from industrial sponsors. Topics: typical machine elements, power transmission elements, motors and prime movers, control elements, material selection, and assembly techniques. 2.72 is designed to be taken before 2.009. It is recommended that students not take 2.72 at the same time as 2.009. From the Course home page: Course Description In 2.72, students will learn the theory and experience the practice of machine design in the context of real world machine design hardware projects. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship of machine elements to the design process; including their availability, their uses, and the methods for determining their potential performance. Each group will complete and document a design layout for a prototype device.

13.472J Computational Geometry, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

13.472J Computational Geometry, Spring 2003 Patrikalakis, N. M. (Nicholas M.); Maekawa, Takashi, 1953- Topics in surface modeling: b-splines, non-uniform rational b-splines, physically based deformable surfaces, sweeps and generalized cylinders, offsets, blending and filleting surfaces. Non-linear solvers and intersection problems. Solid modeling: constructive solid geometry, boundary representation, non-manifold and mixed-dimension boundary representation models, octrees. Robustness of geometric computations. Interval methods. Finite and boundary element discretization methods for continuum mechanics problems. Scientific visualization. Variational geometry. Tolerances. Inspection methods. Feature representation and recognition. Shape interrogation for design, analysis, and manufacturing. Involves analytical and programming assignments.

8.08 Statistical Physics II, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.08 Statistical Physics II, Spring 2003 Wen, Xiao-Gang Probability distributions for classical and quantum systems. Microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical partition-functions and associated thermodynamic potentials. Conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium for homogenous and heterogenous systems. Applications: non-interacting Bose and Fermi gases; mean field theories for real gases, binary mixtures, magnetic systems, polymer solutions; phase and reaction equilibria, critical phenomena. Fluctuations, correlation functions and susceptibilities, and Kubo formulae. Evolution of distribution functions: Boltzmann and Smoluchowski equations.

8.334 Statistical Mechanics II, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.334 Statistical Mechanics II, Spring 2003 Levitov, Leonid A two-semester course on statistical mechanics. Basic principles are examined in 8.333: the laws of thermodynamics and the concepts of temperature, work, heat, and entropy. Postulates of classical statistical mechanics, microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical distributions; applications to lattice vibrations, ideal gas, photon gas. Quantum statistical mechanics; Fermi and Bose systems. Interacting systems: cluster expansions, van der Waal's gas, and mean-field theory. Topics from modern statistical mechanics are explored in 8.334: the hydrodynamic limit and classical field theories. Phase transitions and broken symmetries: universality, correlation functions, and scaling theory. The renormalization approach to collective phenomena. Dynamic critical behavior. Random systems.

8.02 Electricity and Magnetism: TEAL:Studio Physics Project, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.02 Electricity and Magnetism: TEAL:Studio Physics Project, Fall 2002 Belcher, John W.; Dourmashkin, Peter Introduction to electromagnetism and electrostatics: electric charge, Coulomb's law, electric structure of matter; conductors and dielectrics. Concepts of electrostatic field and potential, electrostatic energy. Electric currents, magnetic fields and Ampere's law. Magnetic materials. Time-varying fields and Faraday's law of induction. Basic electric circuits. Electromagnetic waves and Maxwell's equations. Subject taught using the TEAL (Technology Enabled Active Learning) format which utilizes small group interaction and current technology. The TEAL/Studio Project at MIT is a new approach to physics education designed to help students develop much better intuition about, and conceptual models of, physical phenomena.

13.811 Advanced Structural Dynamics and Acoustics, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

13.811 Advanced Structural Dynamics and Acoustics, Spring 2004 Schmidt, Henrik; Wierzbicki, Tomasz; Battle, David J. Foundations of 3D elasticity. Fluid and elastic wave equations. Elastic and plastic waves in rods and beams. Waves in plates. Interaction with an acoustic fluid. Dynamics and acoustics of cylindrical shells. Radiation and scattering by submerged plates and shells. Interaction between structural elements. Response of plates and shells to high-intensity loads. Dynamic plasticity and fracture. Damage of structure subjected to implosive and impact loads.

8.09 Classical Mechanics II, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.09 Classical Mechanics II, Fall 2004 Wyslouch, Boleslaw Formal introduction to classical mechanics, Euler-Lagrange equations, Hamilton's equations of motion used to describe central force motion, scattering, perturbation theory and Noether's theorem. Extension to continuous and relativistic systems and classical electrodynamics.

13.024 Numerical Marine Hydrodynamics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

13.024 Numerical Marine Hydrodynamics, Spring 2003 Milgram, Jerome H. Introduction to numerical methods: interpolation, differentiation, integration, systems of linear equations. Solution of differential equations by numerical integration, partial differential equations of inviscid hydrodynamics: finite difference methods, panel methods. Fast Fourier Transforms. Numerical representation of sea waves. Computation of the motions of ships in waves. Integral boundary layer equations and numerical solutions.

8.851 Strong Interactions, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.851 Strong Interactions, Spring 2003 Stewart, Iain The strong force which bind quarks together is described by a relativistic quantum field theory called quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Subject surveys: The QCD Langrangian, asymptotic freedom and deep inelastic scattering, jets, the QCD vacuum, instantons and the U(1) problem, lattice guage theory, and other phases of QCD. From the course home page: Course Description Strong Interactions is a course in the construction and application of effective field theories, which are a modern tool of choice in making predictions based on the Standard Model. Concepts such as matching, renormalization, the operator product expansion, power counting, and running with the renormalization group will be discussed. Topics will be taken from heavy quark decays and CP violation, factorization in hard processes (deep inelastic scattering and exclusive processes), non-relativistic bound states in field theory (QED and QCD), chiral perturbation theory, few-nucleon systems, and possibly other Standard Model subjects.

8.06 Quantum Physics III, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.06 Quantum Physics III, Spring 2003 Rajagopal, Krishna, 1965- Continuation of 8.05. Units: natural units, scales of microscopic phenomena, applications. Time-independent approximation methods: degenerate and non-degenerate perturbation theory, variational method, Born-Oppenheimer approximation, applications to atomic and molecular systems. The structure of one- and two-electron atoms: overview, spin-orbit and relativistic corrections, fine structure, variational approximation, screening, Zeeman and Stark effects. Charged particles in a magnetic field: Landau levels and integer quantum hall effect. Scattering: general principles, partial waves, review of one-dimension, low-energy approximations, resonance, Born approximation. Time-dependent perturbation theory. Students research and write a paper on a topic related to the content of 8.05 and 8.06. From the course home page: Course Description This course is a continuation of 8.05, Quantum Physics II. Content includes: Natural Units Charged particles in a magnetic field Time-independent perturbation theory Variational and semi-classical methods Quantum Computing The adiabatic approximation and Berry’s phase Scattering Time-dependent perturbation theory

8.251 String Theory for Undergraduates, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.251 String Theory for Undergraduates, Spring 2003 Zwiebach, Barton Introduction to the main concepts of string theory to undergraduates. Since string theory is quantum mechanics of a relativistic string, the foundations of the subject can be explained to students exposed to both special relativity (8.033) and basic quantum mechanics (8.05). Subject develops the aspects of string theory and makes it accessible to students familiar with basic electromagnetism (8.02) and statistical mechanics (8.044). This includes the study of D-branes and string thermodynamics.

8.05 Quantum Physics II, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.05 Quantum Physics II, Fall 2004 Stewart, Iain Together, this course and 8.06: Quantum Physics III cover quantum physics with applications drawn from modern physics. Topics covered in this course include the general formalism of quantum mechanics, harmonic oscillator, quantum mechanics in three-dimensions, angular momentum, spin, and addition of angular momentum.

8.04 Quantum Physics I, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.04 Quantum Physics I, Spring 2003 Lee, Young S. Experimental basis of quantum physics: photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, photons, Franck-Hertz experiment, the Bohr atom, electron diffraction, deBroglie waves, and wave-particle duality of matter and light. Introduction to wave mechanics: Schroedinger's equation, wave functions, wave packets, probability amplitudes, stationary states, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and zero-point energies. Solutions to Schroedinger's equation in one dimension: transmission and reflection at a barrier, barrier penetration, potential wells, the simple harmonic oscillator. Schroedinger's equation in three dimensions: central potentials, and introduction to hydrogenic systems.

22.106 Neutron Interactions and Applications, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.106 Neutron Interactions and Applications, Spring 2004 Yip, Sidney Foundational study of the effects of single and multiple interactions on neutron distributions and their applications to problems across the Nuclear Engineering department - fission, fusion, and RST. Particle simulation methods are introduced to deal with complex processes that cannot be studied only experimentally or by numerical solutions of equations. Treatment will emphasize basic concepts andunderstanding, as well as showing the underlying scientific connections with current research areas.

21M.670 / SP.472 / WGS.472 Traditions in American Concert Dance: Gender and Autobiography, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21M.670 / SP.472 / WGS.472 Traditions in American Concert Dance: Gender and Autobiography, Spring 2003 DeFrantz, Thomas This course explores the forms, contents, and contexts of world traditions in dance that played a crucial role in shaping American concert dance. For example, we will identify dances from an African American vernacular tradition that were transferred from the social space to the concert stage. We will explore the artistic lives of such American dance artists as Katherine Dunham, and Alvin Ailey along with Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, George Balanchine, and Merce Cunningham as American dance innovators. Of particular importance to our investigation will be the construction of gender and autobiography which lie at the heart of concert dance practice, and the ways in which these qualities have been choreographed by American artists.

22.105 Electromagnetic Interactions, Fall 1998

1998-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.105 Electromagnetic Interactions, Fall 1998 Hutchinson, I. H. (Ian H.); Sen, P. N. (Pabitra N.) Principles and applications of electromagnetism, starting from Maxwell's equations, with emphasis on phenomena important to nuclear engineering and radiation sciences. Solution methods for electrostatic and magnetostatic fields. Charged particle motion in those fields. Particle acceleration and focussing. Collisons with charged particles and atoms. Electromagnetic waves, wave emission by accelerated particles, Bremsstrahlung. Compton scattering. Photoionization. Elementary applications to ranging, shielding, imaging, and radiation effects.

22.51 Interaction of Radiation with Matter, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.51 Interaction of Radiation with Matter, Spring 2003 Chen, Sow-Hsin Basic principles of interaction of electromagnetic radiation, thermal neutrons, and charged particles with matter. Introduces classical electrodynamics, quantum theory of radiation, time-dependent perturbation theory, transition probabilities and cross sections describing interaction of various radiations with atomic systems. Applications include theory of nuclear magnetic resonance; Rayleigh, Raman, and Compton scattering; photoelectric effect; and use of thermal neutron scattering as a tool in condensed matter research.

8.811 Particle Physics II, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.811 Particle Physics II, Fall 2004 Chen, Min Survey of current research in High Energy Physics. Topics include electron-positron and proton-antiproton collisions; electroweak phenomena, heavy flavor physics, and high-precision tests of the Standard Model. Other topics include searches for new phenomena (compositeness, supersymmetry, and GUTs), discussion of our new experimental results (e.g. the Top Quark), and expectations from future accelerators (B factory, LHC).

22.05 Neutron Science and Reactor Physics, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.05 Neutron Science and Reactor Physics, Fall 2006 Bernard, John A. This course introduces fundamental properties of the neutron. It covers reactions induced by neutrons, nuclear fission, slowing down of neutrons in infinite media, diffusion theory, the few-group approximation, point kinetics, and fission-product poisoning. We emphasize the nuclear physics basis of reactor design and its relationship to reactor engineering problems.

13.00 Introduction to Ocean Science and Technology, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.00 Introduction to Ocean Science and Technology, Fall 2002 Leonard, John J. Introductory subject for students majoring or minoring in ocean engineering and others desiring introductory knowledge in the field. Physical oceanography including distributions of salinity, temperature, and density, heat balance, major ocean circulations and geostrophic flows, and influence of wind stress. Surface waves including wave velocities, propagation phenomena, and descriptions of real sea waves. Acoustics in the ocean including influence of water properties on sound speed and refraction, sounds generated by ships and marine animals, fundamentals of sonar, types of sonar systems and their principles of operation.

22.611J / 6.651J / 8.613J Introduction To Plasma Physics I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.611J / 6.651J / 8.613J Introduction To Plasma Physics I, Fall 2002 Molvig, Kim Introduces plasma phenomena relevant to energy generation by controlled thermonuclear fusion and to astrophysics. Basic plasma properties and collective behavior. Coulomb collisions and transport processes. Motion of charged particles in magnetic fields; plasma confinement schemes. MHD models; simple equilibrium and stability analysis. Two-fluid hydrodynamic plasma models; wave propagation in a magnetic field. Introduces kinetic theory; Vlasov plasma model; electron plasma waves and Landau damping; ion-acoustic waves; streaming instabilities. A subject description tailored to fit the background and interests of the attending students distributed shortly before and at the beginning of the subject.

22.313 Thermal Hydraulics in Nuclear Power Technology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.313 Thermal Hydraulics in Nuclear Power Technology, Spring 2005 Buongiorno, Jacopo, 1971- Advanced topics emphasizing thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena and analysis methods. Single-heated channel-transient analysis. Multiple-heated channels connected at plena. Loop analysis including single and two-phase natural circulation. Kinematics and dynamics of two-phase flows with energy addition. Boiling, instabilities, and critical conditions. Subchannel analysis. From the course home page: Course Description This course covers the thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena and analysis methods for conventional and nuclear power stations. Specific topics include: kinematics and dynamics of two-phase flows; steam separation; boiling, instabilities, and critical conditions; single-channel transient analysis; multiple channels connected at plena; loop analysis including single and two-phase natural circulation; and subchannel analysis. Starting in Spring 2007, this course will be offered jointly in the Departments of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Chemical Engineering, and will be titled "Thermal Hydraulics in Power Technology."

13.49 Maneuvering and Control of Surface and Underwater Vehicles, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.49 Maneuvering and Control of Surface and Underwater Vehicles, Fall 2000 Triantafyllou, Michael S. Maneuvering motions of surface and underwater vehicles. Derivation of equations of motion, hydrodynamic coefficients. Memory effects. Linear and nonlinear forms of the equations of motion. Control surfaces modeling and design. Engine, propulsor, and transmission systems modeling and simulation during maneuvering. Stability of motion. Principles of multivariable automatic control. Optimal control, Kalman filtering, loop transfer recovery. Term project: applications chosen from autopilots for surface vehicles; towing in open seas; remotely operated vehicles.

22.251 / 22.351 Systems Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.251 / 22.351 Systems Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Fall 2005 Kazimi, Mujid S. This course provides an in-depth technical and policy analysis of various options for the nuclear fuel cycle. Topics include uranium supply, enrichment fuel fabrication, in-core physics and fuel management of uranium, thorium and other fuel types, reprocessing and waste disposal. Also covered are the principles of fuel cycle economics and the applied reactor physics of both contemporary and proposed thermal and fast reactors. Nonproliferation aspects, disposal of excess weapons plutonium, and transmutation of actinides and selected fission products in spent fuel are examined. Several state-of-the-art computer programs are provided for student use in problem sets and term papers.

MAS.110 Fundamentals of Computational Media Design, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.110 Fundamentals of Computational Media Design, Spring 2003 Maeda, John Introduces principles of analysis and synthesis in the computational medium. Expressive examples that illustrate the intersection of computation with the traditional arts are developed on a weekly basis. Hands-on design exercises are continually framed and examined in the larger context of contemporary digital art. Limited enrollment.

MAS.630 Affective Computing, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.630 Affective Computing, Spring 2002 Picard, Rosalind W. Explores computing that relates to, arises from, or deliberately influences emotion. Topics include the interaction of emotion with cognition and perception, the role of emotion in human-computer interaction, the communication of human emotion via face, voice, physiology, and behavior, construction of computers that can recognize and respond appropriately to human emotional expressions, the development of computers that "have" emotion, and other areas of current research interest. Weekly reading, discussion, and a term project required.

21M.732 Costume Design for the Theater, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21M.732 Costume Design for the Theater, Fall 2004 Held, Leslie Cocuzzo Intermediate workshop designed for students who have a basic understanding of the principles of theatrical design and who want a more intensive study of costume design and the psychology of clothing. Students develop designs that emerge through a process of character analysis, based on the script and directorial concept. Period research, design, and rendering skills are fostered through practical exercises. Instruction in basic costume construction, including drafting and draping, provide tools for students to produce final projects.

MAS.962 Autism Theory and Technology, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.962 Autism Theory and Technology, Spring 2007 Breazeal, Cynthia; el Kaliouby, Rana; Picard, Rosalind W.; Turkle, Sherry This course will lay a foundation in autism theory and autism technology that significantly leverages and expands the Media Lab's ability to pioneer new technology. Students will not only develop new technologies, but also understand, help, and learn from people with autism, a fast-growing group that the CDC identified in the year 2005 as involving an estimated 1 in 150 school-age children ages 6-21. Students will gain an understanding of the basic challenges faced by people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, together with their families and caregivers, and an understanding of the fundamental theories that inform therapies and technologies for improving the autistic experience. The course will also explore the converging challenges and goals of autism research and the development of technologies with people sense. We will advance ways technology can be used for early detection and intervention in autism. We will enable new technologies for people diagnosed with autism to use to better communicate, and to help them achieve their desired level of independent and inter-dependent living skills. Throughout the course, we will consider ways technology can help inform autism research and improve opportunities for people diagnosed with autism.

MAS.963 Special Topics: Computational Camera and Photography, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.963 Special Topics: Computational Camera and Photography, Fall 2008 Raskar, Ramesh A computational camera attempts to digitally capture the essence of visual information by exploiting the synergistic combination of task-specific optics, illumination, sensors and processing. In this course we will study this emerging multi-disciplinary field at the intersection of signal processing, applied optics, computer graphics and vision, electronics, art, and online sharing through social networks. If novel cameras can be designed to sample light in radically new ways, then rich and useful forms of visual information may be recorded — beyond those present in traditional photographs. Furthermore, if computational process can be made aware of these novel imaging models, them the scene can be analyzed in higher dimensions and novel aesthetic renderings of the visual information can be synthesized. We will discuss and play with thermal cameras, multi-spectral cameras, high-speed, and 3D range-sensing cameras and camera arrays. We will learn about opportunities in scientific and medical imaging, mobile-phone based photography, camera for HCI and sensors mimicking animal eyes. We will learn about the complete camera pipeline. In several hands-on projects we will build physical imaging prototypes and understand how each stage of the imaging process can be manipulated.

21M.013J / 21A.113J The Supernatural in Music, Literature and Culture, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

21M.013J / 21A.113J The Supernatural in Music, Literature and Culture, Spring 2009 Shadle, Charles; Harris, Ellen; Howe, James This class explores the relationship between music and the supernatural, focusing on the social history and context of supernatural beliefs as reflected in key literary and musical works from 1600 to the present. Provides a better understanding of the place of ambiguity and the role of interpretation in culture, science and art. Explores great works of art by Shakespeare, Verdi, Goethe (in translation), Gounod, Henry James and Benjamin Britten. Readings will also include selections from the most recent scholarship on magic and the supernatural. Writing assignments will range from web-based projects to analytic essays. No previous experience in music is necessary. Projected guest lectures, musical performances, field trips.

MAS.836 Sensor Technologies for Interactive Environments, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.836 Sensor Technologies for Interactive Environments, Spring 2010 Paradiso, Joseph This course is a broad introduction to a host of sensor technologies, illustrated by applications drawn from human-computer interfaces and ubiquitous computing. After extensively reviewing electronics for sensor signal conditioning, the lectures cover the principles and operation of a variety of sensor architectures and modalities, including pressure, strain, displacement, proximity, thermal, electric and magnetic field, optical, acoustic, RF, inertial, and bioelectric. Simple sensor processing algorithms and wired and wireless network standards are also discussed. Students are required to complete written assignments, a set of laboratories, and a final project.

2.797J / 3.053J / 6.024J / 20.310J Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Biomechanics, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.797J / 3.053J / 6.024J / 20.310J Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Biomechanics, Fall 2006 Lang, Matthew; Kamm, Roger D. This course develops and applies scaling laws and the methods of continuum mechanics to biomechanical phenomena over a range of length scales. Topics include structure of tissues and the molecular basis for macroscopic properties; chemical and electrical effects on mechanical behavior; cell mechanics, motility and adhesion; biomembranes; biomolecular mechanics and molecular motors. The class also examines experimental methods for probing structures at the tissue, cellular, and molecular levels.

2.017J / 1.015J Design of Systems Operating in Random Environments, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.017J / 1.015J Design of Systems Operating in Random Environments, Spring 2006 Hover, Franz; Triantafyllou, Michael This class covers the principles for optimal performance and survival of extreme events in a random environment; linear time invariant systems and Fourier transform; random processes, autocorrelation function, and power spectra. We will study statistics of the response of systems and perform optimization using a statistics-based index. The class will also involve sea wave modeling, sea spectra, elements of seakeeping, wind modeling, and wind spectra. Finally, it also covers extreme events and probability of failure; examples include extreme waves and 100-year events. Students undertake a term project, focusing on electronics and instrumentation, and design for the ocean environment.

2.25 Advanced Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.25 Advanced Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2002 Sonin, A. A.; McKinley, Gareth H. Survey of principal concepts and methods of fluid dynamics. Mass conservation, momentum, and energy equations for continua. Navier-Stokes equation for viscous flows. Similarity and dimensional analysis. Lubrication theory. Boundary layers and separation. Circulation and vorticity theorems. Potential flow. Introduction to turbulence. Lift and drag. Surface tension and surface tension-driven flows.

2.093 Computer Methods in Dynamics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.093 Computer Methods in Dynamics, Fall 2002 Bathe, Klaus-Jürgen Formulation of finite element methods for analysis of dynamic problems in solids, structures, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. Computer calculation of matrices and numerical solution of equilibrium equations by direct integration and mode superposition. Effective eigensolution techniques for calculation of frequencies and mode shapes. Digital computer coding techniques and use of an existing general purpose finite element analysis program. Modeling of problems and interpretation of numerical results.

2.71 / 2.710 Optics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.71 / 2.710 Optics, Fall 2004 Barbastathis, George This course is an introduction to optical science with elementary engineering applications. Topics covered include geometrical optics: ray-tracing, aberrations, lens design, apertures and stops, radiometry and photometry; wave optics: basic electrodynamics, polarization, interference, wave-guiding, Fresnel and Faunhofer diffraction, image formation, resolution, and space-bandwidth product. Emphasis is on analytical and numerical tools used in optical design. Graduate students are required to complete additional assignments with stronger analytical content, and an advanced design project.

2.086 Numerical Computation for Mechanical Engineers, Spring 2012

2012-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.086 Numerical Computation for Mechanical Engineers, Spring 2012 Patera, Anthony; Penn, James Douglass; Yano, Masayuki This class introduces elementary programming concepts including variable types, data structures, and flow control. After an introduction to linear algebra and probability, it covers numerical methods relevant to mechanical engineering, including approximation (interpolation, least squares and statistical regression), integration, solution of linear and nonlinear equations, ordinary differential equations, and deterministic and probabilistic approaches. Examples are drawn from mechanical engineering disciplines, in particular from robotics, dynamics, and structural analysis. Assignments require MATLAB® programming.

2.019 Design of Ocean Systems I (13.017), Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.019 Design of Ocean Systems I (13.017), Spring 2002 Consi, Thomas R., 1956-; Hover, Franz S. A two-semester subject sequence (of which this is the first half) that demonstrates the design process through its application to a working model-scale ocean system. Emphasis is on carrying out the design and implementation of the system, including demonstration of its operation in the marine environment. Spring Term: Introduction to the design process and its application to ocean engineering. Design project with students developing system definition and completing its preliminary design. Students are instructed in the design process, embedded systems programming and interfacing techniques, sensors, actuators, and the control of marine systems. Communications skills are honed through written and oral reports and engineering ethics are discussed. Fall Term: Students work as a group to design, plan, construct, test, and operate the model-scale ocean system defined in 13.017. Special emphasis is placed on testing the system in the marine environment and analyzing its performance in relation to the original system specification. The social aspects of engineering are discussed including group dynamics and time management. The specific design project varies from year to year and is announced to the students on the first day of class in 13.017.

2.12 Introduction to Robotics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.12 Introduction to Robotics, Fall 2004 Asada, H. (Haruhiko) This course provides an overview of robot mechanisms, dynamics, and intelligent controls. Topics include planar and spatial kinematics, and motion planning; mechanism design for manipulators and mobile robots, multi-rigid-body dynamics, 3D graphic simulation; control design, actuators, and sensors; wireless networking, task modeling, human-machine interface, and imbedded software. Weekly laboratories provide experience with servo drives, real-time control, and embedded software. Students will design and fabricate working robotic systems in a group-based term project.

2.003 Modeling Dynamics and Control I, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.003 Modeling Dynamics and Control I, Spring 2002 Trumper, David L. First of two-term sequence on modeling, analysis and control of dynamic systems. Mechanical translation, uniaxial rotation, electrical circuits and their coupling via levers, gears and electro-mechanical devices. Analytical and computational solution of linear differential equations and state-determined systems. Laplace transforms, tranfer functions. Frequency response, Bode plots. Vibrations, modal analysis. Open- and closed-loop control, instability. Time-domain controller design, introduction to frequency-domain control design techniques. Case studies of engineering applications.

2.853 Manufacturing Systems I: Analytical Methods and Flow Models, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.853 Manufacturing Systems I: Analytical Methods and Flow Models, Fall 2002 Gershwin, S. B.; Wein, Lawrence M. Provides ways to conceptualize and analyze manufacturing systems and supply chains in terms of material flow, information flow, capacities, and flow times. Fundamental building blocks: Inventory and Queuing Models, Forecasting and Uncertainty, Optimization, Process Analysis, Linear Systems and System Dynamics. Factory Planning: Flow Planning, Bottleneck Characterization, Buffer and Batch-Size Tactics, Seasonal Planning, Dynamics and Learning for Various Process Flow Topologies and for Various Market Contexts.

2.627 / 2.626 Fundamentals of Photovoltaics, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.627 / 2.626 Fundamentals of Photovoltaics, Fall 2011 Buonassisi, Tonio In this course, students learn about the fundamentals of photoelectric conversion: charge excitation, conduction, separation, and collection. Lectures cover commercial and emerging photovoltaic technologies and cross-cutting themes, including conversion efficiencies, loss mechanisms, characterization, manufacturing, systems, reliability, life-cycle analysis, and risk analysis. Some of the course will also be devoted to discussing photovoltaic technology evolution in the context of markets, policies, society, and environment.

2.23 Hydrofoils and Propellers (13.04), Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.23 Hydrofoils and Propellers (13.04), Fall 2003 Sclavounos, Paul D.; Kimball, Richard Warren, 1963- Theory and design of hydrofoil sections; lifting and thickness problems for sub-cavitating sections, unsteady flow problems. Computer-aided design of low drag, cavitation free sections. Lifting line and lifting surface theory with applications to hydrofoil craft, rudder, and control surface design. Propeller lifting line and lifting surface theory; computer-aided design of wake adapted propellers, unsteady propeller thrust and torque. Flow about axially symmetric bodies and low-aspect ratio lifting surfaces. Hydrodynamic performance and design of waterjets. Experimental projects in the variable pressure water tunnel.

2.011 Introduction to Ocean Science and Technology (13.00), Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.011 Introduction to Ocean Science and Technology (13.00), Fall 2002 Leonard, John J. Introductory subject for students majoring or minoring in ocean engineering and others desiring introductory knowledge in the field. Physical oceanography including distributions of salinity, temperature, and density, heat balance, major ocean circulations and geostrophic flows, and influence of wind stress. Surface waves including wave velocities, propagation phenomena, and descriptions of real sea waves. Acoustics in the ocean including influence of water properties on sound speed and refraction, sounds generated by ships and marine animals, fundamentals of sonar, types of sonar systems and their principles of operation.

2.875 Mechanical Assembly and Its Role in Product Development, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.875 Mechanical Assembly and Its Role in Product Development, Fall 2002 Whitney, Daniel E. Introduces mechanical and economic models of assemblies and assembly automation on two levels. "Assembly in the small" comprises basic engineering models of rigid and compliant part mating and explains the operation of the Remote Center Compliance. "Assembly in the large" takes a system view of assembly, including the notion of product architecture, feature-based design and computer models of assemblies, analysis of mechanical constraint, assembly sequence analysis, tolerances, system-level design for assembly and JIT methods, and economics of assembly automation. Case studies and current research included. Class exercises and homework include analyses of real assemblies, the mechanics of part mating, and a semester long project.

22.39 Integration of Reactor Design, Operations, and Safety, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.39 Integration of Reactor Design, Operations, and Safety, Fall 2005 Todreas, Neil E.; Apostolakis, G.; Ballinger, Ronald George, 1945-; Golay, M.; Hejzlar, Pavel; Kadak, Andrew C.; Pilat, Edward E. This course integrates studies of reactor physics and engineering sciences into nuclear power plant design. Topics include materials issues in plant design and operations, aspects of thermal design, fuel depletion and fission-product poisoning, and temperature effects on reactivity, safety considerations in regulations and operations, such as the evolution of the regulatory process, the concept of defense in depth, General Design Criteria, accident analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and risk-informed regulations.

22.01 Introduction to Ionizing Radiation, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.01 Introduction to Ionizing Radiation, Fall 2003 Coderre, Jeffrey A. Introduction to basic properties of ionizing radiations and their uses in medicine, industry, science, and environmental studies. Discusses natural and man-made radiation sources, energy deposition and dose calculations, various physical, chemical, and biological processes and effects of radiation with examples of their uses, and principles of radiation protection. Term paper and oral presentation of paper required. From the course home page: This course was originally developed by Dr. Jacquelyn Yanch. As such, significant portions of the materials presented here were derived from her work.

22.033 / 22.33 Nuclear Systems Design Project, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.033 / 22.33 Nuclear Systems Design Project, Fall 2002 Kadak, Andrew Group design project involving integration of nuclear physics, particle transport, control, heat transfer, safety, instrumentation, materials, environmental impact, and economic optimization. Provides students with opportunity to synthesize knowledge acquired in nuclear and non-nuclear subjects and apply this knowledge to practical problems of current interest in nuclear applications design. Past projects have included using a fusion reactor for transmutation of nuclear waste, design and development of a nuclear reactor for the manned mission to Mars. Meets with graduate subject 22.33.

22.312 Engineering of Nuclear Reactors, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.312 Engineering of Nuclear Reactors, Fall 2002 Todreas, Neil E. Engineering principles of nuclear reactors, emphasizing power reactors. Power plant thermodynamics, reactor heat generation and removal (single-phase as well as two-phase coolant flow and heat transfer), and structural mechanics. Engineering considerations in reactor design.

22.A09 / 22.013 Career Options for Biomedical Research, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.A09 / 22.013 Career Options for Biomedical Research, Fall 2005 Rosen, Bruce Robert; Yip, Sidney This course has been designed as a seminar to give students an understanding of how scientists with medical or scientific degrees conduct research in both hospital and academic settings. There will be interactive discussions with research clinicians and scientists about the career opportunities and research challenges in the biomedical field, which an MIT student might prepare for by obtaining an MD, PhD, or combined degrees. The seminar will be held in a case presentation format, with topics chosen from the radiological sciences, including current research in magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography and other nuclear imaging techniques, and advances in radiation therapy. With the lectures as background, we will also examine alternative and related options such as biomedical engineering, medical physics, and medical engineering. We'll use as examples and points of comparisons the curriculum paths available through MIT's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering. In past years we have given very modest assignments such as readings in advance of or after a seminar, and a short term project.

13.49 Maneuvering and Control of Surface and Underwater Vehicles, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.49 Maneuvering and Control of Surface and Underwater Vehicles, Fall 2004 Triantafyllou, Michael S. Maneuvering motions of surface and underwater vehicles. Derivation of equations of motion, hydrodynamic coefficients. Memory effects. Linear and nonlinear forms of the equations of motion. Control surfaces modeling and design. Engine, propulsor, and transmission systems modeling and simulation during maneuvering. Stability of motion. Principles of multivariable automatic control. Optimal control, Kalman filtering, loop transfer recovery. Term project: applications chosen from autopilots for surface vehicles; towing in open seas; remotely operated vehicles.

13.017 Design of Ocean Systems I, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

13.017 Design of Ocean Systems I, Spring 2003 Consi, Thomas R., 1956-; Hover, Franz S. A two-semester subject sequence (of which this is the first half) that demonstrates the design process through its application to a working model-scale ocean system. Emphasis is on carrying out the design and implementation of the system, including demonstration of its operation in the marine environment. Spring Term: Introduction to the design process and its application to ocean engineering. Design project with students developing system definition and completing its preliminary design. Students are instructed in the design process, embedded systems programming and interfacing techniques, sensors, actuators, and the control of marine systems. Communications skills are honed through written and oral reports and engineering ethics are discussed. Fall Term: Students work as a group to design, plan, construct, test, and operate the model-scale ocean system defined in 13.017. Special emphasis is placed on testing the system in the marine environment and analyzing its performance in relation to the original system specification. The social aspects of engineering are discussed including group dynamics and time management. The specific design project varies from year to year and is announced to the students on the first day of class in 13.017.

8.012 Physics I: Classical Mechanics, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.012 Physics I: Classical Mechanics, Fall 2005 Chakrabarty, Deepto Elementary mechanics, presented at greater depth than in 8.01. Newton's laws, concepts of momentum, energy, angular momentum, rigid body motion, and non-inertial systems. Uses elementary calculus freely. Concurrent registration in a math subject more advanced than 18.01 is recommended. In addition to the theoretical subject matter, several experiments in classical mechanics are performed by the students in the laboratory. Description from course home page: This class is an introduction to classical mechanics for students who are comfortable with calculus. The main topics are: Vectors, Kinematics, Forces, Motion, Momentum, Energy, Angular Motion, Angular Momentum, Gravity, Planetary Motion, Moving Frames, and the Motion of Rigid Bodies.

13.002J Introduction to Numeric Analysis for Engineering, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

13.002J Introduction to Numeric Analysis for Engineering, Spring 2003 Leonard, John J.; Schmidt, Henrik; Sclavounos, Paul D. An introduction to the formulation, methodology, and techniques for numerical solution of engineering problems. Fundamental principles of digital computing and the implications for algorithm accuracy and stability. Error propagation and stability. The solution of systems of linear equations, including direct and iterative techniques. Roots of equations and systems of equations. Numerical interpolation, differentiation and integration. Fundamentals of finite-difference solutions to ordinary differential equations. Error and convergence analysis. Subject taught first half of term.

13.021 Marine Hydrodynamics, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.021 Marine Hydrodynamics, Fall 2001 Yue, Dick Kau-Ping The fundamentals of fluid mechanics are developed in the context of naval architecture and ocean science and engineering. Transport theorem and conservation principles. Navier-Stokes' equation. Dimensional analysis. Ideal and potential flows. Vorticity and Kelvin's theorem. Hydrodynamic forces in potential flow, D'Alembert's paradox, added-mass, slender-body theory. Viscous-fluid flow, laminar and turbulent boundary layers. Model testing, scaling laws. Application of potential theory to surface waves, energy transport, wave/body forces. Linearized theory of lifting surfaces. Experimental project in the towing tank or propeller tunnel.

8.324 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.324 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II, Fall 2005 Zwiebach, Barton This course is the second course of the quantum field theory trimester sequence beginning with Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I (8.323) and ending with Relativistic Quantum Field Theory III (8.325). It develops in depth some of the topics discussed in 8.323 and introduces some advanced material. Topics include functional path integrals, renormalization and renormalization groups, quantization of nonabelian gauge theories, BRST symmetry, renormalization and symmetry breaking, critical exponents and scalar field theory, and perturbation theory anomalies.

18.700 Linear Algebra, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.700 Linear Algebra, Fall 2005 Ciubotaru, Dan This course offers a rigorous treatment of linear algebra, including vector spaces, systems of linear equations, bases, linear independence, matrices, determinants, eigenvalues, inner products, quadratic forms, and canonical forms of matrices. Compared with Linear Algebra (18.06), more emphasis is placed on theory and proofs.

18.303 Linear Partial Differential Equations, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.303 Linear Partial Differential Equations, Fall 2005 Hancock, Matthew James, 1975- The classical partial differential equations of applied mathematics: diffusion, Laplace/Poisson, and wave equations. Methods of solution, such as separation of variables, Fourier series and transforms, eigenvalue problems. Green's function methods are emphasized. 18.04 or 18.112 are useful, as well as previous acquaintance with the equations as they arise in scientific applications.

18.440 Probability and Random Variables, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.440 Probability and Random Variables, Fall 2005 Dudley, R. M. (Richard M.) This course introduces students to probability and random variable. Topics include distribution functions, binomial, geometric, hypergeometric, and Poisson distributions. The other topics covered are uniform, exponential, normal, gamma and beta distributions; conditional probability; Bayes theorem; joint distributions; Chebyshev inequality; law of large numbers; and central limit theorem.

18.701 Algebra I, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.701 Algebra I, Fall 2007 Artin, Michael This undergraduate level Algebra I course covers groups, vector spaces, linear transformations, symmetry groups, bilinear forms, and linear groups.

18.310 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.310 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Fall 2004 Kleitman, Daniel J. Principles of Applied Mathematics is a study of illustrative topics in discrete applied mathematics including sorting algorithms, information theory, coding theory, secret codes, generating functions, linear programming, game theory. There is an emphasis on topics that have direct application in the real world.

18.440 Probability and Random Variables, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.440 Probability and Random Variables, Spring 2011 Sheffield, Scott This course introduces students to probability and random variables. Topics include distribution functions, binomial, geometric, hypergeometric, and Poisson distributions. The other topics covered are uniform, exponential, normal, gamma and beta distributions; conditional probability; Bayes theorem; joint distributions; Chebyshev inequality; law of large numbers; and central limit theorem.

18.175 Theory of Probability, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.175 Theory of Probability, Fall 2008 Panchenko, Dmitry This course covers the laws of large numbers and central limit theorems for sums of independent random variables. It also analyzes topics such as the conditioning and martingales, the Brownian motion and the elements of diffusion theory.

18.303 Linear Partial Differential Equations: Analysis and Numerics, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.303 Linear Partial Differential Equations: Analysis and Numerics, Fall 2010 Johnson, Steven G. This course provides students with the basic analytical and computational tools of linear partial differential equations (PDEs) for practical applications in science engineering, including heat/diffusion, wave, and Poisson equations. Analytics emphasize the viewpoint of linear algebra and the analogy with finite matrix problems. Numerics focus on finite-difference and finite-element techniques to reduce PDEs to matrix problems.

18.702 Algebra II, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.702 Algebra II, Spring 2003 Artin, Michael More extensive and theoretical than the 18.700-18.703 sequence. Experience with proofs helpful. First term: group theory, geometry, and linear algebra. Second term: group representations, rings, ideals, fields, polynomial rings, modules, factorization, integers in quadratic number fields, field extensions, Galois theory. From the course home page: Course Description The course covers group theory and its representations, and focuses on the Sylow theorem, Schur's lemma, and proof of the orthogonality relations. It also analyzes the rings, the factorization processes, and the fields. Topics such as the formal construction of integers and polynomials, homomorphisms and ideals, the Gauss' lemma, quadratic imaginary integers, Gauss primes, and finite and function fields are discussed in detail.

18.112 Functions of a Complex Variable, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.112 Functions of a Complex Variable, Fall 2006 Helgason, Sigurdur, 1927- The basic properties of functions of one complex variable. Cauchy's theorem, holomorphic and meromorphic functions, residues, contour integrals, conformal mapping. Infinite series and products, the gamma function, the Mittag-Leffler theorem. Harmonic functions, Dirichlet's problem. From the course home page: Course Description This is an advanced undergraduate course dealing with calculus in one complex variable with geometric emphasis. Since the course Analysis I (18.100B) is a prerequisite, topological notions like compactness, connectedness, and related properties of continuous functions are taken for granted. This course offers biweekly problem sets with solutions, two term tests and a final exam, all with solutions.

18.366 Random Walks and Diffusion, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.366 Random Walks and Diffusion, Spring 2005 Bazant, Martin Z. Discrete and continuum modeling of diffusion processes in physics, chemistry, and economics. Topics include central limit theorems, continuous-time random walks, Levy flights, correlations, extreme events, mixing, renormalization, and percolation. From the course home page: Course Description This graduate-level subject explores various mathematical aspects of (discrete) random walks and (continuum) diffusion. Applications include polymers, disordered media, turbulence, diffusion-limited aggregation, granular flow, and derivative securities.

18.409 Topics in Theoretical Computer Science: An Algorithmist's Toolkit, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.409 Topics in Theoretical Computer Science: An Algorithmist's Toolkit, Fall 2007 LinkKelner, Jonathan, 1980- Study of an area of current interest in theoretical computer science. Topic varies from term to term.

18.314 Combinatorial Analysis, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.314 Combinatorial Analysis, Fall 2005 Postnikov, Alexander This course analyzes combinatorial problems and methods for their solution. Prior experience with abstraction and proofs is helpful. Topics include: Enumeration, generating functions, recurrence relations, construction of bijections, introduction to graph theory, network algorithms and, extremal combinatorics.

18.022 Calculus, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.022 Calculus, Fall 2005 Rogers, Hartley This is an undergraduate course on calculus of several variables. It covers all of the topics covered in Calculus II (18.02), but presents them in greater depth. These topics are vector algebra in 3-space, determinants, matrices, vector-valued functions of one variable, space motion, scalar functions of several variables, partial differentiation, gradient, optimization techniques, double integrals, line integrals in the plane, exact differentials, conservative fields, Green's theorem, triple integrals, line and surface integrals in space, the divergence theorem, and Stokes' theorem. Additional topics covered in 18.022 are geometry, vector fields, and linear algebra.

18.366 Random Walks and Diffusion, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.366 Random Walks and Diffusion, Spring 2003 Bazant, Martin Z. Discrete and continuum modeling of diffusion processes in physics, chemistry, and economics. Topics include central limit theorems, continuous-time random walks, Levy flights, correlations, extreme events, mixing, renormalization, and percolation.

18.014 Calculus with Theory I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.014 Calculus with Theory I, Fall 2002 Munkres, James; Lachowska, Anna 18.014, Calculus with Theory, covers the same material as 18.01 (Calculus), but at a deeper and more rigorous level. It emphasizes careful reasoning and understanding of proofs. The course assumes knowledge of elementary calculus. Topics: Axioms for the real numbers; the Riemann integral; limits, theorems on continuous functions; derivatives of functions of one variable; the fundamental theorems of calculus; Taylor's theorem; infinite series, power series, rigorous treatment of the elementary functions. Dr. Lachowska wishes to acknowledge Andrew Brooke-Taylor, Natasha Bershadsky, and Alex Retakh for their help with this course web site.

18.086 Mathematical Methods for Engineers II, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.086 Mathematical Methods for Engineers II, Spring 2005 Strang, Gilbert Scientific computing: Fast Fourier Transform, finite differences, finite elements, spectral method, numerical linear algebra. Complex variables and applications. Initial-value problems: stability or chaos in ordinary differential equations, wave equation versus heat equation, conservation laws and shocks, dissipation and dispersion. Optimization: network flows, linear programming. Includes one computational project.

18.385 Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.385 Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos, Fall 2002 Rosales, Rodolfo Nonlinear dynamics with applications. Intuitive approach with emphasis on geometric thinking, computational and analytical methods. Extensive use of demonstration software. Topics: Bifurcations. Phase plane. Nonlinear coupled oscillators in biology and physics. Perturbation, averaging theory. Parametric resonances, Floquet theory. Relaxation oscillations. Hysterises. Phase locking. Chaos: Lorenz model, iterated mappings, period doubling, renormalization. Fractals. Hamiltonian systems, area preserving maps; KAM theory.

18.175 Theory of Probability, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.175 Theory of Probability, Spring 2007 Panchenko, Dmitry A. Laws of large numbers and central limit theorems for sums of independent random variables, conditioning and martingales, Brownian motion and elements of diffusion theory.

18.325 Topics in Applied Mathematics: Mathematical Methods in Nanophotonics, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.325 Topics in Applied Mathematics: Mathematical Methods in Nanophotonics, Fall 2005 Johnson, Steven G., 1973- Topics vary from year to year. Topic for Fall: Eigenvalues of random matrices. How many are real? Why are the spacings so important? Subject covers the mathematics and applications in physics, engineering, computation, and computer science. From the course home page: Course Description This course covers algebraic approaches to electromagnetism and nano-photonics. Topics include photonic crystals, waveguides, perturbation theory, diffraction, computational methods, applications to integrated optical devices, and fiber-optic systems. Emphasis is placed on abstract algebraic approaches rather than detailed solutions of partial differential equations, the latter being done by computers.

18.100B Analysis I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.100B Analysis I, Fall 2002 Melrose, Richard B. Two options offered, both covering fundamentals of mathematical analysis: convergence of sequences and series, continuity, differentiability, Riemann integral, sequences and series of functions, uniformity, interchange of limit operations. Both options show the utility of abstract concepts and teach understanding and construction of proofs. Option A chooses less abstract definitions and proofs, and gives applications where possible. Option B is more demanding and for students with more mathematical maturity. Places greater emphasis on point-set topology.

18.443 Statistics for Applications, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.443 Statistics for Applications, Spring 2009 Dudley, Richard This course is a broad treatment of statistics, concentrating on specific statistical techniques used in science and industry. Topics include: hypothesis testing and estimation, confidence intervals, chi-square tests, nonparametric statistics, analysis of variance, regression, correlation, decision theory, and Bayesian statistics. Note: Please see the syllabus for a description of the different versions of 18.443 taught at MIT.

18.712 Introduction to Representation Theory, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.712 Introduction to Representation Theory, Fall 2008 Etingof, Pavel This is a new course, whose goal is to give an undergraduate-level introduction to representation theory (of groups, Lie algebras, and associative algebras). Representation theory is an area of mathematics which, roughly speaking, studies symmetry in linear spaces.

2.29 Numerical Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2011

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.29 Numerical Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2011 Lermusiaux, Pierre This course will provide students with an introduction to numerical methods and MATLAB®. Topics covered throughout the course will include: errors, condition numbers and roots of equations; Navier-Stokes; direct and iterative methods for linear systems; finite differences for elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic equations; Fourier decomposition, error analysis, and stability; high-order and compact finite-differences; finite volume methods; time marching methods; Navier-Stokes solvers; grid generation; finite volumes on complex geometries; finite element methods; spectral methods; boundary element and panel methods; turbulent flows; boundary layers; Lagrangian Coherent Structures. Subject includes a final research project.

2.019 Design of Ocean Systems, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.019 Design of Ocean Systems, Fall 2005 Chryssostomidis, Chryssostomos; Hover, Franz This course is the completion of the cycle of designing, implementing and testing an ocean system, including hardware and software implementation, that begins with 2.017J. Design lectures are given in hydrodynamics, power and thermal aspects of ocean vehicles, environment, materials and construction for ocean use, electronics, sensors, and actuators. Student teams work within schedule and budget, setting goals, reviewing progress, and making regular and final presentations. Instruction and practice occur in oral and written communication.

18.303 Linear Partial Differential Equations, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.303 Linear Partial Differential Equations, Fall 2004 Hancock, Matthew James, 1975- The classical partial differential equations of applied mathematics: diffusion, Laplace/Poisson, and wave equations. Methods of solution, such as separation of variables, Fourier series and transforms, eigenvalue problems. Green's function methods are emphasized. 18.04 or 18.112 are useful, as well as previous acquaintance with the equations as they arise in scientific applications.

18.085 Computational Science and Engineering I, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.085 Computational Science and Engineering I, Fall 2007 Strang, Gilbert This course provides a review of linear algebra, including applications to networks, structures, and estimation, Lagrange multipliers. Also covered are: differential equations of equilibrium; Laplace's equation and potential flow; boundary-value problems; minimum principles and calculus of variations; Fourier series; discrete Fourier transform; convolution; and applications. Note: This course was previously called "Mathematical Methods for Engineers I".

18.337J / 6.338J Applied Parallel Computing (SMA 5505), Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.337J / 6.338J Applied Parallel Computing (SMA 5505), Spring 2005 Edelman, Alan Applied Parallel Computing is an advanced interdisciplinary introduction to applied parallel computing on modern supercomputers.

18.337J / 6.338J Applied Parallel Computing (SMA 5505), Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.337J / 6.338J Applied Parallel Computing (SMA 5505), Spring 2003 Edelman, Alan Advanced interdisciplinary introduction to modern scientific computing on parallel supercomputers. Numerical topics include dense and sparse linear algebra, N-body problems, and Fourier transforms. Geometrical topics include partitioning and mesh generation. Other topics include architectures and software systems with hands-on emphasis on understanding the realities and myths of what is possible on the world's fastest machines.

2.854 Manufacturing Systems I (SMA 6304), Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.854 Manufacturing Systems I (SMA 6304), Fall 2004 Gershwin, Stanley As the first in a sequence of four half-term courses, this course will provide the fundamental building blocks for conceptualizing, understanding and optimizing manufacturing systems and supply chains. These building blocks include process analysis, queuing theory, simulation, forecasting, inventory theory and linear programming. This course was also taught as part of the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) programme as course number SMA 6304 (Manufacturing Systems I: Analytical Methods and Flow Models).

18.335J / 6.337J Numerical Methods of Applied Mathematics I, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.335J / 6.337J Numerical Methods of Applied Mathematics I, Fall 2001 Stefanica-Nica, Dan Octavian IEEE-standard, iterative and direct linear system solution methods, eigendecomposition and model-order reduction, fast Fourier transforms, multigrid, wavelets and other multiresolution methods, matrix sparsification. Nonlinear root finding (Newton's method). Numerical interpolation and extrapolation. Quadrature.

2.57 Nano-to-Macro Transport Processes, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.57 Nano-to-Macro Transport Processes, Fall 2004 Chen, Gang This course provides parallel treatments of photons, electrons, phonons, and molecules as energy carriers, aiming at fundamental understanding and descriptive tools for energy and heat transport processes from nanoscale continuously to macroscale. Topics include the energy levels, the statistical behavior and internal energy, energy transport in the forms of waves and particles, scattering and heat generation processes, Boltzmann equation and derivation of classical laws, deviation from classical laws at nanoscale and their appropriate descriptions, with applications in nano- and microtechnology.

2.25 Advanced Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.25 Advanced Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2005 McKinley, Gareth; Ghoniem, Ahmed F.; Sonin, Ain; Hosoi, Anette This course surveys the principal concepts and methods of fluid dynamics. Topics include mass conservation, momentum, and energy equations for continua, the Navier-Stokes equation for viscous flows, similarity and dimensional analysis, lubrication theory, boundary layers and separation, circulation and vorticity theorems, potential flow, an introduction to turbulence, lift and drag, surface tension and surface tension driven flows. The class assumes students have had one prior undergraduate class in the area of fluid mechanics. Emphasis is placed on being able to formulate and solve typical problems of engineering importance.

3.021J / 1.021J / 10.333J / 18.361J / 22.00J Introduction to Modeling and Simulation, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.021J / 1.021J / 10.333J / 18.361J / 22.00J Introduction to Modeling and Simulation, Spring 2008 Buehler, Markus; Thonhauser, Timo; Radovitzky, Raúl This course explores the basic concepts of computer modeling and simulation in science and engineering. We'll use techniques and software for simulation, data analysis and visualization. Continuum, mesoscale, atomistic and quantum methods are used to study fundamental and applied problems in physics, chemistry, materials science, mechanics, engineering, and biology. Examples drawn from the disciplines above are used to understand or characterize complex structures and materials, and complement experimental observations.

24.111 Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.111 Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics, Spring 2002 Hall, Edward J. (Edward Jonathon), 1966- Quantum mechanics is said to describe a world in which physical objects often lack "definite" properties, indeterminism creeps in at the point of "observation," ordinary logic does not apply, and distant events are perfectly yet inexplicably correlated. Examination of these and other issues central to the philosophical foundations of quantum mechanics, with special attention to the measurement problem, no-hidden-variables proofs, and Bell's Inequalities. Rigorous approach to the subject matter nevertheless neither presupposes nor requires the development of detailed technical knowledge of the quantum theory.

18.304 Undergraduate Seminar in Discrete Mathematics, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.304 Undergraduate Seminar in Discrete Mathematics, Spring 2006 Kleitman, Daniel This course is a student-presented seminar in combinatorics, graph theory, and discrete mathematics in general. Instruction and practice in written and oral communication is emphasized, with participants reading and presenting papers from recent mathematics literature and writing a final paper in a related topic.

3.014 Materials Laboratory, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.014 Materials Laboratory, Fall 2005 Mayes, Anne M.; Hobbs, L. W.; Stellacci, Francesco This course is a required sophomore subject in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, designed to be taken in conjunction with the core lecture subject 3.012 Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering <**link to course>. The laboratory subject combines experiments illustrating the principles of quantum mechanics, thermodynamics and structure with intensive oral and written technical communication practice. Specific topics include: experimental exploration of the connections between energetics, bonding and structure of materials, and application of these principles in instruments for materials characterization; demonstration of the wave-like nature of electrons; hands-on experience with techniques to quantify energy (DSC), bonding (XPS, AES, FTIR, UV/vis and force spectroscopy), and degree of order (x-ray scattering) in condensed matter; and investigation of structural transitions and structure-property relationships through practical materials examples.

3.185 Transport Phenomena in Materials Engineering, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.185 Transport Phenomena in Materials Engineering, Fall 2002 Powell, Adam C.; Zhou, Bo Solid-state diffusion, homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions, and spinodal decomposition. Heat conduction in solids, convective and radiative heat transfer boundary conditions. Fluid dynamics, 1-D solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations, boundary layer theory, turbulent flow, and coupling with heat conduction and diffusion in fluids to calculate heat and mass transfer coefficients.

18.06 Linear Algebra, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.06 Linear Algebra, Fall 2002 Strang, Gilbert Basic subject on matrix theory and linear algebra, emphasizing topics useful in other disciplines, including systems of equations, vector spaces, determinants, eigenvalues, similarity, and positive definite matrices. Applications to least-squares approximations, stability of differential equations, networks, Fourier transforms, and Markov processes. Uses MATLAB. Compared with 18.700, more emphasis on matrix algorithms and many applications.

18.085 Mathematical Methods for Engineers I, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.085 Mathematical Methods for Engineers I, Fall 2005 Strang, Gilbert This course provides a review of linear algebra, including applications to networks, structures, and estimation, Lagrange multipliers. Also covered are: differential equations of equilibrium; Laplace's equation and potential flow; boundary-value problems; minimum principles and calculus of variations; Fourier series; discrete Fourier transform; convolution; and applications.

18.112 Functions of a Complex Variable, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.112 Functions of a Complex Variable, Fall 2005 Helgason, Sigurdur, 1927- The basic properties of functions of one complex variable. Cauchy's theorem, holomorphic and meromorphic functions, residues, contour integrals, conformal mapping. Infinite series and products, the gamma function, the Mittag-Leffler theorem. Harmonic functions, Dirichlet's problem.

3.15 Electrical, Optical & Magnetic Materials and Devices, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.15 Electrical, Optical & Magnetic Materials and Devices, Fall 2003 Ross, Caroline A. Explores the relationships which exist between the performance of electrical, optical, and magnetic devices and the microstructural characteristics of the materials from which they are constructed. Features a device-motivated approach which places strong emphasis on emerging technologies. Device applications of physical phenomena are considered, including electrical conductivity and doping, transistors, photodectors and photovoltaics, luminescence, light emitting diodes, lasers, optical phenomena, photonics, ferromagnetism, and magnetoresistance.

18.03 Differential Equations, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.03 Differential Equations, Spring 2004 Miller, Haynes R., 1948-; Mattuck, Arthur Study of ordinary differential equations, including modeling of physical problems and interpretation of their solutions. Standard solution methods for single first-order equations, including graphical and numerical methods. Higher-order forced linear equations with constant coefficients. Complex numbers and exponentials. Matrix methods for first-order linear systems with constant coefficients. Non-linear autonomous systems; phase plane analysis. Fourier series; Laplace transforms.

3.22 Mechanical Properties of Materials, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.22 Mechanical Properties of Materials, Spring 2004 Gibson, Lorna J. Phenomenology of mechanical behavior of materials at the macroscopic level. Relationship of mechanical behavior to material structure and mechanisms of deformation and failure. Topics include: elasticity, viscoelasticity, plasticity, creep, fracture, and fatigue. Case studies and examples drawn from a variety of classes of materials including: metals, ceramics, polymers, thin films, composites, and cellular materials.

21L.472 Major European Novels, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.472 Major European Novels, Fall 2001 Kibel, Alvin C. A study of changing narrative forms in the nineteenth-century European novel. The changing fortunes of the heroic and romantic ideals. The motif of the outsider as a means for depicting social reality. Readings in Cervantes, Balzac, Stendhal, Flaubert, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Proust. From the course home page: Course Description This subject traces the history of the European novel by studying texts that have been influential in that history in connection with two interrelated ideas. The first of these ideas underlies much of our modern regard for the novel as a literary form–namely, the idea that if fiction intends to deal with the most important forces animating the collective life of humanity, it will not deal with the actions of persons of immense consequence–kings, princes, high elected officials and the like–but rather with the lives of apparently ordinary people and the everyday details of their social ambitions and desires: to use a phrase of Balzac's, with "ce qui se passe partout" (what happens everywhere). This idea sometimes goes with another: that the most significant representations of the human condition are those dealing with a particular type of protagonist–namely, with someone not obviously qualified to be of consequence in the world (by reason, say, of birth or inheritance) but nonetheless conceives of himself or herself as destined for great accomplishment and who tries to compel society to accept him or her as its agent.

21L.001 Foundations of Western Culture I: Homer to Dante, Spring 2000

2000-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.001 Foundations of Western Culture I: Homer to Dante, Spring 2000 Kibel, Alvin C. Studies a broad range of texts essential to understanding the two great sources of Western conceptions of the world and humanity's place within it: the ancient world of Greece and Rome and the Judeo-Christian world that challenged and absorbed it. Readings vary but usually include works by Homer, Sophocles, Aristotle, Plato, Virgil, St. Augustine, and Dante. From the course home page: Course Description This subject introduces the student to some of the literary, philosophical and religious texts which became major sources of assumption about the nature of the universe and mankind's place within it and which continue to underlie the characteristically Western sense of things to this day. In particular, the subject will study closely texts from two broad ranges of texts, those of ancient Greece and some major texts of the Judeo-Christian tradition, which rivals the tradition of the ancient world and in many ways contests with it. In our discussions we will also examine the claims made in behalf of our texts that they are classics and we will explore some of the historical, literary, intellectual, and ethical significance that the question "what is a classic?" has had at different moments in the history of Western civilization.

21L.010 / 21W.730-5 Writing About Literature, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.010 / 21W.730-5 Writing About Literature, Fall 2002 Kelley, Wyn This is a HASS –CI course. Like other communications-intensive courses in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, it allows students to produce 20 pages of polished writing with careful attention to revision. It also offers substantial opportunities for oral expression, through presentations of written work, student-led discussion, and class participation. The class has a low enrollment that ensures maximum attention to student writing and opportunity for oral expression, and a writing fellow/tutor is available for consultation on drafts and revisions.

21L.421 Comedy, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.421 Comedy, Fall 2001 Kelley, Wyn Surveys a range of comic texts from different media, the cultures that produced them, and various theories of comedy. Authors and directors studied may include Aristophanes, Shakespeare, MoliSre, Austen, and Chaplin. From the course home page: Course Description This is a second variation of the course. It includes a survey of a range of comic texts from different media, the cultures that produced them, and various theories of comedy. Authors studied include Twain, Wilde, Shakespeare, and Cervantes. Like other communications-intensive courses in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, it allows the student to produce a long writing assignment, in addition to several shorter pieces; it also offers substantial opportunities for oral expression, through student-led discussion, class reports, and class participation.

3.46 Photonic Materials and Devices, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.46 Photonic Materials and Devices, Spring 2004 Kimerling, Lionel C. Optical and optoelectronic properties of semiconductors, ceramics, and polymers. Electronic structure, refractive index, electroluminescence, electro-optic and magneto-optic effects, and laser phenomena. Microphotonic materials and structures; photonic band gap materials. Materials design and processing for lasers, waveguides, modulators, switches, displays and optoelectronic integrated circuits. Alternate years. Description from course home page: This course covers the theory, design, fabrication and applications of photonic materials and devices. After a survey of optical materials design for semiconductors, dielectrics and polymers, the course examines ray optics, electromagnetic optics and guided wave optics; physics of light-matter interactions; and device design principles of LEDs, lasers, photodetectors, modulators, fiber and waveguide interconnects, optical filters, and photonic crystals. Device processing topics include crystal growth, substrate engineering, thin film deposition, etching and process integration for dielectric, silicon and compound semiconductor materials. The course also covers microphotonic integrated circuits and applications in telecom/datacom systems. Course assignments include three design projects that emphasize materials, devices and systems applications.

21L.011 The Film Experience, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.011 The Film Experience, Fall 2007 Thorburn, David This course is an introduction to narrative film, emphasizing the unique properties of the movie house and the motion picture camera, the historical evolution of the film medium, and the intrinsic artistic qualities of individual films. The primary focus is on American cinema, but secondary attention is paid to works drawn from other great national traditions, such as France, Italy, and Japan. The syllabus includes such directors as Griffith, Keaton, Chaplin, Renoir, Ford, Hitchcock, Altman, De Sica, and Fellini.

21L.000J / 21L.010 / 21W.734J Writing About Literature, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.000J / 21L.010 / 21W.734J Writing About Literature, Fall 2006 Kelley, Wyn Writing About Literature aims: To increase students' pleasure and skill in reading literary texts and in writing and communicating about them. To introduce students to different literary forms (poetry, fiction, drama) and some tools of literary study (close reading, research, theoretical models). To allow students to get to know a single writer deeply. To encourage students to make independent decisions about their reading by exploring and reporting back on authors whose works they enjoy. The syllabus includes an eclectic mix: William Shakespeare, Herman Melville, Henry James, Michael Frayn, and Jhumpa Lahiri. We'll explore different ways of approaching the questions readers have about each of these texts.

21L.002-3 Foundations of Western Culture II: Modernism, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.002-3 Foundations of Western Culture II: Modernism, Spring 2004 Eiland, Howard This course comprises a broad survey of texts, literary and philosophical, which trace the development of the modern world from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century. Intrinsic to this development is the growth of individualism in a world no longer understood to be at the center of the universe. The texts chosen for study exemplify the emergence of a new humanism, at once troubled and dynamic in comparison to the old. The leading theme of this course is thus the question of the difference between the ancient and the modern world. Students who have taken Foundations of Western Culture I will obviously have an advantage in dealing with this question. Classroom discussion approaches this question mainly through consideration of action and characters, voice and form.

21L.423 / 21M.223J Introduction to Anglo-American Folkmusic, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.423 / 21M.223J Introduction to Anglo-American Folkmusic, Fall 2002 Perry, Ruth; Ruckert, George This subject will introduce students to scholarship about folk music of the British Isles and North America. We will define the qualities of "folk music" and "folk poetry," including the narrative qualities of ballads, and we will try to recreate the historical context in which such music was an essential part of everyday life. We will survey the history of collecting, beginning with Pepys' collection of broadsides, Percy's Reliques and the Gow collections of fiddle tunes. The urge to collect folk music will be placed in its larger historical, social and political contexts. We will trace the migrations of fiddle styles and of sung ballads to look at the broad outlines of the story of collecting folk music in the USA, especially in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

3.091 Introduction to Solid State Chemistry, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.091 Introduction to Solid State Chemistry, Fall 2002 Sadoway, Donald R.; Sultan, Betty; Counterman, Craig Basic principles of chemistry and their application to engineering systems. The relationship between electronic structure, chemical bonding, and atomic order. Characterization of atomic arrangements in crystalline and amorphous solids: metals, ceramics, semiconductors, and polymers (including proteins). Topical coverage of organic chemistry, solution chemistry, acid-base equilibria, electrochemistry, biochemistry, chemical kinetics, diffusion, and phase diagrams. Examples from industrial practice (including the environmental impact of chemical processes), from energy generation and storage, e.g., batteries and fuel cells, and from emerging technologies, e.g., photonic and biomedical devices.

21L.003 Reading Fiction, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.003 Reading Fiction, Fall 2008 Vaeth, Kimberly This course offers students ways to become more engaged and curious readers for life. By learning the language of selected short stories and novels, students learn the language of literary description. There will be a strong emphasis on class discussion and writing. Readings will include fiction by O'Conner, Joyce, Tolstoy, Mann, Shelley, and Baldwin.

3.14 Physical Metallurgy, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.14 Physical Metallurgy, Fall 2003 Schuh, Chris The central point of this course is to provide a physical basis that links the structure of metals with their properties. With this understanding in hand, the concepts of alloy design and microstructural engineering are also discussed, linking processing and thermodynamics to the structure and properties of metals.

3.044 Materials Processing, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.044 Materials Processing, Spring 2005 Kirchain, Randolph; Powell IV, Adam The goal of 3.044 is to teach cost-effective and sustainable production of solid material with a desired geometry, structure or distribution of structures, and production volume. Toward this end, it is organized around different types of phase transformations which determine the structure in various processes for making materials, in roughly increasing order of entropy change during those transformations: solid heat treatment, liquid-solid processing, fluid behavior, deformation processing, and vapor-solid processing. The course ends with several lectures that place the subject in the context of society at large.

24.901 Language and its Structure I: Phonology, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.901 Language and its Structure I: Phonology, Fall 2002 Steriade, Donca; Kenstowicz, Michael 24.901 is designed to give you a preliminary understanding of how the sound systems of different languages are structured, how and why they may differ from each other. The course also aims to provide you with analytical tools in phonology, enough to allow you to sketch the analysis of an entire phonological system by the end of the term. On a non-linguistic level, the couse aims to teach you by example the virtues of formulating precise and explicit descriptive statements; and to develop your skills in making and evaluating arguments.

21L.451 Introduction to Literary Theory, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.451 Introduction to Literary Theory, Spring 2004 Raman, Shankar This subject focuses on the ways in which we read, providing an overview of some of the different strategies of reading, comprehending and engaging with literary texts developed in the twentieth century. The course is organized around specific theoretical paradigms. In each case our task will be, first, to work through the selected reading in order to see how it determines or defines the task of literary interpretation; second, to locate the limits of each particular approach; and finally, to trace the emergence of subsequent theoretical paradigms as responses to the achievements and limitations of what came before. The literary texts and films that accompany the theoretical material will serve as concrete cases that allow us to see theory in action. In general, then, each week we will pair a text or film with a particular interpretative approach, using the former to explore the strengths of the theoretical paradigm under discussion. Our task will not be to provide a definitive or full analysis of the literary or filmic work, but to exploit it to understand better theories of literary interpretation.

24.120 Moral Psychology, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.120 Moral Psychology, Fall 2005 Holton, Richard, 1962- The course is an examination of philosophical theories of action and motivation in the light of empirical findings from social psychology, sociology and neuroscience. Topics include Belief, Desire, and Moral Motivation; Sympathy and Empathy; Intentions and other Committing States; Strength of Will and Weakness of Will; Free Will; Addiction and Compulsion; Guilt, Shame and Regret; Evil; Self-knowledge and Self-deception; Virtues and Character Traits.

24.221 Metaphysics, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.221 Metaphysics, Fall 2005 Yablo, Stephen This course focuses on the study of basic metaphysical issues concerning existence, the mind-body problem, personal identity, and causation plus its implications for freedom. The course explores classical as well as contemporary readings.

21L.011 The Film Experience, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.011 The Film Experience, Fall 2006 Thorburn, David An introduction to narrative film, emphasizing the unique properties of the movie house and the motion-picture camera, the historical evolution of the film medium, and the intrinsic artistic qualities of individual films. Syllabus changes from semester to semester, but usually includes such directors as Griffith, Chaplin, Renoir, Ford, Hitchcock, De Sica, and Fellini. From the course home page: Course Description This course is an introduction to narrative film, emphasizing the unique properties of the movie house and the motion picture camera, the historical evolution of the film medium, and the intrinsic artistic qualities of individual films. The primary focus is on American cinema, but secondary attention is paid to works drawn from other great national traditions, such as France, Italy, and Japan. The syllabus includes such directors as Griffith, Keaton, Chaplin, Renoir, Ford, Hitchcock, Altman, De Sica, and Truffaut.

3.22 Mechanical Properties of Materials, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.22 Mechanical Properties of Materials, Spring 2003 Gibson, Lorna J.; Suresh, S. (Subra); Mills, John Philip Phenomenology of mechanical behavior of materials at the macroscopic level. Relationship of mechanical behavior to material structure and mechanisms of deformation and failure. Topics include: elasticity, viscoelasticity, plasticity, creep, fracture, and fatigue. Case studies and examples drawn from a variety of classes of materials including: metals, ceramics, polymers, thin films, composites, and cellular materials.

24.03 Relativism, Reason, & Reality, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.03 Relativism, Reason, & Reality, Fall 2002 Yablo, Stephen An examination of philosophical issues on the theme of relativism. Are moral standards relative to cultures and/or moral frameworks? Are there incompatible or non-comparable ways of thinking about the world that are somehow equally good? Is science getting closer to the truth? Is rationality -- the notion of a good reason to believe something -- relative to cultural norms? What are selves? Is there a coherent form of relativism about the self? Discussion of these questions through the writings of contemporary philosophers such as Thomas Kuhn, Karl Popper, Gilbert Harman, Judith Thomson, and Derek Parfit. Emphasis on ways of making these vague questions precise, and critical evaluation of philosophical arguments.

11.202 Gateway: Planning Economics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.202 Gateway: Planning Economics, Fall 2004 Levy, Frank Planning Economics (11.202) is a course that runs for the last one-third of a semester and covers economics topics of particular interest to city planning students: location theory, the interplay between externalities and zoning, international trade and globalization, and housing finance. Few incoming students have had prior exposure to these topics.The first two-thirds of the semester is given over to Microeconomics (11.203). It is designed for incoming city planning students with little or no economics background. Incoming students take a voluntary microeconomics test-out at the beginning of the semester. Those that pass the test-out are exempt from taking Microeconomics.To minimize disruption, Planning Economics is positioned as the last third of a semester long core course on Planning Institutions and Economics. All students are required to take this final segment of the semester, including students who have tested out of microeconomics.

11.203 Microeconomics for Planners, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.203 Microeconomics for Planners, Fall 2004 Levy, Frank Microeconomics for Planners, 11.203, will ground you in basic microeconomics - how markets function, how to think about allocating scarce resources, what profit maximizing behavior means in different kinds of markets, how technology and trade reshapes all of this, etc. Along the way, it will also give you a sense of several of the major economic issues in the presidential campaign. We will consider activities that markets don’t directly capture - the value of an historic preservation district or the costs imposed by pollution - in November and December during Gateway: Planning Economics, 11.202.

18.702 Algebra II, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.702 Algebra II, Spring 2008 Artin, Michael This undergraduate level course follows Algebra I. Topics include group representations, rings, ideals, fields, polynomial rings, modules, factorization, integers in quadratic number fields, field extensions, and Galois theory.

3.A24 Freshman Seminar: The Engineering of Trees, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.A24 Freshman Seminar: The Engineering of Trees, Spring 2003 Gibson, Lorna J. Why are things in nature shaped the way they are? Why can't trees grow taller than they are? Why is grass skinny and hollow? Why are some leaves full of holes? These are the types of questions Dr. Lorna Gibson's freshman seminar at MIT has been investigating. We invite you to explore with us. Questions such as these are the subject of biomimetic research. When engineers copy the shapes found in nature we call it Biomimetics. the word biomimic comes from bio, as in biology and mimetic, which means to copy. Join us as we explore and look for answers to why similar shapes occur in so many natural things and how physics change the shape of nature.

13.734 Sailing Yacht Design, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.734 Sailing Yacht Design, Fall 2003 Milgram, Jerome H. This subject teaches students, having an initial interest in sailing design, how to design good yachts. Topics covered include hydrostatics, transverse stability, and the incorporation of the design spiral into one's working methods. Computer aided design (CAD) is used to design the shapes of hulls, appendages and decks, and is an important part of this course. The capstone project in this course is the Final Design Project in which each student designs a sailing yacht, complete in all major respects. The central material for this subject is the content of the book Principals of Yacht Design by Larssson and Eliasson (see further description in the syllabus). All the class lectures are based on the material in this book. The figures in the book which are shown in class (but not reproduced on this site), contain the essential material and their meaning is explained in detail during the lecture sessions. Mastery of the material in the book and completing a design project provides the desired and needed education.

22.00J / 1.021J / 3.021J / 10.333J / 18.361J / 2.030J / HST.558 Introduction to Modeling and Simulation, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.00J / 1.021J / 3.021J / 10.333J / 18.361J / 2.030J / HST.558 Introduction to Modeling and Simulation, Spring 2002 Yip, Sidney; Powell, Adam C.; Bazant, Martin Z.; Carter, W. Craig; Marzari, Nicola; Rosales, Rodolfo; White, Jacob K.; Cao, Jianshu; Hadjiconstantinou, Nicolas G (Nicholas George); Mirny, Leonid A.; Trout, Bernhardt L.; Ulm, F.-J. (Franz-Josef) Basic concepts of computer modeling in science and engineering using discrete particle systems and continuum fields. Techniques and software for statistical sampling, simulation, data analysis and visualization. Use of statistical, quantum chemical, molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo, mesoscale and continuum methods to study fundamental physical phenomena encountered in the fields of computational physics, chemistry, mechanics, materials science, biology, and applied mathematics. Applications drawn from a range of disciplines to build a broad-based understanding of complex structures and interactions in problems where simulation is on equal-footing with theory and experiment. Term project allows development of individual interest. Student mentoring by a coordinated team of participating faculty from across the Institute.

2.007 Design and Manufacturing I, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.007 Design and Manufacturing I, Spring 2003 Slocum, Alexander H.; Culpepper, Martin Develops students' competence and self-confidence as design engineers. Emphasis on the creative design process bolstered by application of physical laws, and learning to complete projects on schedule. Synthesis, analysis, design robustness and manufacturability are emphasized. Subject relies on active learning through exercises in lecture and laboratory. A major design-and-build project is featured. Lecture topics include idea generation, estimation, concept selection, visual thinking and communication, kinematics of mechanisms, design for manufacturing, and designer's professional responsibilities and ethics. From the course home page: A required on-line evaluation is given at the beginning and the end of the course so students can assess their design knowledge.

13.122 Ship Structural Analysis & Design, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

13.122 Ship Structural Analysis & Design, Spring 2003 Burke, David V. Ship longitudinal strength and hull primary stresses. Ship structural design concepts. Effect of superstructures and dissimilar materials on primary strength. Transverse shear stresses in the hull girder. Torsional strength of ships.Design limit states including plate bending, column and panel buckling, panel ultimate strength, and plastic analysis. Matrix stiffness, grillage, and finite element analysis. Computer projects on the structural design of a midship module. From the course home page: Course Description This course is intended for first year graduate students and advanced undergraduates with an interest in design of ships or offshore structures. It requires a sufficient background in structural mechanics. Computer applications are utilized, with emphasis on the theory underlying the analysis. Hydrostatic loading, shear load and bending moment, and resulting primary hull primary stresses will be developed. Topics will include; ship structural design concepts, effect of superstructures and dissimilar materials on primary strength, transverse shear stresses in the hull girder, and torsional strength among others. Failure mechanisms and design limit states will be developed for plate bending, column and panel buckling, panel ultimate strength, and plastic analysis. Matrix stiffness, grillage, and finite element analysis will be introduced. Design of a ship structure will be analyzed by "hand" with desktop computer tools and a final design project using current applications for structural design of a section will be accomplished.

11.237 / SP.660 Gender and Race, Work, and Public Policy, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.237 / SP.660 Gender and Race, Work, and Public Policy, Spring 2005 McDowell, Ceasar; Fried, Mindy This course provides an analytic framework for understanding the roles that gender and race play in defining the work worlds of women and men in our society, including ways in which gender intersects with race and class. The course examines specific workplace-related policies through a gender/race lens, including welfare policy, comparable worth, affirmative action, parental leave policy, child care policy and working time policies. Students are required to investigate ways in which these policies address gender and racial inequities, and think critically about mechanisms for change.

18.S34 Problem Solving Seminar, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.S34 Problem Solving Seminar, Fall 2004 Rogers, H. (Hartley), 1926-; Stanley, Richard P., 1944- This course,which is geared toward Freshmen, is an undergraduate seminar on mathematical problem solving. It is intended for students who enjoy solving challenging mathematical problems and who are interested in learning various techniques and background information useful for problem solving. Students in this course are expected to compete in a nationwide mathematics contest for undergraduates.

14.54 International Trade, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.54 International Trade, Fall 2005 Lorenzoni, Guido Introduction to the theory of international trade and finance with applications to current policy issues. From the course home page: Course Description The course will help us understand what determines the flow of goods across countries, i.e. international trade, and what determines the flow of savings and investments from one country to another, i.e. international finance. The subject is one of the oldest fields in economics and is extremely topical at the moment, with the ongoing debate on globalization, free trade agreements, the large current account deficits of the US, the prospects for exchange rates, and the calls for a new global financial architecture following the financial crises in East Asia and Argentina. In the course we will both cover the basic tools and some topics of current interest.

22.312 Engineering of Nuclear Reactors, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.312 Engineering of Nuclear Reactors, Fall 2004 Buongiorno, Jacopo, 1971- Engineering principles of nuclear reactors, emphasizing power reactors. Power plant thermodynamics, reactor heat generation and removal (single-phase as well as two-phase coolant flow and heat transfer), and structural mechanics. Engineering considerations in reactor design. From the course home page: Course Description This course covers engineering principles of nuclear reactors, emphasizing power reactors. Topics include power plant thermodynamics, reactor heat generation and removal (single-phase as well as two-phase coolant flow and heat transfer), and structural mechanics. Engineering considerations in reactor design are also covered. The course objective is to understand and model the thermal-hydraulic and mechanical phenomena key to the effective, reliable and safe design and operation of nuclear systems. This course is taught by Prof. Jacopo Buongiorno. More information is available on his Web site.

21A.216J / SP.622J / WGS.622J Dilemmas in Bio-Medical Ethics: Playing God or Doing Good?, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.216J / SP.622J / WGS.622J Dilemmas in Bio-Medical Ethics: Playing God or Doing Good?, Spring 2005 James, Erica This course is an introduction to the cross-cultural study of bio-medical ethics. It examines moral foundations of the science and practice of western bio-medicine through case studies of abortion, contraception, cloning, organ transplantation, and other issues. It also evaluates challenges that new medical technologies pose to the practice and availability of medical services around the globe, and to cross-cultural ideas of kinship and personhood. It discusses critiques of the bio-medical tradition from anthropological, feminist, legal, religious, and cross-cultural theorists.

8.333 Statistical Mechanics I: Statistical Mechanics of Particles, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.333 Statistical Mechanics I: Statistical Mechanics of Particles, Fall 2007 Kardar, Mehran Statistical Mechanics is a probabilistic approach to equilibrium properties of large numbers of degrees of freedom. In this two-semester course, basic principles are examined. Topics include: thermodynamics, probability theory, kinetic theory, classical statistical mechanics, interacting systems, quantum statistical mechanics, and identical particles.

7.012 Introduction to Biology, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.012 Introduction to Biology, Fall 2001 Weinberg, Robert A. (Robert Allan), 1942-; Lander, Eric S.; Gardel, Claudette L.; Mischke, Michelle D. Cell biology, immunology, neurobiology, and an exploration into current research in cancer, genomics, and molecular medicine.

ESD.260J / 1.260J / 15.770J Logistics Systems, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.260J / 1.260J / 15.770J Logistics Systems, Fall 2003 Caplice, Christopher George, 1961-; Sheffi, Yosef, 1948- See description under subject 1.260J. This course is a survey of analytic tools, approaches, and techniques which are useful in the design and operation of logistics systems and integrated supply chains. The material is taught from a managerial perspective, with an emphasis on where and how specific tools can be used to improve the overall performance and reduce the total cost of a supply chain. There is a strong emphasis on the development and use of fundamental models to illustrate the underlying concepts involved in both intra- and inter-company logistics operations. The following topics are covered: Demand Forecasting Tools, Inventory Control Algorithms, Transportation Operations and Management, Vehicle Routing, Scheduling, Fleet Dispatching Algorithms and Approaches, Optimization of Transportation Carrier Operations, Supply Chain Network Design, Procurement, Sourcing, and Auctions (including Combinatorial Auctions), Management and Minimization of Supply Chain Uncertainty and Supply Contracts and Collaboration. In addition to model development, the course uses examples from industry to provide illustrations of the concepts in practice. This is not, however, a case study course.

12.215 Modern Navigation, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.215 Modern Navigation, Fall 2002 Herring, T. (Thomas) Introduces the concepts and applications of navigation techniques using celestial bodies and satellite positioning systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS). Topics include astronomical observations, radio navigation systems, the relationship between conventional navigation results and those obtained from GPS, and the effects of the security systems, Selective Availability, and anti-spoofing on GPS results. Laboratory sessions cover the use of sextants, astronomical telescopes, and field use of GPS. Application areas covered include ship, automobile, and aircraft navigation and positioning, including very precise positioning applications. From the course home page: Course Description The development of the Global Positioning System (GPS) started in the 1960s, and the system became operational in 1992. The system has seen many diverse applications develop in the last few years with the accuracy of positioning ranging from 100 meters (the civilian restricted accuracy requirement) to 1 millimeter (without the need for a security clearance!) In this course we will apply many of basic principles of science and mathematics learnt at MIT to explore the applications and principles of GPS. We also use GPS and other equipment in the class (and outside on Campus) to demonstrate the uses of this system.

21F.402 German II, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.402 German II, Spring 2003 Crocker, Ellen W. Expansion of basic communication skills and further development of linguistic competency. Review and completion of basic grammar, building of vocabulary, and practice in writing short essays. Reading of short literary texts. Exposure to history and culture of German-speaking countries through audio, video, and Web materials. For graduate credit see 21F.452. From the course home page: Course Description In this course students are exposed to history and culture of German-speaking countries through audio, video, and Web materials. It focuses on the expansion of basic communication skills and further development of linguistic competency, and includes the review and completion of basic grammar, building of vocabulary, and practice in writing short essays. Students will also read short literary texts.

21F.405 Germany Today: Intensive Study of German Language & Culture, January (IAP) 2003

2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

21F.405 Germany Today: Intensive Study of German Language & Culture, January (IAP) 2003 Crocker, Ellen W.; Fendt, Kurt E. Prepares students for working and living in German-speaking countries. Focus on current political, social, and cultural issues, using newspapers, journals, TV, radio broadcasts, and Web sources from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Emphasis on speaking, writing, and reading skills for professional contexts. Activities include: oral presentations, group discussions, guest lectures, and interviews with German speakers. No listeners.

11.125 Exploring K-12 Clasroom Teaching, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.125 Exploring K-12 Clasroom Teaching, Spring 2003 Klopfer, Eric Subject uses K-12 classroom experiences, along with student-centered classroom activities and student-led classes, to explore issues in schools and education. Topics of study include design and implementation of curriculum, addressing the needs of a diversity of students, standards in math and science, student misconceptions, methods of instruction, the digital divide, teaching through different media, and student assessment.

3.082 Materials Processing Laboratory, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.082 Materials Processing Laboratory, Spring 2003 Chiang, Yet-Ming; Roylance, David Student project teams design and fabricate a materials engineering prototype using appropriate processing technologies (injection molding, thermoforming, investment casting, powder processing, brazing, etc.). Emphasis on teamwork, project management, communications and computer skills, and hands-on work using student and MIT laboratory shops. Goals include developing an understanding of the practical applications of MSE; trade-offs between design, processing and performance; and fabrication of a deliverable prototype. Teams document their progress and final results by means of web pages and weekly oral presentations. Instruction and practice in oral communication provided.

11.482J / 1.285J / ESD.193J Regional Socioeconomic Impact Analysis and Modeling, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.482J / 1.285J / ESD.193J Regional Socioeconomic Impact Analysis and Modeling, Fall 2005 Polenske, Karen R.; Biderman, Ciro; Guo, Zhan, 1973- Reviews regional economic theories and models and provides students with experience in using alternative economic impact assessment models on microcomputers. Problem sets are oriented around infrastructure, housing, energy, and environmental issues. Students work with a client generally in Boston and make a presentation to the client. Emphasis on written and oral presentation skills. From the course home page: Course Description The advanced graduate seminar is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of selected regional economic theories and techniques and with experience in using alternative socioeconomic impact assessment models and related regional techniques on microcomputers. Discussions will be held on particular theoretical modeling and economic issues; linkages among theories, accounts, and policies; relationships between national and regional economic structures; and methods of adjusting and estimating regional input-output accounts and tables. Examples from the Boston area and other U.S. cities/regions will be used to illustrate points throughout the seminar. This year we will also examine international employment outsourcing from Boston industries and the economic impacts on the local economy. New material on analyzing regional-development issues will also be covered.

5.76 Molecular Spectra and Molecular Structure, Spring 1996

1996-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.76 Molecular Spectra and Molecular Structure, Spring 1996 Field, Robert W. Surveys modern research topics in physical chemistry. Introduction to four or five research areas of current interest. Topics vary from year to year and may include the following: advanced statistical and quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, nanostructures and mesoscopic materials, high resolution and ultra fast laser spectroscopy, atmospheric, environmental and surface science, and magnetic resonance. Description from course home page: The goal of this course is to illustrate how molecular structure is extracted from a spectrum. In order to achieve this goal it will be necessary to: master the language of spectroscopists; develop facility with quantum mechanical models; predict the relative intensities and selection rules; and learn how to assign spectra.

3.051J / 20.340J Materials for Biomedical Applications, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.051J / 20.340J Materials for Biomedical Applications, Spring 2004 Mayes, Anne M. Introduction to the interactions between cells and surfaces of biomaterials. Surface chemistry and physics of selected metals, polymers, and ceramics. Surface characterization methodology. Modification of biomaterials surfaces. Quantitative assays of cell behavior in culture. Biosensors and microarrays. Bulk properties of implants. Acute and chronic response to implanted biomaterials. Topics in biomimetics, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. Laboratory demonstrations.

21W.747-1 Rhetoric, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.747-1 Rhetoric, Fall 2006 Strang, Steven This course is an introduction to the history, the theory, the practice, and the implications (both social and ethical) of rhetoric, the art and craft of persuasion. This semester, many of your skills will be deepened by practice, including your analytical skills, your critical thinking skills, your persuasive writing skills, and your oral presentation skills. In this course you will act as both a rhetor (a person who uses rhetoric) and a rhetorician (one who studies the art of rhetoric).

SP.722 D-Lab: Development, Design and Dissemination, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.722 D-Lab: Development, Design and Dissemination, Spring 2005 Smith, Amy J.; Kornbluth, Kurt D-Lab: Development, Design and Dissemination is a design studio course in which students work on international development projects for underserved communities. The class is focused on a participatory, iterative prototyping design process, with particular attention on the constraints faced when designing for developing communities. Students work in multidisciplinary teams on term-long projects in collaboration with community partners, field practitioners, and experts in relevant fields. Students will learn about their partner communities through the collaborative design process and be exposed to many hands-on fabrication and prototyping skills relevant to development at MIT and manufacturing in their partner community. The course will consist of hands-on labs, guest speakers, and a guided design process with review by experts and professionals in development and design. This course builds on SP.721, although that course is not a required prerequisite.

18.100A Analysis I, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.100A Analysis I, Fall 2007 Mattuck, Arthur Analysis I (18.100) in its various versions covers fundamentals of mathematical analysis: continuity, differentiability, some form of the Riemann integral, sequences and series of numbers and functions, uniform convergence with applications to interchange of limit operations, some point-set topology, including some work in Euclidean n-space. MIT students may choose to take one of three versions of 18.100: Option A (18.100A) chooses less abstract definitions and proofs, and gives applications where possible. Option B (18.100B) is more demanding and for students with more mathematical maturity; it places more emphasis from the beginning on point-set topology and n-space, whereas Option A is concerned primarily with analysis on the real line, saving for the last weeks work in 2-space (the plane) and its point-set topology. Option C (18.100C) is a 15-unit variant of Option B, with further instruction and practice in written and oral communication.

4.430 Daylighting, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.430 Daylighting, Fall 2006 Andersen, Marilyne This class provides the tools necessary for an efficient integration of daylighting issues in the overall design of a building. The fundamentals of daylighting and electric lighting are introduced and their relevance to design decisions emphasized: benefits and availability of daylight, solar radiation and sun course, photometry, vision and color perception, daylighting metrics, visual and thermal comfort, electric lighting. More advanced topics are presented and practiced through the design project and homework assignments, such as primary and advanced lighting design strategies, and design and assessment tools for lighting management.

2.29 Numerical Fluid Mechanics, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.29 Numerical Fluid Mechanics, Spring 2007 Schmidt, Henrik This course introduces students to MATLAB®. Numerical methods include number representation and errors, interpolation, differentiation, integration, systems of linear equations, and Fourier interpolation and transforms. Students will study partial and ordinary differential equations as well as elliptic and parabolic differential equations, and solutions by numerical integration, finite difference methods, finite element methods, boundary element methods, and panel methods.

15.053 Optimization Methods in Management Science, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.053 Optimization Methods in Management Science, Spring 2007 Mamani, Hamed; Orlin, James; Metzger, Michael; Narayanaswamy, Murali 15.053 introduces students to the theory, algorithms, and applications of optimization. Optimization methodologies include linear programming, network optimization, integer programming, decision trees, and dynamic programming. The methods have applications to logistics, manufacturing, transportation, marketing, project management, and finance.

RES.12-001 Topics in Fluid Dynamics: Dimensional Analysis, the Coriolis force, and Lagrangian and Eulerian Representations, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

RES.12-001 Topics in Fluid Dynamics: Dimensional Analysis, the Coriolis force, and Lagrangian and Eulerian Representations, Fall 2004 Price, James F. This collection of three essays was developed from the author's experience teaching Fluid Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean, 12.800, offered to graduate students entering the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography. The goal of this course is to help each student master the concepts and mathematical tools that make up the foundation of classical and geophysical fluid dynamics. Three topics --- the subject of these essays --- proved to be the most difficult for most students: 1) dimensional analysis, 2) the Coriolis force and 3) Lagrangian and Eulerian representations. These essays treat these topics in considerably greater depth than a comprehensive fluids textbook can afford, and they are accompanied by data files (MATLAB® and Fortan) that allows some application and experimentation. They should be suitable for self study. Technical RequirementsSpecial software is required to use some of the files in this course: .m, .fortran.

12.458 Molecular Biogeochemistry, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.458 Molecular Biogeochemistry, Fall 2006 Summons, Roger This course covers all aspects of molecular biosignatures from their pathways of lipid biosynthesis, the distribution patterns of lipid biosynthetic pathways with regard to phylogeny and physiology, isotopic contents, occurrence in modern organisms and environments, diagenetic pathways, analytical techniques and the occurrence of molecular fossils through the geological record.

12.006J / 18.353J / 2.050J Nonlinear Dynamics I: Chaos, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.006J / 18.353J / 2.050J Nonlinear Dynamics I: Chaos, Fall 2006 Rothman, Daniel This course provides an introduction to the theory and phenomenology of nonlinear dynamics and chaos in dissipative systems. The content is structured to be of general interest to undergraduates in science and engineering.

18.100C Analysis I, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.100C Analysis I, Spring 2006 Ciubotaru, Dan This course is meant as a first introduction to rigorous mathematics; understanding and writing of proofs will be emphasized. We will cover basic notions in real analysis: point-set topology, metric spaces, sequences and series, continuity, differentiability, and integration.

14.471 Public Economics I, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.471 Public Economics I, Fall 2007 Poterba, James; Werning, Iván Theory and evidence on government taxation policy. Topics include tax incidence, optimal tax theory, the effect of taxation on labor supply and savings, taxation and corporate behavior, and tax expenditure policy.

21L.006 American Literature, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.006 American Literature, Fall 2002 Kelley, Wyn This is a HASS-D CI course. Like other communications-intensive courses in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, it allows students to produce 20 pages of polished writing with careful attention to revision. It also offers substantial opportunities for oral expression, through presentations of written work, student-led discussion, and class participation. The class has a low enrollment that ensures maximum attention to student writing and opportunity for oral expression, and a writing fellow/tutor is available for consultation on drafts and revisions.

10.391J / 1.818J / 2.65J / 3.564J / 11.371J / 22.811J / ESD.166J Sustainable Energy, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

10.391J / 1.818J / 2.65J / 3.564J / 11.371J / 22.811J / ESD.166J Sustainable Energy, Spring 2005 Drake, Elisabeth; Tester, Jefferson W.; Golay, Michael The assessment of current and potential future energy systems is covered in this course and includes topics on resources, extraction, conversion, and end-use, with emphasis on meeting regional and global energy needs in the 21st century in a sustainable manner. Different renewable and conventional energy technologies will be presented and their attributes described within a framework that aids in evaluation and analysis of energy technology systems in the context of political, social, economic, and environmental goals. Detailed information on the course textbook can be found here: Tester, J. W., E. M. Drake, M. W. Golay, M. J. Driscoll, and W. A. Peters. Sustainable Energy - Choosing Among Options. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005. ISBN: 0262201534.

4.651 20th Century Art, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.651 20th Century Art, Fall 2002 Jones, Caroline Critical examination of major developments in European and American art during the past century. Surveys art's engagements with modernization, radical politics, utopianism, mass culture, changing conceptions of mind and human nature, new technologies, colonialism and postcolonialism, and other significant aspects of recent history.

12.001 Introduction to Geology, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.001 Introduction to Geology, Spring 2008 Elkins-Tanton, Lindy This undergraduate level course presents a basic study in geology. It introduces major minerals and rock types, rock-forming processes, and time scales; temperatures, pressures, compositions, structure of the Earth, and measurement techniques; geologic structures and relationships observable in the field; sediment movement and landform development by moving water, wind, and ice; crustal processes and planetary evolution in terms of global plate tectonics with an emphasis on ductile and brittle processes.

21H.991J / STS.210J Theories and Methods in the Study of History, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.991J / STS.210J Theories and Methods in the Study of History, Fall 2003 Perdue, Peter C. The purpose of this course is to acquaint you with a variety of approaches to the past used by historians writing in the twentieth century. Most of the books on the list constitute, in my view (and others), modern classics, or potential classics, in social and economic history. We will examine how these historians conceive of their object of study, how they use primary sources as a basis for their accounts, how they structure the narrative and analytic discussion of their topic, and what are the advantages and drawbacks of their approaches.

18.024 Calculus with Theory II, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.024 Calculus with Theory II, Spring 2003 Munkres, James; Lachowska, Anna This course is a continuation of 18.014. It covers the same material as 18.02 (Calculus), but at a deeper level, emphasizing careful reasoning and understanding of proofs. There is considerable emphasis on linear algebra and vector integral calculus.Topics include: Calculus of several variables. Vector algebra in 3-space, determinants, matrices. Vector-valued functions of one variable, space motion. Scalar functions of several variables: partial differentiation, gradient, optimization techniques. Double integrals and line integrals in the plane; exact differentials and conservative fields; Green's theorem and applications, triple integrals, line and surface integrals in space, Divergence theorem, Stokes' theorem; applications. Dr. Lachowska wishes to acknowledge Andrew Brooke-Taylor and Alex Retakh for their help with this course web site.

6.436J / 15.085J Fundamentals of Probability, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.436J / 15.085J Fundamentals of Probability, Fall 2005 Tsitsiklis, John This is a course on the fundamentals of probability geared towards first or second-year graduate students who are interested in a rigorous development of the subject. The course covers most of the topics in MIT course 6.431 but at a faster pace and in more depth. Topics covered include: probability spaces and measures; discrete and continuous random variables; conditioning and independence; multivariate normal distribution; abstract integration, expectation, and related convergence results; moment generating and characteristic functions; Bernoulli and Poisson processes; finite-state Markov chains; convergence notions and their relations; and limit theorems. Familiarity with elementary notions in probability and real analysis is desirable.

5.95J / 7.59J / 8.395J / 18.094J Teaching College-Level Science, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.95J / 7.59J / 8.395J / 18.094J Teaching College-Level Science, Spring 2006 Breslow, Lori This seminar focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary for teaching science and engineering in higher education. Topics include: using current research in student learning to improve teaching; developing courses; lecturing; promoting students' ability to think critically and solve problems; communicating with a diverse student body; using educational technology; creating effective assignments and tests; and utilizing feedback to improve instruction. Students research and teach a topic of particular interest. This subject is appropriate for both novices and those with teaching experience.

21L.448J / 21W.739J Darwin and Design, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.448J / 21W.739J Darwin and Design, Fall 2009 Paradis, James In the Origin of Species (1859), Charles Darwin gave us a model for understanding how natural objects and systems can evidence design without positing a designer: how purpose and mechanism can exist without intelligent agency. Texts in this course deal with pre- and post-Darwinian treatment of this topic within literature and speculative thought since the eighteenth century. We will give some attention to the modern study of feedback mechanisms in artificial intelligence. Our reading will be in Hume, Voltaire, Malthus, Darwin, Butler, H. G. Wells, and Turing.

2.852 Manufacturing Systems Analysis, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.852 Manufacturing Systems Analysis, Spring 2004 Gershwin, Stanley This course deals with the following topics: Models of manufacturing systems, including transfer lines and flexible manufacturing systems; Calculation of performance measures, including throughput, in-process inventory, and meeting production commitments; Real-time control of scheduling; Effects of machine failure, set-ups, and other disruptions on system performance.

18.781 Theory of Numbers, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.781 Theory of Numbers, Spring 2003 Olsson, Martin This course provides an elementary introduction to number theory with no algebraic prerequisites. Topics include primes, congruences, quadratic reciprocity, diophantine equations, irrational numbers, continued fractions and elliptic curves.

21F.501 Beginning Japanese I, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.501 Beginning Japanese I, Fall 2004 Shingu, Ikue; Nagaya, Yoshimi; Nagatomi, Ayumi This course covers Lessons 1 through 6 from Japanese: the Spoken Language, Part 1 (by Eleanor H. Jorden with Mari Noda, Yale University Press, 1987), providing opportunities to acquire basic skills for conversation, reading and writing. The program emphasizes ACTIVE command of Japanese, not passive knowledge. The goal is not simply to study the grammar and vocabulary, but to acquire the ability to use Japanese accurately and appropriately with increasing spontaneity. Students learn Hiragana and Katakana (the Japanese phonetic symbols), then approximately 50 Kanji (Sino-Japanese characters) in this course.

24.900 Introduction to Linguistics, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.900 Introduction to Linguistics, Spring 2004 Richards, Norvin W. This class will provide some answers to basic questions about the nature of human language. Throughout the course, we will be learning (in many different ways) that human language is a surprisingly intricate -- yet law-governed and fascinating mental system. In the first 2/3 of the class, we will study some core aspects of this system in detail. In the last part of the class, we will use what we have learned to address a variety of questions, including how children acquire language, ways in which languages are affected by contact with other languages, and the representation of linguistic phenomena in the brain, among others.

12.001 Introduction to Geology, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.001 Introduction to Geology, Spring 2011 Perron, Taylor; Jagoutz, Oliver This course introduces students to the basics of geology. Through a combination of lectures, labs, and field observations, we will address topics ranging from formation of the elements, mineral and rock identification, and geological mapping to plate tectonics, erosion and climate engineering.

SP.601J / 17.006J / 17.007J / 24.237J Feminist Theory, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.601J / 17.006J / 17.007J / 24.237J Feminist Theory, Spring 2008 Wood, Elizabeth A. This course focuses on a range of theories of gender in modern life. In recent years, feminist scholars in a range of disciplines have challenged previously accepted notions of political theory such as the distinctions between public and private, the definitions of politics itself, the nature of citizenship, and the roles of women in civil society. In this course, we will examine different aspects of women's lives through the life cycle as seen from the vantage point of feminist theory. In addition, we will consider different ways of looking at power and political culture in modern societies, issues of race and class, poverty and welfare, and sexuality and morality. Acknowledgements The instructor would like to thank Lara Yeo for capturing notes and discussion questions in class.

3.021J / 1.021J / 10.333J / 18.361J / 22.00J Introduction to Modeling and Simulation, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.021J / 1.021J / 10.333J / 18.361J / 22.00J Introduction to Modeling and Simulation, Spring 2011 Buehler, Markus; Grossman, Jeffrey This subject provides an introduction to modeling and simulation (IM/S), covering continuum methods, atomistic and molecular simulation (e.g. molecular dynamics) as well as quantum mechanics. These tools play an increasingly important role in modern engineering. You will get hands-on training in both the fundamentals and applications of these methods to key engineering problems. The lectures will provide an exposure to areas of application, based on the scientific exploitation of the power of computation. We will use web based applets for simulations and thus extensive programming skills are not required.

15.070 Advanced Stochastic Processes, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.070 Advanced Stochastic Processes, Fall 2005 Gamarnik, David; Shah, Premal The class covers the analysis and modeling of stochastic processes. Topics include measure theoretic probability, martingales, filtration, and stopping theorems, elements of large deviations theory, Brownian motion and reflected Brownian motion, stochastic integration and Ito calculus and functional limit theorems. In addition, the class will go over some applications to finance theory, insurance, queueing and inventory models.

5.301 Chemistry Laboratory Techniques, January IAP 2004

2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

5.301 Chemistry Laboratory Techniques, January IAP 2004 Tabacco, Sarah This course is an intensive introduction to the techniques of experimental chemistry and gives first year students an opportunity to learn and master the basic chemistry lab techniques for carrying out experiments. Students who successfully complete the course and obtain a "Competent Chemist" (CC) or "Expert Experimentalist" (EE) rating are likely to secure opportunities for research work in a chemistry lab at MIT. Acknowledgements The laboratory manual and materials for this course were prepared by Dr. Katherine J. Franz and Dr. Kevin M. Shea with the assistance of Professors Rick L. Danheiser and Timothy M. Swager. Materials have been revised by Dr. J. Haseltine, Dr. Kevin M. Shea, and Dr. Sarah A. Tabacco. WARNING NOTICE The experiments described in these materials are potentially hazardous and require a high level of safety training, special facilities and equipment, and supervision by appropriate individuals. You bear the sole responsibility, liability, and risk for the implementation of such safety procedures and measures. MIT shall have no responsibility, liability, or risk for the content or implementation of any of the material presented. Legal Notice

21F.027J / CMS.874 / 21H.917J Visualizing Cultures, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.027J / CMS.874 / 21H.917J Visualizing Cultures, Spring 2008 Dower, John; Miyagawa, Shigeru In this new course, students will study how images have been used to shape the identity of peoples and cultures. A prototype digital project looking at American and Japanese graphics depicting the opening of Japan to the outside world in the 1850s will be used as a case study to introduce the conceptual and practical issues involved in "visualizing cultures". The major course requirement will be creation and presentation of a project involving visualized cultures.

MAS.963 Ambient Intelligence, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.963 Ambient Intelligence, Spring 2004 Maes, Patricia This course focuses on Ambient Intelligence, and how it envisions a world where people are surrounded by intelligent and intuitive interfaces embedded in the everyday objects around them. These interfaces recognize and respond to the presence and behavior of an individual in a personalized and relevant way. Students are required to do extensive literary research on the subject and participate in class discussions.

SP.236 / ES.SP236 Exploring Pharmacology, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.236 / ES.SP236 Exploring Pharmacology, Spring 2009 Gusman, Mariya; Fallows, Zak From Abilify to Zyrtec, the world is full of interesting drugs. Such substances have cured diseases, started wars, and ended careers. This seminar will explain how drugs can elicit a range of medicinal and recreational effects. Planned topics include over-the-counter drugs and "dietary supplements," drugs of abuse, treatments for neurological disorders, psychiatric medications, and many more. Prior experience is neither expected nor required, but student participation is essential.

21G.740 The New Spain: 1977-Present, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.740 The New Spain: 1977-Present, Spring 2010 Resnick, Margery In this class we will come to understand the vast changes in Spanish life that have taken place since Franco's death in 1975. We will focus on the new freedom from censorship, the re-emergence of movements for regional autonomy, the new cinema, reforms in education and changes in daily life: sex roles, work, and family that have occurred in the last decade. In so doing, we will examine myths that are often considered commonplaces when describing Spain and its people.

4.181 Architecture Design Workshop: Researching User Demand for Innovative Offices, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.181 Architecture Design Workshop: Researching User Demand for Innovative Offices, Fall 2002 Duffy, Francis, 1940- The theme of this Workshop is the design of the changing workplace. The objective of this workshop is to make MIT graduate students fully aware of emerging technological and social trends that are revolutionizing the working environment. We will explore and develop a wide range of practical techniques for measuring the performance of the built environment and will carry out field work in a real context. The end result will be the development of rigorous measurement techniques that allow users to illuminate the relationship between business purpose and the success of workplace design; we will systematically relate design evaluation to the urgent need and unrealized potential for design innovation. The workshop will benefit from exposure to knowledgeable clients and experienced practitioners who will be invited to weekly discussions and students will have access to an ongoing workplace evaluation exercise being conducted by Janet G. Fan, a former student of the Workshop.

14.452 Macroeconomic Theory II, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.452 Macroeconomic Theory II, Spring 2005 Blanchard, Olivier (Olivier J.) The basic machines of macroeconomics. Ramsey, Solow, Samuelson-Diamond, RBCs, ISLM, Mundell-Fleming, Fischer-Taylor. How they work, what shortcuts they take, and how they can be used. Half-term subject. From the course home page: Course Description This is the second course in the four-quarter graduate sequence in macroeconomics. Its purpose is to introduce the basic models macroeconomists use to study fluctuations. The course is organized around nine topics/sections: Fluctuations and Facts; The basic model: the consumption/saving choice; Allowing for a labor/leisure choice (the RBC model); Allowing for non trivial investment decisions; Allowing for two goods; Introducing money; Introducing price setting; Introducing staggering of price decisions; and Applications to fiscal and monetary policy.

SP.601J / 17.006 / 24.237 / WGS.601J Feminist Political Thought, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.601J / 17.006 / 24.237 / WGS.601J Feminist Political Thought, Spring 2010 Wood, Elizabeth A. In this course we will examine the development of feminist theory over time. Some subjects we will examine in detail include suffrage and equality; radical feminism; psychoanalysis and feminism; theories of power; sexuality and gender; embodied knowledge; pornography; identities and global feminism; militarism; and the welfare state. Throughout the course we will analyze different ways of looking at power and political culture in modern societies, issues of race and class, poverty and welfare, sexuality and morality.

14.123 Microeconomic Theory III, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.123 Microeconomic Theory III, Spring 2010 Yildiz, Muhamet This is a half-semester course which covers the topics in Microeconomic Theory that everybody with a Ph.D. from MIT Economics Department should know but that have not yet been covered in the Micro sequence. Hence, it covers several unrelated topics. The topics come from three general areas: Decision Theory, Game Theory, and Behaviorla Economics. I will try my best to put them in a coherent narrative, but there will be inherent jumps from topic to topic.

SP.401 / WGS.401 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

SP.401 / WGS.401 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Fall 2010 Walsh, Andrea; Fox, Elizabeth This course offers an introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary academic field that asks critical questions about the meaning of gender in society. The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions and debates in Women's and Gender Studies scholarship, both historical and contemporary. Gender scholarship critically analyzes themes of gendered performance and power in a range of social spheres, such as law, culture, work, medicine and the family.

24.244 Modal Logic, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.244 Modal Logic, Fall 2009 Stalnaker, Robert This course covers sentential and quantified modal logic, with emphasis on the model theory ("possible worlds semantics"). Topics include soundness, completeness, characterization results for alternative systems, sense and dynamic logics, epistemic logics, as well as logics of necessity and possibility. Course material applies to philosophy, theoretical computer science, and linguistics.

21G.107 / 21G.157 Chinese I (Streamlined), Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21G.107 / 21G.157 Chinese I (Streamlined), Fall 2005 Zhang, Jin; Chen, Tong This course, along with 21G.108/158 offered in the spring, form the elementary level of the streamlined sequence, which is for students who have some basic conversational skills gained, typically, from growing up in a Chinese speaking environment, but lack a corresponding level of literacy. The focus of the course is on learning standard everyday usage, on reading in both traditional and simplified characters, and on writing.

3.225 Electronic and Mechanical Properties of Materials, Summer 2002

2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

3.225 Electronic and Mechanical Properties of Materials, Summer 2002 Gibson, Lorna J.; Tuller, Harry L.; Fitzgerald, Eugene Electrical, optical, magnetic, and mechanical properties of metals, semiconductors, ceramics and polymers. Discussion of roles of bonding, structure (crystalline, defect, energy band and microstructure) and composition in influencing and controlling physical properties. Case studies drawn from a variety of applications including semiconductor diodes, optical detectors, sensors, thin films, biomaterials, composites, and cellular materials.

21L.421 Comedy, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.421 Comedy, Spring 2001 Tapscott, Stephen, 1948- Surveys a range of comic texts from different media, the cultures that produced them, and various theories of comedy. Authors and directors studied may include Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Molière, Austen, and Chaplin. From the course home page: Course Description This class surveys a range of comic texts from different media, the cultures that produced them, and various theories of comedy. Authors and directors studied may include Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Moliere, Austen, Chaplin. This subject laughs and then wonders how and why and what's so funny. Sometimes it laughs out loud. Sometimes it spills into satire (and asks, what's the difference?). Sometimes it doesn't laugh at all, but some resolution seems affirmative or structurally functional, in some satisfying way (by what categoriy is Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet a "comedy"? how can Dante call his vision of an organized universe a "Comedy"?). We read jokes, literary texts, tales, satirical paintings, and films, and we address a few theories about how comedy works (does it affirm? does it critique? does it disrupt? does it tip the categories upside-down? does it release energy? does it cause trouble? how is it ithat so many different effects and emotions are called "comic"?). Is comedy a way of thinking, or a literary genre? Why is it that comedy raises so many questions; is that questioning energy where laugher comes from, anyway?

5.61 Physical Chemistry, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.61 Physical Chemistry, Fall 2004 Griffin, Robert Guy; Nelson, Keith A. Introductory quantum chemistry; particles and waves; wave mechanics; atomic structure and the Periodic Table; valence and molecular orbital theory; molecular structure; and photochemistry. From the course home page: Course Description This course presents an introduction to quantum mechanics. It begins with an examination of the historical development of quantum theory, properties of particles and waves, wave mechanics and applications to simple systems -- the particle in a box, the harmonic oscillator, the rigid rotor and the hydrogen atom. The lectures continue with a discussion of atomic structure and the Periodic Table. The final lectures cover applications to chemical bonding including valence bond and molecular orbital theory, molecular structure, spectroscopy.

15.023J / 12.848J / ESD.128J Global Climate Change: Economics, Science, and Policy, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.023J / 12.848J / ESD.128J Global Climate Change: Economics, Science, and Policy, Spring 2007 Jacoby, Henry D.; Prinn, Ronald G.; Cohen, Jason Blake; Sarofim, Marcus Introduces scientific, economic, and ecological issues underlying the threat of global climate change, and the institutions engaged in negotiating an international response. Develops an integrated approach to analysis of climate change processes, and assessment of proposed policy measures, drawing on research and model development within the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.

12.007 Geobiology, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.007 Geobiology, Spring 2003 Sachs, Julian P. (Julian Perelman); Summons, Roger E. The interactive Earth system: biology in geologic, environmental and climate change throughout Earth history. Since life began it has continually shaped and re-shaped the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and the solid earth. Subject introduces the concept of "life as a geological agent" and examines the interaction between biology and the earth system during the roughly 4 billion years since life first appeared. Topics include the origin of the solar system and the early Earth atmosphere; the origin and evolution of life and its influence on climate up through and including the modern age and the problem of global warming; the global carbon cycle; and astrobiology.

5.62 Physical Chemistry II, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.62 Physical Chemistry II, Spring 2004 Nelson, Keith A.; Steinfeld, Jeffrey I. Elementary statistical mechanics; transport properties; kinetic theory; solid state; reaction rate theory; and chemical reaction dynamics.

8.333 Statistical Mechanics I: Statistical Mechanics of Particles, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.333 Statistical Mechanics I: Statistical Mechanics of Particles, Fall 2005 Kardar, Mehran Statistical Mechanics is a probabilistic approach to equilibrium properties of large numbers of degrees of freedom. In this two-semester course, basic principles are examined. Topics include: thermodynamics, probability theory, kinetic theory, classical statistical mechanics, interacting systems, quantum statistical mechanics, and identical particles.

18.441 Statistical Inference, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.441 Statistical Inference, Spring 2002 Hardy, Michael Reviews probability and introduces statistical inference. Point and interval estimation. The maximum likelihood method. Hypothesis testing. Likelihood-ratio tests and Bayesian methods. Nonparametric methods. Analysis of variance, regression analysis and correlation. Chi-square goodness of fit tests. More theoretical than 18.443 (Statistics for Applications) and more detailed in its treatment of statistics than 18.05 (Introduction to Probability and Statistics).

21W.745 / SP.576J / WGS.576J Advanced Essay Workshop, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.745 / SP.576J / WGS.576J Advanced Essay Workshop, Spring 2005 Faery, Rebecca Blevins For students with experience in writing nonfictional prose. Advanced study of rhetorical strategies and techniques of prose style. Considerable writing and revision required. In addition to analyzing the work of class members, students read and discuss the work of distinguished essayists chosen to represent a range of prose styles, subjects, and biographical patterns. From the course home page: Course Description This course is a workshop for advanced students with some experience in writing essays, nonfiction prose. Our focus will be negotiating and representing identities grounded in gender, race, class, nationality, sexuality, and other categories of identity, either our own or other's, in prose that is expository, exploratory, investigative, persuasive, lyrical, or incantatory. We will read nonfiction prose works by a wide array of writers who have used language to negotiate and represent aspects of identity and the ways the different determinants of identity intersect, compete, and cooperate.

15.812 Marketing Management, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.812 Marketing Management, Fall 2002 Frederick, Shane This course is an introduction to marketing: the study or practice of providing goods or services that satisfy human desires. To illustrate and discuss marketing concepts, we will read articles from scientific journals, chapters from marketing textbooks, newspaper clippings, and selections from popular literature. We will also use case studies to illustrate marketing principles and to apply marketing concepts to the real world. These case studies will involve a wide variety of products, including flowers, computer software, power tools, watches, and even contact lenses for chickens (seriously).

6.231 Dynamic Programming and Stochastic Control, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.231 Dynamic Programming and Stochastic Control, Fall 2002 Bertsekas, Dimitri P. Sequential decision-making via dynamic programming. Unified approach to optimal control of stochastic dynamic systems and Markovian decision problems. Applications in linear-quadratic control, inventory control, and resource allocation models. Optimal decision making under perfect and imperfect state information. Certainty equivalent and open loop-feedback control, and self-tuning controllers. Infinite horizon problems, successive approximation, and policy iteration. Discounted problems, stochastic shortest path problems, and average cost problems. Optimal stopping, scheduling, and control of queues. Approximations and neurodynamic programming. From the course home page: Course Description This course covers the basic models and solution techniques for problems of sequential decision making under uncertainty (stochastic control). Approximation methods for problems involving large state spaces are also presented and discussed.

24.973 Advanced Semantics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.973 Advanced Semantics, Spring 2003 Von Fintel, Kai Current work on semantics and questions of logic and meaning for syntactic systems in generative grammar.

2.081J / 16.230J Plates and Shells, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.081J / 16.230J Plates and Shells, Spring 2006 Wierzbicki, Tomasz This course explores the following topics: derivation of elastic and plastic stress-strain relations for plate and shell elements; the bending and buckling of rectangular plates; nonlinear geometric effects; post-buckling and ultimate strength of cold formed sections and typical stiffened panels used in naval architecture; the general theory of elastic shells and axisymmetric shells; buckling, crushing and bending strength of cylindrical shells with application to offshore structures; and the application to crashworthiness of vehicles and explosive and impact loading of structures. The class is taught during first half of term.

4.510 Digital Design Fabrication, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.510 Digital Design Fabrication, Fall 2005 Sass, Lawrence This class serves as an introductory subject in advanced computing, rapid prototyping, and CAD/CAM fabrication for architects. It focuses on the relationship between design and various forms of computer modeling as input, and CAD/CAM tools as output material. It presents the process of design and construction using CAD files introduced by the office of Gehry Partners during the construction of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. It is taught in phases starting with rapid prototyping and ending with digital mockups of building components fabricated from CAD files on a one-to-one scale.

14.453 Macroeconomic Theory III, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.453 Macroeconomic Theory III, Fall 2002 Werning, Iván This course covers issues in the theory of consumption, investment and asset prices. We lay out the basic models first, and then examine the empirical facts that motivate extensions to these models.

24.09 Minds and Machines, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.09 Minds and Machines, Spring 2007 Byrne, Alex This course is an introduction to many of the central issues in a branch of philosophy called philosophy of mind. Some of the questions we will discuss include the following. Can computers think? Is the mind an immaterial thing? Or is the mind the brain? Or does the mind stand to the brain as a computer program stands to the hardware? How can creatures like ourselves think thoughts that are "about" things? (For example, we can all think that Aristotle is a philosopher, and in that sense think "about" Aristotle, but what is the explanation of this quite remarkable ability?) Can I know whether your experiences and my experiences when we look at raspberries, fire trucks and stop lights are the same? Can consciousness be given a scientific explanation?

14.772 Development Economics: Macroeconomics, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.772 Development Economics: Macroeconomics, Spring 2009 Kremer, Michael; Townsend, Robert M. This course emphasizes dynamic models of growth and development. Topics covered include: migration, modernization, and technological change; static and dynamic models of political economy; the dynamics of income distribution and institutional change; firm structure in developing countries; development, transparency, and functioning of financial markets; privatization; and, banks and credit market institutions in emerging markets. This course contributes to the fulfillment of requirements for the Development field for Economics Ph.D. students at both Harvard and MIT. This course is jointly taught by Harvard and MIT instructors. The Harvard course is Economics 2390c Development Economics II: Macroeconomic Issues.

13.853 Computational Ocean Acoustics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

13.853 Computational Ocean Acoustics, Spring 2003 Schmidt, Henrik Wave equations for fluid and visco-elastic media. Wave-theory formulations of acoustic source radiation and seismo-acoustic propagation in stratified ocean waveguides. Wavenumber Integration and Normal Mode methods for propagation in plane-stratified media. Seismo-Acoustic modeling of seabeds and ice covers. Seismic interface and surface waves in a stratified seabed. Parabolic Equation and Coupled Mode approaches to propagation in range-dependent ocean waveguides. Numerical modeling of target scattering and reverberation clutter in ocean waveguides. Ocean ambient noise modeling. Students develop propagation models using all the numerical approaches relevant to state-of-the-art acoustic research.

20.109 Laboratory Fundamentals in Biological Engineering, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

20.109 Laboratory Fundamentals in Biological Engineering, Spring 2006 Engelward, Bevin; Endy, Drew; Kuldell, Natalie; Lerner, Neal; Belcher, Angela M.; Banuazizi, Atissa This course introduces experimental biochemical and molecular techniques from a quantitative engineering perspective. Rigorous quantitative data collection, statistical analysis, and conceptual understanding of instrumentation design and application form the underpinnings of this course. The four discovery based modules include DNA Engineering, Protein Engineering, Systems Engineering, and Biomaterials Engineering. Additional information is available on the course Wiki (hosted on OpenWetWare.) Teaching Fellows Reshma Shetty Maria Foley Eileen Higham Yoon Sung Nam

21H.466 Imperial and Revolutionary Russia, 1800-1917, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.466 Imperial and Revolutionary Russia, 1800-1917, Fall 2002 Wood, Elizabeth A., 1958- Analyzes Russia's social, cultural, political heritage; Eurasian imperialism; and autocracy. Compares reforming and revolutionary impulses in the context of serfdom, the rise of the intelligentsia, and debates over capitalism. Focuses on historical and literary texts, and especially the intersections between the two.

21W.730-2 Expository Writing - Food for Thought: Writing and Reading about Food and Culture, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-2 Expository Writing - Food for Thought: Writing and Reading about Food and Culture, Fall 2005 Boiko, Karen "Civilization is mostly the story of how seeds, meats, and ways to cook them travel from place to place." - Adam Gopnik, "What's Cooking" "A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one's accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which food comes." - Wendell Berry, "The Pleasures of Eating" If you are what you eat, what are you? Food is at once the stuff of life and a potent symbol; it binds us to the earth, to our families, and to our cultures. The aroma of turkey roasting or the taste of green tea can be a portal to memories, while too many Big Macs can clog our arteries. The chef is an artist, yet those who pick oranges or process meat may be little more than slaves. In this class, we will explore many of the fascinating issues that surround food as both material fact and personal and cultural symbol. We will read essays by Chang-Rae Lee, Francine du Plessix Gray, M. F. K. Fisher, Anthony Bourdain, and others on such topics as family meals, the art and science of cooking, fair trade, eating disorders, and food's ability to awaken us to "our own powers of enjoyment" (M. F. K. Fisher). We will also read Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and view one or more films or videos as a class. Assigned essays will grow out of memories and the texts we read, and will include personal narratives and essays that depend on research. Workshop review of writing in progress and revision of essays will be an important part of the course.

3.205 Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Materials, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.205 Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Materials, Fall 2003 Allen, Samuel M. Laws of thermodynamics applied to materials and materials processes. Solution theory. Equilibrium diagrams. Overview of fluid transport processes. Kinetics of processes that occur in materials, including diffusion, phase transformations, and the development of microstructure.

1.978 From Nano to Macro, January (IAP) 2006

2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

1.978 From Nano to Macro, January (IAP) 2006 Buehler, Markus J. The objective is to introduce large-scale atomistic modeling techniques and motivate its importance for solving problems in modern engineering sciences. We demonstrate how atomistic modeling can be successfully applied to understand how materials fail under extreme loading, emphasizing on the competition between ductile and brittle materials failure. We will demonstrate the techniques in describing failure of a copper nano-crystal.

21L.007 World Literatures: Contact Zone, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.007 World Literatures: Contact Zone, Fall 2006 Braithwaite, Alisa Kim World Literatures will focus on the concept of the contact zone. What happens when cultures with different ideologies and norms come into contact with each other through exploration and colonization? We will examine how the complex issues surrounding race, gender, language and power are represented in both poetry and prose from African, Caribbean and South Asian perspectives. Our discussions will focus on not only the historical situations that these texts represent, but also the literary conventions these writers use to express these unique stories.

SP.2H3 / ESG.SP2H3 Ancient Philosophy and Mathematics, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

SP.2H3 / ESG.SP2H3 Ancient Philosophy and Mathematics, Fall 2006 Perlman, Lee David Western philosophy and theoretical mathematics were born together, and the cross-fertilization of ideas in the two disciplines was continuously acknowledged throughout antiquity. In this course, we read works of ancient Greek philosophy and mathematics, and investigate the way in which ideas of definition, reason, argument and proof, rationality and irrationality, number, quality and quantity, truth, and even the idea of an idea were shaped by the interplay of philosophic and mathematical inquiry.

17.462 Innovation in Military Organizations, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.462 Innovation in Military Organizations, Spring 2001 Posen, Barry; Sapolsky, Harvey M. Explores the origins, rate, and impact of innovations in military organizations, doctrine, and weapons. Emphasis on organization theory approaches. Comparisons with nonmilitary and non-US experience included. From the course home page: Course Description Innovations have frequently determined the course of wars. This seminar has three purposes. One, it inquires into the causes of military innovation by examining a number of the most outstanding historical cases. Two, it views military innovations through the lens of organization theory to develop generalizations about the innovation process within militaries. Three, it uses the empirical study of military innovations as a way to examine the strength and credibility of hypotheses that organization theorists have generated about innovation in non-military organizations.

4.181 Architectural Design Workshop - Rethinking Office Development, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

4.181 Architectural Design Workshop - Rethinking Office Development, Spring 2003 Duffy, Francis, 1940-; Tsakonas, Konstantinos G. This is an interdisciplinary workshop, not a design workshop in the ordinary sense. It is certainly intended for graduate students in architecture but also for students in the Center for Real Estate (CRE), and for students in other related disciplines, who are interested in getting the most out of the design process but are not themselves necessarily designers. The main qualification for taking part in the Workshop is an interest in, and an urgent desire to do something about, specifying the type, quality, image and performance of the new wave of speculative office buildings that will be needed in the next cycle of economic recovery. The questions the workshop will address are: What has and has not changed over the last three decades in the context of office development in the US? What are the causes of the apparent current lack of interest in product development and renewal in the office market in the US? What likely changes, e.g. in tenant and user demand, in business culture, in locational choice, in financial and funding practice, in leasing arrangements, in technology, in constructional technique, could justify and stimulate innovation? What commercial incentives would it take for developers to take advantage of such changes? What innovations in new building features, products and services for office development would be likely to result, especially if emerging user demand were to be taken seriously by suppliers?

18.404J / 6.840J Theory of Computation, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.404J / 6.840J Theory of Computation, Fall 2002 Sipser, Michael A more extensive and theoretical treatment of the material in 6.045J/18.400J, emphasizing computability and computational complexity theory. Regular and context-free languages. Decidable and undecidable problems, reducibility, recursive function theory. Time and space measures on computation, completeness, hierarchy theorems, inherently complex problems, oracles, probabilistic computation, and interactive proof systems.

9.01 Introduction to Neuroscience, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.01 Introduction to Neuroscience, Fall 2004 Bear, Mark F.; Seung, H. Sebastian Relation of structure and function at various levels of neuronal integration. Topics include: functional neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, sensory and motor systems, centrally programmed behavior, sensory systems, sleep and dreaming, motivation and reward, emotional displays of various types, "higher functions" and the neocortex, and neural processes in learning and memory. In order to improve writing skills in describing experiments and critiquing published research in neuroscience, students are required to complete four homework assignments and one literature review with revision. From the course home page: Course Description This course begins with the study of nerve cells which includes their structure, the propagation of nerve impulses and transfer of information between nerve cells, the effect of drugs on this process, and the development of nerve cells into the brain and spinal cord. Next, sensory systems such as hearing, vision and touch are covered as well as a discussion on how physical energy such as light is converted into neural signals, where these signals travel in the brain and how they are processed. Other topics include the control of voluntary movement, the neurochemical bases of brain diseases, and those systems which control sleep and consciousness, learning and memory.

PE.210 SCUBA, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

PE.210 SCUBA, Fall 2006 Taylor, Halston W. This course will thoroughly educate the successful student with the knowledge and skills necessary to be a certified beginning SCUBA diver. The prerequisite for the course is passing the MIT SCUBA swim test and demonstrating a "comfort level" in the water. At the end of the class, students will attempt to pass the certification exam to become certified divers. The class is taught in two parts each week: a classroom session and a pool session. The classroom sessions along with the reading material will provide the student with the knowledge necessary to pass the written exam. At the pool, the water skills are taught in progressions that build on the previous skills, making the difficult skills seem easy.

13.400 Introduction to Naval Architecture, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.400 Introduction to Naval Architecture, Fall 2004 Herbein, David; McCoy, Timothy J. (Timothy John) Introduction to principles of naval architecture, ship geometry, hydrostatics, calculation and drawing of curves of form, intact and damaged stability, hull structure strength calculations and ship resistance. Projects include analysis of ship lines drawings and ship model testing.

1.00 Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.00 Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving, Fall 2002 Harward, Vernon Judson; Lerman, Steven R. This course presents fundamental software development and computational methods for engineering and scientific applications. Object-oriented software design and development is the focus of the course. Weekly programming problems cover programming concepts, graphical user interfaces, numerical methods, data structures, sorting and searching, computer graphics and selected advanced topics. Emphasis is on developing techniques for solving problems in engineering, science, management, and planning. The Java programming language is used. The course is worth 3 Engineering Design Points.

12.520 Geodynamics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.520 Geodynamics, Fall 2004 Hager, Bradford H. This course deals with mechanics of deformation of the crust and mantle, with emphasis on the importance of different rheological descriptions: brittle, elastic, linear and nonlinear fluids, and viscoelastic.

24.954 Pragmatics in Linguistic Theory, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.954 Pragmatics in Linguistic Theory, Fall 2002 Von Fintel, Kai; Fox, Daniel J. (Daniel Judah), 1966- Formal theories of context-dependency, presupposition, implicature, context-change, focus and topic. Special emphasis on the division of labor between semantics and pragmatics. Applications to the analysis of quantification, definiteness, presupposition projection, conditionals and modality, anaphora, questions and answers.

18.034 Honors Differential Equations, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.034 Honors Differential Equations, Spring 2007 Mikyoung Hur, Vera Covers the same material as 18.03 with more emphasis on theory. First order equations, separation, initial value problems. Systems, linear equations, independence of solutions, undetermined coefficients. Singular points and periodic orbits for planar systems. From the course home page: Course Description This course covers the same material as Differential Equations (18.03) with more emphasis on theory. In addition, it treats mathematical aspects of ordinary differential equations such as existence theorems.

15.810 Introduction to Marketing, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.810 Introduction to Marketing, Spring 2004 Hauser, John R. 15.810 explores theory and practice that draws on customer needs, company skills, competition, collaborators, and context in marketing and product development (5C's). The course combines cases, discussions, and readings to provide a mix of integrating concepts and hands-on problem solving. A variety of perspectives on marketing issues are encouraged.

18.310 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.310 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Fall 2002 Kleitman, Daniel J. Principles of Applied Mathematics is a study of illustrative topics in discrete applied mathematics including sorting algorithms, information theory, coding theory, secret codes, generating functions, linear programming, game theory. There is an emphasis on topics that have direct application in the real world.

18.783 Elliptic Curves, Spring 2013

2013-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.783 Elliptic Curves, Spring 2013 Sutherland, Andrew This graduate-level course is a computationally focused introduction to elliptic curves, with applications to number theory and cryptography.

17.01J / 24.04J Justice, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.01J / 24.04J Justice, Fall 2002 Cohen, Joshua, 1951- This course explores three broad questions about the values of liberty and equality and their place in a just society: • Which liberties must a just society protect? Freedom of expression? Sexual liberty? Economic liberty? Political liberty? • What sorts of equality should a just society ensure? Equality of opportunity? Of economic outcome? Political equality? • Can a society ensure both liberty and equality? Or are these warring political values? We will approach these questions by examining answers to them provided by three contemporary theories of justice: utilitarianism, libertarianism, and egalitarian liberalism. To clarify these theories, and assess their strengths and weaknesses, we will discuss their implications for some issues about liberty and equality that are topics of current controversy and that exemplify the three broad questions about liberty and equality noted above.

21L.011 The Film Experience, Fall 2012

2012-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.011 The Film Experience, Fall 2012 Thorburn, David This course concentrates on close analysis and criticism of a wide range of films, including works from the early silent period, documentary and avant-garde films, European art cinema, and contemporary Hollywood fare. Through comparative reading of films from different eras and countries, students develop the skills to turn their in-depth analyses into interpretations and explore theoretical issues related to spectatorship. Syllabus varies from term to term, but usually includes such directors as Coppola, Eisentein, Fellini, Godard, Griffith, Hawks, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Kurosawa, Tarantino, Welles, Wiseman, and Zhang.

14.04 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.04 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, Fall 2003 Izmalkov, Sergei Basic theory of consumer behavior, production and costs, partial equilibrium analysis of pricing in competitive and monopolistic markets, general equilibrium, welfare, and externalities. Credit not given for both 14.03 and 14.04. May not count toward HASS Requirement. Recommended for students planning to apply to graduate school in economics, accounting, or finance.

24.946 Linguistic Theory and the Japanese Language, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.946 Linguistic Theory and the Japanese Language, Fall 2001 Miyagawa, Shigeru Detailed examination of the grammar of Japanese and its structure which is significantly different from English, with special emphasis on problems of interest in the study of linguistic universals. Data from a broad group of languages studied for comparison with Japanese. Assumes familiarity with linguistic theory. On course Home Page: We will look at some recent discoveries in Japanese language (and other relevant languages) that relate to long-standing problems in theoretical linguistics. The course is divided into three parts: A-positions and A-chains 8 weeks (approx) A'-positions and A'-chains 2 weeks (approx) Student presentations 3 weeks (approx)

15.904 Strategic Management II, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.904 Strategic Management II, Fall 2003 Hax, Arnoldo C. This course is intended to be an extension of course 15.902, Strategic Management, with the purpose of allowing the students to experience an in-depth application of the concepts and frameworks of strategic management. Throughout the course, Professor Hax will discuss the appropriate methodologies, concepts, and tools pertinent to strategic analyses and will illustrate their use by discussing many applications in real-life settings, drawn from his own personal experiences.

24.00 Problems of Philosophy, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.00 Problems of Philosophy, Fall 2001 Haslanger, Sally Anne The course has two main goals: First, to give you a sense of what philosophers think about and why. This will be done through consideration of some perennial philosophical problems, e.g., the existence of God, reason and faith, personal identity and immortality, freewill, moral responsibility, and standards for moral conduct. We will draw on readings by important figures in the history of philosophy as well as contemporary authors. The second goal is to develop your philosophical skills, and your critical and argumentative skills more generally.

21F.084J / 21A.224J / 17.55 Introduction to Latin American Studies, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.084J / 21A.224J / 17.55 Introduction to Latin American Studies, Spring 2002 Lawson, Chappell H., 1967- This HASS-D/CI course is designed as an introduction to Latin American politics and society for undergraduates at MIT. No background on the region is required. Overall workload (reading, writing, class participation, and examinations) is similar to that of other HASS-D courses. Many of the themes raised here are covered in greater detail in other courses: 21F.020J (New World Literature), 21F.716 (Introduction to Contemporary Hispanic Literature), 21F.730 (Twentieth-Century Hispanic American Literature), 21F.735 (Advanced Topics in Hispanic Literature and Film), 21A.220 (The Conquest of America), 21H.802 (Modern Latin America), 3.982 (The Ancient Andean World), 3.983 (Ancient Mesoamerican Civilization), 17.508 (Regime Change), and 17.554 (Political Economy of Latin America).

13.10J Structural Mechanics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.10J Structural Mechanics, Fall 2002 Patrikalakis, N. M. (Nicholas M.); Connor, J. J. (Jerome J.) Fundamental concepts of structural mechanics with applications to marine, civil, and mechanical structures. Residual stresses. Thermal effects. Analysis of beams, columns, tensioned beams, trusses, frames, arches, cables, and shafts of general shape and material, including composites. Elastic buckling of columns. Exact and approximate methods, energy methods, principle of virtual work, introduction to computational structural mechanics. Examples from civil, mechanical, offshore, and ship structures.

6.451 Principles of Digital Communication II, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.451 Principles of Digital Communication II, Spring 2003 Forney, G. David Coding for the AWGN channel; block and convolutional codes; lattice and trellis codes; capacity-approaching codes; equalization of linear Gaussian channels; linear, decision-feedback, and MLSD equalization; precoding; multicarrier modulation; and topics in wireless communication. Description from the course home page: This course is the second of a two-term sequence with 6.450. The focus is on coding techniques for approaching the Shannon limit of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels, their performance analysis, and design principles. After a review of 6.450 and the Shannon limit for AWGN channels, the course begins by discussing small signal constellations, performance analysis and coding gain, and hard-decision and soft-decision decoding. It continues with binary linear block codes, Reed-Muller codes, finite fields, Reed-Solomon and BCH codes, binary linear convolutional codes, and the Viterbi algorithm. More advanced topics include trellis representations of binary linear block codes and trellis-based decoding; codes on graphs; the sum-product and min-sum algorithms; the BCJR algorithm; turbo codes, LDPC codes and RA codes; and performance of LDPC codes with iterative decoding. Finally, the course addresses coding for the bandwidth-limited regime, including lattice codes, trellis-coded modulation, multilevel coding and shaping. If time permits, it covers equalization of linear Gaussian channels.

15.053 Introduction to Optimization, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.053 Introduction to Optimization, Spring 2002 Orlin, James B., 1953- Introduces students to the theory, algorithms, and applications of optimization. The optimization methodologies include linear programming, network optimization, dynamic programming, integer programming, non-linear programming, and heuristics. Applications to logistics, manufacturing, transportation, E-commerce, project management, and finance. From the course home page: Course Description 15.053 is an undergraduate subject in the theory and practice of optimization. We will consider optimization models with applications to transportation, logistics, manufacturing, computer science, E-business, project management, finance as well as several other domains. This subject will survey some of the applications of optimization as well as heuristics, and we will present algorithms and theory for linear programming, dynamic programming, integer programming, and non-linear programming. One way of summarizing a subject is a lecture by lecture description of the subject, or a description of the methodologies presented in the subject. We do list a lecture by lecture description, but first we describe several cross cutting themes.

3.A24 Freshman Seminar: The Engineering of Birds, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.A24 Freshman Seminar: The Engineering of Birds, Fall 2004 Gibson, Lorna J. Why are things in nature shaped the way they are? How do birds fly? Why do bird nests look the way they do? How do woodpeckers peck? These are the types of questions Dr. Lorna Gibson's freshman seminar at MIT has been investigating. We invite you to explore with us. Questions such as these are the subject of biomimetic research. When engineers copy the shapes found in nature we call it Biomimetics. The word biomimic comes from bio, as in biology and mimetic, which means to copy. Join us as we explore and look for answers to why similar shapes occur in so many natural things and how physics change the shape of nature.

16.358J / ESD.358J System Safety, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.358J / ESD.358J System Safety, Spring 2003 Leveson, Nancy Covers important concepts and techniques in designing and operating safety-critical systems. Topics include: the nature of risk, formal accident and human error models, causes of accidents, fundamental concepts of system safety engineering, system and software hazard analysis, designing for safety, fault tolerance, safety issues in the design of human-machine interaction, verification of safety, creating a safety culture, and management of safety-critical projects. Includes a class project involving the high-level system design and analysis of a safety-critical system.

21H.418 / CMS.880 Technologies of Word 1450-2000, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.418 / CMS.880 Technologies of Word 1450-2000, Fall 2002 Ravel, Jeffrey S. Explores the impact of the printing press upon European politics and culture during the first several centuries after Gutenberg and compares these changes with the possibilities and problems inherent in contemporary electronic technologies of the word. Assignments include formal essays and online projects. From the Course Home Page: Course Description There has been much discussion in recent years, on this campus and elsewhere, about the death of the book. Digitization and various forms of electronic media, some critics say, are rendering the printed text as obsolete as the writing quill. In this subject we will examine the claims for and against the demise of the book, but we also supplement these arguments with an historical perspective they lack: we examine books and printing technology during the Early Modern period of European history, from roughly 1450 to 1800. We will begin with the theoretical and historical overviews of Walter Ong and Elizabeth Eisenstein, after which we will study specific cases such as the writings and readers of Erasmus and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, English chapbooks, and stage plays in print. Finally, we will reconsider the issues raised by digital technologies today in light of these historical perspectives. This subject is jointly listed as 21H.418 and CMS.880. It satisfies requirements towards the Major and the Minor in History and in Comparative Media Studies, and is also open to graduate students in the Comparative Media Studies Program and in other MIT and Harvard graduate programs.

14.03 Intermediate Applied Microeconomics, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.03 Intermediate Applied Microeconomics, Fall 2000 Autor, David H. Presents basic theory and applications of consumer and producer behavior and welfare analysis at an intermediate level. Emphasizes applications, including the measurement of productivity, rationing, insurance markets, and intertemporal behavior. Credit not given for both 14.03 and 14.04. From the course home page: Course Description This class presents microeconomic theory and applications of consumer and producer behavior and welfare analysis at an intermediate level. In addition to standard competitive models, we study deviations due to externalities, asymmetric information, and imperfect rationality. We apply this material to policy debates including minimum wage regulations, food stamp provision, trade protection, educational credentials, health insurance markets, and Internet shopping.

STS.310 History of Science, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

STS.310 History of Science, Fall 2003 Kaiser, David This seminar offers a review of recent historiographical approaches within the history of science. Students will read a wide variety of recent studies covering topics from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. Emphasis will be placed on the intertwining of epistemology with institutions in various settings.

14.05 Intermediate Applied Macroeconomics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.05 Intermediate Applied Macroeconomics, Fall 2002 Temin, Peter Uses the tools of macroeconomics to study three macroeconomic policy problems in depth. Possible topics include long-run economic growth, the macroeconomics of the transition to a modern capitalist society, federal government surpluses and deficits, Social Security, the distribution of earnings and income, and the Great Depression. Requires a 20-page paper on a subject related to one of the topics considered in the class. Credit not given for both 14.05 and 14.06. From the course home page: Course Description This subject considers three topics of macroeconomics that are alive and controversial for policy today. The topics are: exchange-rate regimes- their role in the Great Depression and today; economic growth- the roles of capital accumulation, increased education, and technological progress in determining economic growth; and savings- the effect of government and private debt on economic growth.

9.18 Developmental Neurobiology, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.18 Developmental Neurobiology, Spring 2003 Nedivi, Elly Considers molecular control of neural specification, formation of neuronal connections, construction of neural systems, and the contributions of experience to shaping brain structure and function. Topics include: neural induction and pattern formation, cell lineage and fate determination, neuronal migration, axon guidance, synapse formation and stabilization, activity-dependent development and critical periods, development of behavior.

BE.442 Molecular Structure of Biological Materials, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

BE.442 Molecular Structure of Biological Materials, Fall 2005 Zhang, Shuguang, Dr. Basic molecular structural principles of biological materials. Molecular structures of various materials of biological origin, including collagen, silk, bone, protein adhesives, GFP, self-assembling peptides. Molecular design of new biological materials for nanotechnology, biocomputing and regenerative medicine. Graduate students are expected to complete additional coursework. Description from course home page: This course, intended for both graduate and upper level undergraduate students, will focus on understanding of the basic molecular structural principles of biological materials. It will address the molecular structures of various materials of biological origin, such as several types of collagen, silk, spider silk, wool, hair, bones, shells, protein adhesives, GFP, and self-assembling peptides. It will also address molecular design of new biological materials applying the molecular structural principles. The long-term goal of this course is to teach molecular design of new biological materials for a broad range of applications. A brief history of biological materials and its future perspective as well as its impact to the society will also be discussed. Several experts will be invited to give guest lectures.

12.815 Atmospheric Radiation, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.815 Atmospheric Radiation, Fall 2005 Prinn, Ronald G.; McClatchey, R. A. Introduction to the physics of atmospheric radiation and remote sensing including use of computer codes. Radiative transfer equation including emission and scattering, spectroscopy, Mie theory, and numerical solutions. Solution of inverse problems in remote sensing of atmospheric temperature and composition.

4.A21 Stories Without Words: Photographing the First Year, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.A21 Stories Without Words: Photographing the First Year, Fall 2005 McCluskey, Keith The transition from high school and home to college and a new living environment can be a fascinating and interesting time, made all the more challenging and interesting by being at MIT. More than recording the first semester through a series of snapshots, this freshman seminar will attempt to teach photography as a method of seeing and a tool for better understanding new surroundings. Over the course of the semester, students will develop a body of work through a series of assignments, and then attempt to describe the conditions and emotions of their new environment in a cohesive final presentation.

21F.109 Chinese III (Streamlined), Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.109 Chinese III (Streamlined), Fall 2002 Zhang, Jin The third term in the streamlined sequence. Students who have completed Chinese II streamlined admitted; others should check with the Chinese coordinator. From the course home page: Course Description This course is the intermediate level of the streamlined curriculum, which is intended for students who, when they began streamlined I, had some background in the language, whether it be comprehension with limited speaking ability or quite fluent speaking ability. The focus of the course is on standard pronunciation and usage, on reading in both complex and simplified characters, and on writing. It is presupposed that students in Chinese III have already learned the pinyin system of representing pronunciation sufficiently well to be able to read texts in pinyin accurately. (If not, there are pinyin tutorials to assist you to learn the system.)

4.42J / 1.044J / 2.66J Fundamentals of Energy in Buildings, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

4.42J / 1.044J / 2.66J Fundamentals of Energy in Buildings, Fall 2003 Glicksman, Leon 4.42J (or 2.66J or 1.044J), Fundamentals of Energy in Buildings, is an undergraduate class offered in the Department of Architecture, and jointly in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. It provides a first course in thermo-sciences for students primarily interested in architecture and building technology. Throughout the course, the fundamentals important to energy, ventilation, air conditioning and comfort in buildings are introduced. Two design projects play a major part in this class. They will require creative use of the principles and information given in the course to solve a particular problem, relating to energy consumption in buildings. The students will be asked to propose and assess innovative building designs, technologies and operating schemes that will yield an outstanding sustainable building.

PE.710 Tennis, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

PE.710 Tennis, Spring 2006 Matsuzaki, Carol The goals of this instructional course are to get you started in this wonderful sport and to give you a working knowledge of tennis. It should help you to understand the basics of a sport and how to perform these basics. Most of the course will focus on the basic stroke techniques. Variation to those techniques will be presented, as well as drills and games, so that you can take it to the court. Singles and doubles tactics will be covered as well.

13.04 Hydrofoils and Propellers, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

13.04 Hydrofoils and Propellers, Fall 2003 Sclavounos, Paul D.; Kimball, Richard Warren, 1963- Theory and design of hydrofoil sections; lifting and thickness problems for sub-cavitating sections, unsteady flow problems. Computer-aided design of low drag, cavitation free sections. Lifting line and lifting surface theory with applications to hydrofoil craft, rudder, and control surface design. Propeller lifting line and lifting surface theory; computer-aided design of wake adapted propellers, unsteady propeller thrust and torque. Flow about axially symmetric bodies and low-aspect ratio lifting surfaces. Hydrodynamic performance and design of waterjets. Experimental projects in the variable pressure water tunnel.

BE.462J Molecular Principles of Biomaterials, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

BE.462J Molecular Principles of Biomaterials, Spring 2003 Irvine, Darrell J. Analysis and design at a molecular scale of materials used in contact with biological systems, including biotechnology and biomedical engineering. Topics include molecular interactions between bio- and synthetic molecules and surfaces; design, synthesis, and processing approaches for materials that control cell functions; and application of state-of-the-art materials science to problems in tissue engineering, drug delivery, biosensors, and cell-guiding surfaces.

5.841 Crystal Structure Refinement, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

5.841 Crystal Structure Refinement, Fall 2006 Mueller, Peter This course in crystal structure refinement examines the practical aspects of crystal structure determination from data collection strategies to data reduction and basic and advanced refinement problems of organic and inorganic molecules.

21A.112 Seminar in Ethnography and Fieldwork, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.112 Seminar in Ethnography and Fieldwork, Fall 2003 Silbey, Susan S. Introduction to ethnographic practices: the study of and communicating about culture. Reading and discussion of classics of anthropological field work, contemporary critiques, and innovative practices. From the course home page: Course Description This course involves reading about how to do fieldwork, practicing fieldwork, reading ethnographies and about ethnography, and practicing writing ethnography. We will move from an overview of ethnography, to getting into the field, to writing fieldnotes, to analyzing data and writing a short ethnographic piece. We will, as you must in doing fieldwork and writing ethnographies, intersperse reading with fieldwork to theoretically inform both the fieldwork and the writing. The ethics of fieldwork and obligations to research subjects are discussed throughout the semester.

15.389 Global Entrepreneurship Lab, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.389 Global Entrepreneurship Lab, Fall 2002 Locke, Richard M., 1959-; Murray, Fiona E.; Johnson, Simon; Pentland, Alex Paul Enables teams of engineering, science, and management students to work with the top management of international high-tech start-ups and gain hands-on experience in starting and running a new enterprise outside the United States. Lectures expose students to the issues and policies that affect the climate for innovation and start-up success around the world. Subject begins in the second half of the fall semester. Continues for 2-3 weeks during IAP, when students spend time at company sites. Subject concludes in the first half of the spring semester. Students must complete all three components to receive credit. From course home page: A new form of entrepreneurship is developing. Instead of focusing just on one country, today’s innovative startups are increasingly looking globally for ideas, funding, people and markets. This is particularly true for new companies in Latin America, Western Europe and Asia. It is also true for many new companies in the United States. G-Lab has four goals: To familiarize students with the issues and challenges facing global startups. To provide students with the experience of working in a “global” startup. These companies are either based outside the US or are in the US and trying to go global at a very early stage in their development. To allow students to build networks of contacts with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists around the world. We very much hope that this will lead to career opportunities in a wide range of industries and countries. We also hope your experience will help you decide whether, when and how you would like to work as a global entrepreneur. To offer high quality advice for global startups. We would like MIT Sloan to become the first place that global startups look for advice and help. This is an important goal for you, the MIT Entrepreneurship Center and all future generations of MIT students.

21L.005 Introduction to Drama, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.005 Introduction to Drama, Fall 2008 Fleche, Anne Drama might be described as a game played with something sacred. It tells stories that go right to the heart of what people believe about themselves. And it is enacted in the moment, which means it has an added layer of interpretive mystery and playfulness, or "theatricality." This course will explore theater and theatricality across periods and cultures, through intensive engagement with texts and with our own readings.

15.280 Communication for Managers, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.280 Communication for Managers, Fall 2002 Yates, Joanne, 1951-; Hartman, Neal; Hafrey, Leigh; Kelly, Christine; Raffoni, Melissa Writing and speaking skills necessary for a career in management. Students polish communication strategies and methods through discussion of principles, examples, and cases. Several written and oral assignments, most based on material from other subjects and from career development activities. Restricted to first-year Sloan School of Management graduate students.

17.251 Congress and the American Political System I, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.251 Congress and the American Political System I, Fall 2000 Stewart, Charles Haines Focuses on both the internal processes of the House and Senate and on the place of Congress in the American political system. Attention to committee behavior, leadership patterns, and informal organization. Considers relations between Congress and other branches of government, as well as relations between the two houses of Congress itself. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.

24.900 Introduction to Linguistics, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.900 Introduction to Linguistics, Spring 2002 Flynn, Suzanne This class will provide some answers to basic questions about the nature of human language. Throughout the course, we will be learning (in many different ways) that human language is a surprisingly intricate -- yet law-governed and fascinating mental system. In the first 2/3 of the class, we will study some core aspects of this system in detail. In the last part of the class, we will use what we have learned to address a variety of questions, including how children acquire language, what are the similarities and differences among languages, how spoken (and signed) language relates to written language, among others.

16.810 Engineering Design and Rapid Prototyping, January (IAP) 2004

2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

16.810 Engineering Design and Rapid Prototyping, January (IAP) 2004 De Weck, Olivier Ladislas, 1968-; Kim, Il-yong; Wallace, David; Young, Peter W This course provides students with an opportunity to conceive, design and implement a product, using rapid protyping methods and computer-aid tools. The first of two phases challenges each student team to meet a set of design requirements and constraints for a structural component. A course of iteration, fabrication, and validation completes this manual design cycle. During the second phase, each team conducts design optimization using structural analysis software, with their phase one prototype as a baseline. Acknowledgments This course is made possible thanks to a grant by the alumni sponsored Teaching and Education Enhancement Program (Class of '51 Fund for Excellence in Education, Class of '55 Fund for Excellence in Teaching, Class of '72 Fund for Educational Innovation). We gratefully acknowledge the financial support.The course was approved by the Undergraduate Committee of the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2003. We thank Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez and the committee members for their support and suggestions.

16.412J / 6.834J Cognitive Robotics, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.412J / 6.834J Cognitive Robotics, Spring 2004 Williams, Brian C.; Roy, Nicholas Algorithms and paradigms for developing embedded systems that are able to operate autonomously for years at a time within harsh and uncertain environments. Focus on systems that demonstrate high levels of deduction and adaptation. Draws upon a diverse set of computational methods from artificial intelligence, operations research, software engineering, and control. Topics include: real-time deduction and search, automated planning, scheduling and execution, model-based diagnosis and failure recovery, reactive planning, hybrid systems, and agent architectures.

BE.104J Chemicals in the Environment: Toxicology and Public Health, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

BE.104J Chemicals in the Environment: Toxicology and Public Health, Spring 2005 Sherley, James L.; Tannenbaum, Steven R., 1937-; Green, Laura C. This course addresses the challenges of defining a relationship between exposure to environmental chemicals and human disease. Course topics include epidemiological approaches to understanding disease causation; biostatistical methods; evaluation of human exposure to chemicals, and their internal distribution, metabolism, reactions with cellular components, and biological effects; and qualitative and quantitative health risk assessment methods used in the U.S. as bases for regulatory decision-making. Throughout the term, students consider case studies of local and national interest.

21F.059 Paradigms of European Thought and Culture, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.059 Paradigms of European Thought and Culture, Fall 2003 Scribner, Charity This subject surveys the main currents of European cultural and intellectual history in the modern period. Such a foundation course is central to the humanities in Europe (Geistesgeschichte, histoire des idées). The curriculum introduces a set of ideas and arguments that have played a formative role in European cultural history, and acquaints them with some exemplars of critical thought. With each text, special consideration will be devoted to the work's enduring influence over contemporary European culture.

2.141 Modeling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.141 Modeling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems, Fall 2002 Hogan, Neville John Mathematical modeling of complex engineering systems at a level of detail compatible with the design and implementation of modern control systems. Wave-like and diffusive energy transmission systems. Multiport energy storing fields and dissipative fields; consequences of symmetry and asymmetry. Nonlinear mechanics and canonical transformation theory. Examples will include mechanisms, electromechanical transducers, electronic systems, fluid systems, thermal systems, compressible flow processes, chemical processes. Description from course home page: This course deals with modeling multi-domain engineering systems at a level of detail suitable for design and control system implementation. Topics covered include network representation, state-space models; multi-port energy storage and dissipation, Legendre transforms, nonlinear mechanics, transformation theory, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian forms and control-relevant properties. Application examples may include electro-mechanical transducers, mechanisms, electronics, fluid and thermal systems, compressible flow, chemical processes, diffusion, and wave transmission.

1.264J / ESD.264J Database, Internet, and Systems Integration Technologies, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.264J / ESD.264J Database, Internet, and Systems Integration Technologies, Fall 2002 Kocur, George Survey of information technology covering database modeling, design, and implementation with an emphasis on relational databases and SQL. Internet technologies: http, html, XML, SOAP, security. Brief introduction to components and middleware. Introduction to design and implementation of multi-tier architectures, benchmarks, and performance. Data networking protocols and technologies. Students complete project that covers requirements/design, data model, database implementation, web site, and system architecture.

17.418 Field Seminar in International Relations Theory, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.418 Field Seminar in International Relations Theory, Fall 2005 Fravel, M. Taylor, 1971- Provides an overview of the field of international relations and introduces two widely used typologies in the field. It then reviews the liberal, neo-liberal, realist, and neo-realist schools; the sociological literature on international relations; the constructivist literature on identity and interest formation in international politics; the mainstream literature on conflict and cooperation; and theoretically informed debates about the post-cold war world and the future of international politics. From the course home page: Course Description This seminar provides an overview of the field of international relations. Each week, a different approach to explaining international relations will be examined. By surveying major concepts and theories in the field, the seminar will also assist graduate students in preparing for the comprehensive examination and further study in the department's more specialized offerings in international relations, including 17.420, 17.422, 17.424, 17.430, 17.432 and 17.468. Master's students and undergraduates may enroll only with the instructor's permission.

21F.019 / 21F.021 Communicating Across Cultures, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.019 / 21F.021 Communicating Across Cultures, Spring 2003 Widdig, Bernd; Breslow, Lori In an increasingly interconnected world, communicating across cultures is a crucial skill in the international networks of business, science, and technology. Subject examines a range of communication styles and techniques resulting from different cultural norms and traditions. It begins with a general theoretical framework and then moves into case studies. Topics include understanding the relationship between communication and culture, differences in verbal and non-verbal communication styles, barriers to intercultural communication, modes of specific cross-cultural communication activities (e.g. argumentation, negotiation, conflict resolution) and intercultural adjustment. Case studies explore specific ways of communicating in Asian and European cultures. Graduate students are expected to complete additional assignments. Taught in English. From the course home page: Course Description It has become commonplace knowledge that globalization is one of the major forces shaping our world. If we look at the spread of information, ideas, capital, media, cultural artifacts--or for that matter, people--we can see the boundaries and borders that have historically separated one country or one group from another are becoming more and more permeable. For proof of this close to home, you need only to look at the composition of the MIT student body: 8 percent of the undergraduates and 37 percent of the graduate students are from 109 different countries. "Communicating Across Cultures" is designed to help you meet the challenges of living in a world in which, increasingly, you will be asked to interact with people who may not be like you in fundamental ways. Its primary goals are to help you become more sensitive to intercultural communication differences, and to provide you with the knowledge and skills that will help you interact successfully with people from cultures other than your own. We hope the course will accomplish those goals by exposing you to some of the best writers and scholars on the subject of intercultural communication, and by giving you a variety of opportunities to practice intercultural communication yourself. As you read the syllabus for this course, we hope you get a sense of our commitment to making this course a rewarding experience for you.

11.471 Targeting the Poor: Small Firms, Workers, and Local Economic Development, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.471 Targeting the Poor: Small Firms, Workers, and Local Economic Development, Fall 2004 Tendler, Judith Covers conditions under which public-sector policies, programs, and projects succeed in enhancing the economic activities of poorer groups and micro-regions in developing countries. Topics include local economic development; small enterprises; various forms of collective action; labor and worker associations; nongovernment organizations. Links these to literature on poverty, economic development, and reform of government, and to types of projects, tasks, and environments that are conducive to equitable outcomes. From the course home page: Course Description This course treats public-sector policies, programs, and projects that attempt to reduce poverty and unemployment in developing countries, mainly through directly income-generating activities and employment. Topics covered are: * employment and local economic development, particularly as related to the informal sector, small and medium enterprises, and workers; * the political economy of local economic-development initiatives; * lessons from policy and implementation experiences; * workers and labor issues; and * associationalism among small (and often medium) firms, and among workers.

22.351 Systems Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.351 Systems Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Spring 2003 Kazimi, Mujid S.; Pilat, Edward E. In-depth technical and policy analysis of various options for the nuclear fuel cycle. Topics include uranium supply, enrichment fuel fabrication, in-core physics and fuel management of uranium, thorium and other fuel types, reprocessing and waste disposal. Principles of fuel cycle economics and the applied reactor physics of both contemporary and proposed thermal and fast reactors are presented. Nonproliferation aspects, disposal of excess weapons plutonium, and transmutation of actinides and selected fission products in spent fuel are examined. Several state-of-the-art computer programs are provided for student use in problem sets and term papers.

14.771 Development Economics: Microeconomic Issues and Policy Models, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.771 Development Economics: Microeconomic Issues and Policy Models, Fall 2002 Duflo, Esther, 1972-; Banerjee, Abhijit; Kremer, Michael Agricultural issues: peasant behavior, land tenancy, and interlinked markets. Credit and insurance market problems and institutions. Health, nutrition, and productivity. Gender bias. Education. Technological change. Government failures.

15.220 International Management, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.220 International Management, Spring 2002 Lessard, Donald R.; Westney, D. Eleanor Companies today confront an increasing array of choices of markets, of locations for value adding activities, and of modes of crossing borders. This course focuses on the international dimensions of strategy and organization, and provides a framework for formulating strategies in an increasingly complex world economy, and for making those strategies work effectively. The first section of the course provides the basic frameworks for understanding competitiveness in international business at the level of the industry, location, and firm. These frameworks identify the opportunities presented in a dynamic global environment. But taking advantages of those opportunities faces enormous managerial challenges, and the second section of the course focuses on using and deepening those analytical tools in the context of specific problems and contexts. The goal of this course is to provide the foundations for taking effective action in the multi-faceted world of international business.

9.59J / 24.905J Psycholinguistics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.59J / 24.905J Psycholinguistics, Fall 2002 Gibson, Edward Albert Fletcher Central topics in language processing. The structure of language. Sentence processing. Discourse processing. Morphological processing. The storage and access of words in the mental dictionary. Speech processing. The relationship between the computational resources available in working memory and the language processing mechanism. Ambiguity resolution. Discussion of computational modeling, including connectionist models. The relationship between language and thought. Issues in language acquisition including critical period phenomena, the acquisition of speech, and the acquisition of words. Experimental methodologies such as self-paced reading, eye-tracking, cross-modal priming, and neural imaging methods. From the course home page: Highlights of this Course The ability to communicate arbitrary ideas through thin air via sound waves is a complex and fascinating process. In this course we will study how language is represented, processed and acquired, with a concentration on how language is comprehended in real time. Language is structured at many levels: sounds are structured into morphemes; morphemes are structured into words; words are structured into sentences; and sentences are structured into discourses. In this course, we will concentrate mostly on information processing above the word level. We will also discuss sound and word-level information processing, but to a lesser extent. Topics to be covered include: syntax; sentence comprehension; semantic, pragmatic and discourse comprehension; intonation; neural networks and language processing; neural imaging and language processing; language production; language acquisition; speech; speech comprehension; visual word recognition; and the relationship between language and thought.

9.10 Cognitive Neuroscience, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.10 Cognitive Neuroscience, Spring 2002 Corkin, Suzanne Explores the relations between neural systems and cognition, emphasizing attention, vision, language, motor control, and memory. Introduces basic neuroanatomy, functional imaging techniques, and behavioral measures of cognition. Discusses methods by which inferences about the brain bases of cognition are made. Considers evidence from patients with neurological diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Balint's syndrome, amnesia, and focal lesions from stroke) and from normal human participants. Demonstrations of methods and case presentations. An additional project is required for graduate credit. Alternate years.

9.65 Cognitive Processes, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.65 Cognitive Processes, Fall 2001 Potter, Mary C. An introduction to human information processing and learning; topics include the nature of mental representation and processing; the architecture of memory; pattern recognition; attention; imagery and mental codes; concepts and prototypes; reasoning and problem solving.

21A.226 Ethnic and National Identity, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21A.226 Ethnic and National Identity, Spring 2003 Jackson, Jean E. (Jean Elizabeth), 1943- An introduction to the cross-cultural study of ethnic and national identity. Students explore the history of nationalism, focusing on ideologies about the nation-state, and look at the ways gender, religious and racial identities intersect with ethnic and national ones. Ethnic conflict is examined, along with the emergence of social movements based on identity, in particular indigenous rights movements and the ways culture can become highly politicized. Finally, students discuss the effects of globalization, migration, and transnational institutions.

12.864 Inference from Data and Models, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.864 Inference from Data and Models, Spring 2004 Wunsch, Carl Fundamental methods used for exploring the information content of observations related to kinematical and dynamical models. Basic statistics and linear algebra for inverse methods including singular value decompositions, control theory, sequential estimation (Kalman filters and smoothing algorithms), adjoint/Pontryagin principle methods, model testing, etc. Second part focuses on stationary processes, including Fourier methods, z-transforms, sampling theorems, spectra including multi-taper methods, coherences, filtering, etc. Directed at the quantitative combinations of models, with realistic, i.e. sparse and noisy observations.

12.085 Seminar in Environmental Science, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.085 Seminar in Environmental Science, Fall 2005 Rothman, Daniel H. Required for all Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences majors in the Environmental Science track, this course is an introduction to current research in the field. Stresses integration of central scientific concepts in environmental policy making and the chemistry, biology, and geology environmental science tracks. Revisits selected core themes for students who have already acquired a basic understanding of environmental science concepts. The topic for this term is Global Respiration.

15.810 Introduction to Marketing, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.810 Introduction to Marketing, Fall 2001 Blackwood, Rosa M. This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of marketing, including a customer orientation, matched with attention to competition and core strengths. This course is a half semester MBA course taught to students in their first semester at Sloan. Together with their other core courses, students have the option of taking this course or an introductory finance course. This course is a prerequisite for all of the advanced marketing courses.

HST.176 Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

HST.176 Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Fall 2002 Pillai, Shiv; Anderson, Paul; Auchincloss, Hugh; Balk, Steven; Cherayil, Bobby; Davis, Benjamin; Hafler, David A.; Lichtman, Andrew H.; Ploegh, Hidde L.; Rajewsky, K., 1936-; Schmidt, Emmett Vance, 1952-; Sharpe, Arlene; Sykes, Megan; Andrian, Ulrich von; Walker, Bruce D., 1952- Covers cells and tissues of the immune system, lymphocyte development, the structure and function of antigen receptors, the cell biology of antigen processing and presentation including molecular structure and assembly of MHC molecules, lymphocyte activation, the biology of cytokines, leukocyte-endothelial interactions, and the pathogenesis of immunologically mediated diseases. Consists of lectures and tutorials in which clinical cases are discussed with faculty tutors. Details of the case covering a number of immunological issues in the context of disease are posted on a student Web site. Sections are integrated with HST.031 Human Pathology. (Only HST students may register under HST.175, graded P/D/F).

4.212 Design Fabrication, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

4.212 Design Fabrication, Spring 2003 Sass, Lawrence Design Fabrication is an introductory course in the field of advanced computing, prototyping and building fabrication. The class is focused on the relationship between design, various forms of computer modeling both explicit and generative and the physical representation of information using rapid prototyping devices.

18.311 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.311 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Spring 2003 Rosales, Rodolfo Introduction to fundamental concepts in "continuous" applied mathematics. Extensive use of demonstrational software. Discussion of computational and modelling issues. Nonlinear dynamical systems; nonlinear waves; diffusion; stability; characteristics; nonlinear steepening, breaking and shock formation; conservation laws; first-order partial differential equations; finite differences; numerical stability; etc. Applications to traffic problems, flows in rivers, internal waves, mechanical vibrations and other problems in the physical world.

8.012 Physics I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.012 Physics I, Fall 2002 Wilczek, Frank; Kleppner, Daniel; Burles, Scott M. Elementary mechanics, presented at greater depth than in 8.01. Newton's laws, concepts of momentum, energy, angular momentum, rigid body motion, and non-inertial systems. Uses elementary calculus freely. Concurrent registration in a math subject more advanced than 18.01 is recommended. In addition to the theoretical subject matter, several experiments in classical mechanics are performed by the students in the laboratory.

BE.010J / 2.790J / 6.025J / 7.38J / 10.010J Introduction to Bioengineering, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

BE.010J / 2.790J / 6.025J / 7.38J / 10.010J Introduction to Bioengineering, Spring 2005 Matsudaira, Paul T.; Belcher, Angela M.; Grodzinsky, Alan J. Designed as a freshmen seminar course, faculty from various School of Engineering departments describe the research and educational opportunities specific to and offered by their departments. Background lectures by the BE.010J staff introduce students to the fundamental scientific basis for bioengineering. Specially produced videos provide additional background information that is supplemented with readings from newspaper and magazine articles.

16.863J / ESD.863J System Safety, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.863J / ESD.863J System Safety, Spring 2011 Leveson, Nancy The goal of 16.863J is to teach basic principles of system safety, including accident analysis, hazard analysis, design for safety, human factors and safety, controlling safety during operations, and management of safety critical projects and systems. While you will learn what is currently done today, you will also learn new techniques that are proving to be more powerful and effective than the traditional safety engineering approaches.

11.481J / 1.284J / ESD.192J Analyzing and Accounting for Regional Economic Change, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.481J / 1.284J / ESD.192J Analyzing and Accounting for Regional Economic Change, Spring 2006 Polenske, Karen R.; Biderman, Ciro Surveys theories of regional growth, factor mobility, clustering, industrial restructuring, learning regions, and global supply chains from a political-economy perspective. Examines/critiques accounting frameworks including accounting for the underground economy, multipliers, linkages, and supply chains used to assess employment and environmental impacts, infrastructure investments. Assesses price indices, industrial location and employment measures, and shift-share analyses. Discussions of US and foreign applications. From the course home page: Course Description In this course students examine and critique accounting frameworks, including accounting for the underground economy, multipliers, linkages, and supply chains used to assess employment and environmental impacts and infrastructure investments. They also assess the value of price indices, industrial location and employment measures, and shift-share analyses. Discussions of U.S. and foreign applications and their relation will be featured in the class.

1.011 Project Evaluation, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.011 Project Evaluation, Spring 2005 Martland, Carl D. 1.011 examines methodologies for evaluating civil engineering projects, which typically are large-scale, long-lived projects involving many economic, financial, social, and environmental factors. Topics covered include: basic techniques of engineering economics including net present value analysis, life-cycle costing, benefit-cost analysis, and other approaches to project evaluation; resource and cost estimation procedures appropriate for large-scale infrastructure systems; and incorporating service quality, risk, environmental impacts, and other factors within the evaluation process. Examples are drawn from building design and construction, transportation systems, urban development, environmental projects, water resource management, and other elements of both the public and private infrastructure.

14.581 International Economics I, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.581 International Economics I, Spring 2007 Antràs, Pol This course provides a graduate-level introduction to the field of international trade. It examines the theory of international trade and foreign investment with applications in commercial policy. Topics include gains from trade, Ricardian models of technological differences, Heckscher-Ohlin models of factor endowment differences, intermediate input trade, wage inequality, imperfect competition, firm heterogeneity, multinational firms, international organization of production, dynamics, trade policy, trade and institutions, sorting in trade and FDI, and effects of geography on trade. This course is targeted to second-year PhD students in economics.

11.013J / 21H.231J American Urban History I, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.013J / 21H.231J American Urban History I, Spring 2005 Fogelson, Robert This course is a seminar on the history of institutions and institutional change in American cities from roughly 1850 to the present. Among the institutions to be looked at are political machines, police departments, courts, schools, prisons, public authorities, and universities. The focus of the course is on readings and discussions.

STS.010 Neuroscience and Society, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

STS.010 Neuroscience and Society, Fall 2008 Schüll, Natasha This class explores the social relevance of neuroscience, considering how emerging areas of brain research reflect and reshape social attitudes and agendas. Topics include brain imaging and popular media; neuroscience of empathy, trust, and moral reasoning; new fields of neuroeconomics and neuromarketing; ethical implications of neurotechnologies such as cognitive enhancement pharmaceuticals; neuroscience in the courtroom; and neuroscientific recasting of social problems such as addiction and violence. Guest lectures by neuroscientists, class discussion, and weekly readings in neuroscience, popular media, and science studies.

21W.755 Writing and Reading Short Stories, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.755 Writing and Reading Short Stories, Fall 2006 Lewitt, Shariann This class will focus on the craft of the short story, which we will explore through reading great short stories, writers speaking about writing, writing exercises and conducting workshops on original stories.

11.166 / 11.496 Law, Social Movements, and Public Policy: Comparative and International Experience, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.166 / 11.496 Law, Social Movements, and Public Policy: Comparative and International Experience, Fall 2002 Rajagopal, Balakrishnan The course introduces theoretical frameworks from legal and social movement theories as applied to court opinions, legislation, treaties, law-related articles, and policy-oriented materials and focuses on the impact of the relationship between courts and grassroots activism on current issues like trade, environmental regulation, and human rights enforcement. Students examine case studies of institutional processes including the World Trade Organization and the World Bank from key countries like the US and India.

6.857 Network and Computer Security, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.857 Network and Computer Security, Fall 2003 Rivest, Ronald 6.857 is an upper-level undergraduate, first-year graduate course on network and computer security. It fits within the department's Computer Systems and Architecture Engineering concentration. Topics covered include (but are not limited to) the following: Techniques for achieving security in multi-user computer systems and distributed computer systems; Cryptography: secret-key, public-key, digital signatures; Authentication and identification schemes; Intrusion detection: viruses; Formal models of computer security; Secure operating systems; Software protection; Security of electronic mail and the World Wide Web; Electronic commerce: payment protocols, electronic cash; Firewalls; and Risk assessment.

9.85 Infant and Early Childhood Cognition, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.85 Infant and Early Childhood Cognition, Fall 2005 Schulz, Laura This course is an introduction to cognitive development focusing on children's understanding of objects, agents, and causality. Students develop a critical understanding of experimental design and how developmental research might address philosophical questions about the origins of knowledge, appearance and reality, and the problem of other minds.

14.12 Economic Applications of Game Theory, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.12 Economic Applications of Game Theory, Fall 2005 Yildiz, Muhamet Game Theory is a misnomer for Multiperson Decision Theory, the analysis of situations in which payoffs to agents depend on the behavior of other agents. It involves the analysis of conflict, cooperation, and (tacit) communication. Game theory has applications in several fields, such as economics, politics, law, biology, and computer science. In this course, I will introduce the basic tools of game theoretic analysis. In the process, I will outline some of the many applications of game theory, primarily in economics and political science. Game Theory has emerged as a branch of mathematics and is still quite mathematical. Our emphasis will be on the conceptual analysis, keeping the level of math to a minimum, especially at a level that should be quite acceptable to the average MIT student. Yet bear in mind that this still implies that you should be at ease with basic probability theory and calculus, and more importantly, you should be used to thinking in mathematical terms. Intermediate Microeconomics is also a prerequisite (simultaneous attendance to one of the intermediate courses is also acceptable). In any case, if you are taking this course, you should be prepared to work hard.

21A.215 Medical Anthropology: Culture, Society, and Ethics in Disease and Health, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.215 Medical Anthropology: Culture, Society, and Ethics in Disease and Health, Fall 2008 Jackson, Jean This course looks at medicine from a cross-cultural perspective, focusing on the human, as opposed to biological, side of things. Students learn how to analyze various kinds of medical practice as cultural systems. Particular emphasis is placed on Western (bio-) medicine; students examine how biomedicine constructs disease, health, body, and mind, and how it articulates with other institutions, national and international.

21H.416J / 14.70J Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.416J / 14.70J Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective, Spring 2006 McCants, Anne This course will survey the conditions of material life and the changing social and economic relations in medieval Europe with reference to the comparative context of contemporary Islamic, Chinese, and central Asian experiences. The subject covers the emergence and decline of feudal institutions, the transformation of peasant agriculture, living standards and the course of epidemic disease, and the ebb and flow of long-distance trade across the Eurasian system. Particular emphasis will be placed on the study of those factors, both institutional and technological, which have contributed to the emergence of capitalist organization and economic growth in Western Europe in contrast to the trajectories followed by the other major medieval economies.

ESD.801 Leadership Development, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.801 Leadership Development, Fall 2005 Newman, Dava This seminar meets six times during the semester. Students work in a seminar environment to develop leadership capabilities. An initial Outward Bound experience builds trust, teamwork and communications. Readings and assignments emphasize the characteristics of great leadership. Global leaders participate in the "Leadership Lunch" series to share their experiences and recommendations. Discussions explore leadership development. The learning experience culminates in a personal leadership plan.

11.129 Educational Theory and Practice I, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.129 Educational Theory and Practice I, Fall 2006 Klopfer, Eric; Gibb, Reen This course concentrates on a core set of skills and knowledge necessary for teaching in secondary schools. Topics covered in the class include educational reform, student behavior and motivation, curriculum design, and the teaching profession. Classroom observation is a key component of the class. Assignments include readings from the educational literature, written reflections on classroom observations, and practice teaching and constructing curriculum. This is the first of a three course sequence necessary to complete the Teacher Education Program.

4.602 Modern Art and Mass Culture, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

4.602 Modern Art and Mass Culture, Spring 2004 Jones, Caroline This class provides an introduction to modern art and theories of modernism and postmodernism. It focuses on the way artists use the tension between fine art and mass culture to mobilize a critique of both. We will examine objects of visual art including painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, and video. These objects will be viewed in their interaction with advertising, caricature, comics, graffiti, television, fashion, folk art, and so-called "primitive" art.

21F.711 Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition: Perspectives on Technology and Culture, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.711 Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition: Perspectives on Technology and Culture, Spring 2005 Groeger, Margarita Ribas En este curso el estudiante perfeccionará su comunicación oral y escrita mediante el estudio y la discusión de temas relacionados al impacto social y cultural de la ciencia y la tecnología en ciertas sociedades hispanas. Algunos de los temas que se considerarán son los efectos de los cambios tecnológicos en la estructura familiar y comunitaria, en las relaciones entre los sexos, en la identidad personal y cultural, en el mundo natural y en los sistemas de valores, la religión, la educación y el trabajo. También se examinarán y compararán diversas actitudes hacia la innovación tecnológica y científica tal como se expresan en los medios de comunicación, los debates públicos, la literatura y el arte de las sociedades hispanas. Las ramificaciones éticas de las decisiones tecnológicas también se discutirán.

24.906J / 21F.024J The Linguistic Study of Bilingualism, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.906J / 21F.024J The Linguistic Study of Bilingualism, Fall 2006 Flynn, Suzanne This course describes development of bilingualism in human history (from Lucy to present day). It focuses on linguistic aspects of bilingualism; models of bilingualism and language acquisition; competence versus performance; effects of bilingualism on other domains of human cognition; brain imaging studies; early versus late bilingualism; opportunities to observe and conduct original research; and implications for educational policies among others. The course is taught in English.

2.96 / 6.930 / 10.806 / 16.653 / 22.002 Management in Engineering, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.96 / 6.930 / 10.806 / 16.653 / 22.002 Management in Engineering, Fall 2004 Chun, Jung-Hoon; d'Arbeloff, Alexander This course serves as an introduction to engineering management. Topics include financial principles, management of innovation, engineering project planning and control, human factors, career planning, patents, and technical strategy. The case study method of instruction in this course emphasizes student participation in class discussion. This class was also offered in Course 13 (Department of Ocean Engineering) as 13.52. In 2005, ocean engineering subjects became part of Course 2 (Department of Mechanical Engineering), and the 13.52 designation was dropped in lieu of 2.96.

15.761 Operations Management, Summer 2002

2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

15.761 Operations Management, Summer 2002 Rosenfield, Donald; Roemer, Thomas This course will introduce concepts and techniques for design, planning and control of manufacturing and service operations. The course provides basic definitions of operations management terms, tools and techniques for analyzing operations, and strategic context for making operational decisions. We present the material in five modules: Operations Analysis Coordination and Planning Quality Management Project Management Logistics and Supply Chain Management

17.245 The Supreme Court, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.245 The Supreme Court, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights, Fall 2006 Ghachem, Malick This course introduces students to the work of the Supreme Court and to the main outlines of American constitutional law, with an emphasis on the development of American ideas about civil rights. The goal of the course is to provide students with a framework for understanding the major constitutional controversies of the present day through a reading of landmark Supreme Court cases and the public debates they have generated. The principal topics are civil liberties in wartime, race relations, privacy rights, and the law of criminal procedure.

8.13-14 Experimental Physics I & II "Junior Lab", Fall 2004-Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.13-14 Experimental Physics I & II "Junior Lab", Fall 2004-Spring 2005 Becker, Ulrich J. Junior Lab consists of two undergraduate courses in experimental physics. The courses are offered by the MIT Physics Department, and are usually taken by Juniors (hence the name). Officially, the courses are called Experimental Physics I and II and are numbered 8.13 for the first half, given in the fall semester, and 8.14 for the second half, given in the spring. The purposes of Junior Lab are to give students hands-on experience with some of the experimental basis of modern physics and, in the process, to deepen their understanding of the relations between experiment and theory, mostly in atomic and nuclear physics. Each term, students choose 5 different experiments from a list of 21 total labs.

11.471 Political Economy of Development Projects: Targeting the Poor, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.471 Political Economy of Development Projects: Targeting the Poor, Spring 2003 Tendler, Judith Covers conditions under which public-sector policies, programs, and projects succeed in enhancing the economic activities of poorer groups and micro-regions in developing countries. Topics include local economic development; small enterprises; various forms of collective action; labor and worker associations; nongovernment organizations. Links these to literature on poverty, economic development, and reform of government, and to types of projects, tasks, and environments that are conducive to equitable outcomes. From the course home page: Course Description This course treats public-sector policies, programs, and projects that attempt to reduce poverty and unemployment in developing countries, mainly through directly income-generating activities and employment. Topics covered are: the nature of poverty and targeting, the political-economy and politics of poverty-reducing initiatives, implementation experiences, employment and local economic development, particularly as related to small and medium enterprises and the informal sector, cooperatives and other forms of collective action for income generation, and decentralization, civil society, and non-government organizations.

12.010 Computational Methods of Scientific Programming, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.010 Computational Methods of Scientific Programming, Fall 2005 Herring, T. (Thomas); Hill, Christopher N. This course introduces programming languages and techniques used by physical scientists: FORTRAN, C, C++, Matlab, and Mathematica. Emphasis is placed on program design, algorithm development and verification, and comparative advantages and disadvantages of different languages.

21W.747-1 Rhetoric, Spring 2010

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.747-1 Rhetoric, Spring 2010 Strang, Steven This course is an introduction to the theory, the practice, and the implications (both social and ethical) of rhetoric, the art and craft of persuasion. This semester, many of your skills will have the opportunity to be deepened by practice, including your analytical and critical thinking skills, your persuasive writing skills, and your oral presentation skills. In this course you will act as both a rhetor (a person who uses rhetoric) and as a rhetorical critic (one who studies the art of rhetoric). Both write to persuade; both ask and answer important questions. Always one of their goals is to create new knowledge for all of us, so no endeavor in this class is a "mere exercise."

MAS.160 Signals, Systems, and Information for Media Technology, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.160 Signals, Systems, and Information for Media Technology, Fall 2001 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory. Fundamentals of signals, systems, and information theory with emphasis on modeling both the audio/visual message and the human recipient. Linear systems, difference equations, Z-transforms, sampling and sampling rate conversion, convolution, filtering, modulation, Fourier analysis, entropy, noise, Shannon's fundamental theorems. Additional topics may include data compression, filter design, and feature detection. Meets with graduate subject MAS.510, MAS.511 but assignments differ.

21W.742J / SP.575J / WGS.575J Writing About Race, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21W.742J / SP.575J / WGS.575J Writing About Race, Spring 2003 Faery, Rebecca Blevins The issue of race and racial identity have preoccupied many writers throughout the history of the U.S. In this subject, students read Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Louise Erdrich, William Faulkner, Maxine Hong Kingston, Sandra Cisneros, and Judson Mitcham, among others, as we consider the story of race in its peculiarly American dimensions. The reading, along with the writing of members of the class, is the focus of class discussions. Oral presentations on subjects of individual interest are also part of the class activities. Students explore race and ethnicity in personal essays, pieces of cultural criticism or analysis, or (with permission of instructor) fiction. All written work is read and responded to in class workshops and subsequently revised. From the course home page: Course Description In The Souls of Black Folk (1903), the great cultural critic W. E. B. Du Bois wrote that "…the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line." A century after Du Bois penned those words, most Americans would agree that at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the color line remains one of our most pressing social issues. In this course, we will explore the terrain of race in America by reading the works of writers of color and others concerned with the issue of race, by viewing films that address racial issues, and by writing to explore how the fictions and facts of race condition all our lives, social and civic, private and public. We will consider the complex question of racial identity, test the givens of history by uncovering histories that have been more elusive or more thoroughly suppressed, and explore how writing and reading can both reflect and challenge racial categories, hierarchies, and perceptions. The reading is at once wonderful and disturbing, and the writing you will do will open up arenas of increased understanding for both you and your readers.

HST.583 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Data Acquisition and Analysis, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

HST.583 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Data Acquisition and Analysis, Fall 2006 Gollub, Randy L.; Banzett, Robert B.; Bolar, Divya S.; Buckner, Randy; Dickerson, Bradford; Gabrieli, John D. E.; Whitfield-Gabrieli, Susan; Greve, Doug; Hadjikhani, Nouchine; Helmer, Karl; Kanwisher, Nancy; Kennedy, David N. (David Nelson), 1962-; Mandeville, Joe; Manoach, Dara; Melcher, Jennifer R.; Moore, Christopher; Napadow, Vitaly; Pujol, Sonia; Rosen, Bruce Robert; Salat, David; Savoy, Robert; Sodickson, Dan; Sorensen, A. Gregory; Triantafyllou, Christina; Vangel, Mark Geoffrey; Wald, Lawrence; Yendiki, Anastasia This team taught, multidisciplinary course covers the fundamentals of magnetic resonance imaging relevant to the conduct and interpretation of human brain mapping studies. The challenges inherent in advancing our knowledge about brain function using fMRI are presented first to put the work in context. The course then provides in depth coverage of the physics of image formation, mechanisms of image contrast, and the physiological basis for image signals. Parenchymal and cerebrovascular neuroanatomy and application of sophisticated structural analysis algorithms for segmentation and registration of functional data are discussed. Additional topics include fMRI experimental design including block design, event related and exploratory data analysis methods, building and applying statistical models for fMRI data. Human subjects issues including informed consent, institutional review board requirements and safety in the high field environment are presented.

21L.471 Major English Novels, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21L.471 Major English Novels, Spring 2007 Lipkowitz, Ina Subject studies important examples of the literary form that, between the beginning of the eighteenth century and the end of the nineteenth century, became an indispensable instrument for representing modern life, in the hands of such writers as Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Sterne, Burney, Austen, Scott, Dickens, the Brontes, Eliot, Hardy, and Conrad. The class alternates between eighteenth and nineteenth century topics, and may be repeated for credit with instructor's permission. From the course home page: Course Description In this class you will read, think about, and hopefully enjoy important examples of what has become one of the most popular literary genres today (if not the most popular): the novel.

8.323 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.323 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I, Spring 2003 Guth, Alan H. In 8.323, Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I, concepts and basic techniques are developed through applications in elementary particle physics, and condensed matter physics. Topics include: Classical field theory, symmetries, and Noether's theorem. Quantization of scalar fields and spin 1/2 fields. Interacting fields and Feynman diagrams.

14.74 Foundations of Development Policy, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.74 Foundations of Development Policy, Spring 2004 Duflo, Esther, 1972-; Banerjee, Abhijit Explores the foundations of policy making in developing countries. Goal is to spell out various policy options and to quantify the trade-offs between them. Special emphasis on education, health, gender, fertility, adoption of technological innovation, and the markets for land, credit, and labor. From the course home page: Course Description In this course, we will study the different facets of human development: education, health, gender, the family, land relations, risk, informal and formal norms and institutions. While studying each of these topics, we will ask: What determines the decisions of poor households in developing countries? What constraints are they subject to? Is there a scope for policy (by government, international organizations, or NGOs)? What policies have been tried out? Have they been successful?

6.00 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.00 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming, Fall 2007 Guttag, John This subject is aimed at students with little or no programming experience. It aims to provide students with an understanding of the role computation can play in solving problems. It also aims to help students, regardless of their major, to feel justifiably confident of their ability to write small programs that allow them to accomplish useful goals. The class will use the Python programming language.

9.71 Functional MRI of High-Level Vision, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

9.71 Functional MRI of High-Level Vision, Fall 2004 Kanwisher, Nancy Covers the basics of fMRI, the strengths and limitations of fMRI compared to other techniques, and the design and analysis of fMRI experiments, focusing primarily on experiments on high-level vision. Upon completion, students should be able to understand and critique published fMRI papers, have a good grasp on what is known about high-level vision from fMRI, and design their own fMRI experiments. From the course home page: Course Description Fundamental questions about the human brain can now be answered using straightforward applications of fMRI. This is particularly true in the area of high-level vision, the study of how we interpret and use visual information (including object recognition, visual attention, perceptual awareness, visually guided action, visual memory, and other topics). Students will read, present to the class, and critique current neuroimaging articles, as well as write detailed proposals for experiments of their own. This course covers the basics of fMRI, the strengths and limitations of fMRI compared to other techniques, and the design and analysis of fMRI experiments, focusing primarily on experiments on high-level vision. Upon completion, students should be able to understand and critique published fMRI papers, have a good grasp on what is known about high-level vision from fMRI, and design their own fMRI experiments.

13.022 Surface Waves and their Interaction With Floating Bodies, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

13.022 Surface Waves and their Interaction With Floating Bodies, Spring 2002 Sclavounos, Paul D. Introduces the physics and mathematical modeling of linear and nonlinear surface wave interactions with floating bodies, e.g., ships and offshore platforms. Surface wave theory, including linear and nonlinear effects in a deterministic and random environment. Ship Kelvin wave pattern and wave resistance. Theory of linear surface wave interactions with floating bodies. Drift forces. Forward speed effects. Ship motions and wave-induced structural loads.

PE.740 Fencing, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

PE.740 Fencing, Spring 2006 Koniusz, Jaroslav This course is intended to provide students with the fundamentals of fencing, including footwork, bladework, bouting and refereeing. It will allow students to develop the ability to analyze a fencing bout, and promotes creativity in applying acquired skills in a fencing bout.

18.013A Calculus with Applications, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.013A Calculus with Applications, Fall 2001 Kleitman, Daniel J. Differential calculus in one and several dimensions. Java applets and spreadsheet assignments. Vector algebra in 3D, vector- valued functions, gradient, divergence and curl, Taylor series, numerical methods and applications. Given in the first half of the first term. However, those wishing credit for 18.013A only, must attend the entire semester. Prerequisites: a year of high school calculus or the equivalent, with a score of 4 or 5 on the AB, or the AB portion of the BC, Calculus test, or an equivalent score on a standard international exam, or a passing grade on the first half of the 18.01 Advanced Standing exam.

3.012 Fundamentals of Materials Science, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.012 Fundamentals of Materials Science, Fall 2003 Marzari, Nicola; Irvine, Darrell J.; Wuensch, Bernhardt J. This subject describes the fundamentals of bonding, energetics, and structure that underpin materials science. From electrons to silicon to DNA: the role of electronic bonding in determining the energy, structure, and stability of materials. Quantum mechanical descriptions of interacting electrons and atoms. Symmetry properties of molecules and solids. Structure of complex and disordered materials. Introduction to thermodynamic functions and laws governing equilibrium properties, relating macroscopic behavior to molecular models of materials. Develops basis for understanding a broad range of materials phenomena, from heat capacities, phase transformations, and multiphase equilibria to chemical reactions and magnetism. Fundamentals are taught using real-world examples such as engineered alloys, electronic and magnetic materials, ionic and network solids, polymers, and biomaterials.

6.542J / 24.966J / HST.712J Laboratory on the Physiology, Acoustics, and Perception of Speech, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.542J / 24.966J / HST.712J Laboratory on the Physiology, Acoustics, and Perception of Speech, Fall 2001 Stevens, Kenneth N., 1924-; Perkell, Joseph S.; Shattuck, Stefanie Rumrill; Hanson, Helen M.; Slifka, Janet Louise Khoenle, 1964- Experimental investigations of speech processes. Topics: measurement of articulatory movements; measurements of pressures and airflows in speech production; computer-aided waveform analysis and spectral analysis of speech; synthesis of speech; perception and discrimination of speechlike sounds; speech prosody; models for speech recognition; speech disorders; and other topics. Recommended prerequisites: 6.002 or 18.03. Alternate years.

6.071 Introduction to Electronics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.071 Introduction to Electronics, Fall 2002 Cory, David G.; Freidberg, Jeffrey P.; Parmelee, Elizabeth W. Introductory subject suitable for students with little or no previous background in electronics. Elementary network theory with op-amps, transients, second order linear systems and active filters, AM and FM modulation, diode and transistor circuits, design of digital circuits. Examples emphasize practical uses of electronics in experimental science. Alternate week laboratory.

12.540 Principles of the Global Positioning System, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.540 Principles of the Global Positioning System, Spring 2003 Herring, T. (Thomas) The aim of this course is to introduce the principles of the Global Positioning System and to demonstrate its application to various aspects of Earth Sciences. The specific content of the course depends each year on the interests of the students in the class. In some cases, the class interests are towards the geophysical applications of GPS and we concentrate on high precision(millimeter level) positioning on regional and global scales. In other cases, the interests have been more toward engineering applications of kinematic positioning with GPS in which case the concentration is on positioning with slightly less accuracy but being able to do so for a moving object. In all cases, we concentrate on the fundamental issues so that students should gain an understanding of the basic limitations of the system and how to extend its application to areas not yet fully explored.

12.480 Thermodynamics for Geoscientists, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.480 Thermodynamics for Geoscientists, Spring 2004 Grove, Timothy L. Principles of thermodynamics are used to infer the physical conditions of formation and modification of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Includes phase equilibria of homogeneous and heterogeneous systems and thermodynamic modelling of non-ideal crystalline solutions. Surveys the processes that lead to the formation of metamorphic and igneous rocks in the major tectonic environments in the Earth's crust and mantle.

21F.502 Beginning Japanese II, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.502 Beginning Japanese II, Spring 2005 Nagaya, Yoshimi; Nagatomi, Ayumi This course covers Lessons 7-12A of JSL (Japanese: the Spoken Language, Part 1, by Eleanor H. Jorden with Mari Noda, Yale University Press, 1987), enhancing the basic skills for conversation, reading and writing. The class emphasizes the development of communicative skills (i.e., your actual use of Japanese in contexts). By the end of this semester, students are expected to carry on a daily conversation with Japanese people. This course will stress active command of Japanese, not passive knowledge.

4.206 Introduction to Design Computing, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

4.206 Introduction to Design Computing, Spring 2004 Sass, Lawrence Explores the role of computer visualization as a representational medium. Visualization is widely used in scientific, engineering, and design disciplines to help people understand complex phenomena and constructs. The key intellectual challenge is to develop the right visual metaphors for conveying information in the most effective way. Through programming projects and applications work, real and imaginary environments are constructed, probed, and displayed. Also covers the relevant computer graphics methods and data representations. Required of Course IV majors. From the course home page: Course Description This course will introduce students to architectural design and computation through the use of computer modeling, rendering and digital fabrication. The course focuses on teaching architectural design with CAD drawing, modeling, rendering and rapid prototyping. Students will be required to build computer models that will lead to a full package of architectural explorations within a computational environment. Each semester will explore a particular historical period in architecture and the work of a selected architect.

15.023J / 12.848J / ESD.128J Global Climate Change: Economics, Science, and Policy, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.023J / 12.848J / ESD.128J Global Climate Change: Economics, Science, and Policy, Spring 2004 Jacoby, Henry D.; Prinn, Ronald G. Introduces scientific, economic, and ecological issues underlying the threat of global climate change, and the institutions engaged in negotiating an international response. Develops an integrated approach to analysis of climate change processes, and assessment of proposed policy measures, drawing on research and model development within the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.

14.662 Labor Economics II, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.662 Labor Economics II, Spring 2005 Autor, David H.; Piore, Michael J. The development and evolution of labor market structures and institutions. Particular focus on competing explanations of recent developments in the distribution of wage and salary income and in key institutions and organizational structures. Special attention to theories of worker motivation and behavior, the determination of wages, technology, and social stratification. From the course home page: Course Description This class focuses on labor institutions, the transformation of those institutions in the last three decades, and the possible relationship between that transformation and the shifting distribution of wage and salary income. The emphasis is on the United States and other advanced industrial countries, with some discussion of the relevance of the theory and analysis to developing economies.

21M.775 Hip Hop, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21M.775 Hip Hop, Spring 2003 DeFrantz, Thomas Subject explores the political and aesthetic foundations of hip hop. Students trace the musical, corporeal, visual, spoken word, and literary manifestations of hip hop over its thirty year presence in the American cultural imagery. Students also investigate specific black cultural practices that have given rise to its various idioms. Students create material culture related to each thematic section of the course. Scheduled work in performance studio help students understand how hip hop is created and assessed. From the course home page: Course Description This course explores the political and aesthetic foundations of hip hop. It traces the musical, corporeal, visual, spoken word, and literary manifestations of hip hop over its thirty-five year presence in the American cultural imaginary. It also investigates specific black cultural practices that have given rise to its various idioms. Hip hop has invigorated the academy, inspiring scholarship rooted in black musical and literary traditions. This course assesses these sharp breaks and flamboyant versionings of hip hop that have occurred within the academy.

21F.225 / 21F.226 Advanced Workshop in Writing for Science and Engineering: ESL, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.225 / 21F.226 Advanced Workshop in Writing for Science and Engineering: ESL, Spring 2003 Dunphy, Jane M. This workshop is designed to help advanced students of ESL and bilingual students to write clearly, accurately and effectively in a professional or academic technical environment. In class, we will focus on analyzing examples of various forms of technical writing. In addition, while 21.225/6 is not a grammar review, we will address many of the common problems of advanced non-native writers of technical English. Class members will occasionally be the authors of the work under review. They will also occasionally be responsible for leading group discussions and for short oral presentations. The course, then, is not a grammar class nor a thesis editing service though we will spend considerable time developing students’ editorial skills. Constructive participation in the group analyses, discussions and speaking exercises that take place in class is crucial to the learning process and to the success of the workshop. As a result, regular attendance and timely completion of assignments are requirements of 21.225/6. Students who, due to general study habits or schedule conflicts, expect to have difficulty in arriving on time or in attending every class, and in completing assignments on time, do not belong in the class. No listeners are accepted in 21F225/6. Completion of 21.226 with a grade of A or B fulfills Phase II of the MIT Undergraduate Writing Requirement. (It cannot fulfill both Phase I and Phase II at the same time.)

15.389 Global Entrepreneurship Lab, Fall 2004-Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.389 Global Entrepreneurship Lab, Fall 2004-Spring 2005 Locke, Richard M., 1959-; Loessberg, Shari Enables teams of engineering, science, and management students to work with the top management of international high-tech start-ups and gain hands-on experience in starting and running a new enterprise outside the United States. Lectures expose students to the issues and policies that affect the climate for innovation and start-up success around the world. Subject begins in the second half of the fall semester. Continues for 2-3 weeks during IAP, when students spend time at company sites. Subject concludes in the first half of the spring semester. Students must complete all three components to receive credit. From the course home page: Course Description A new form of entrepreneurship is developing. Instead of focusing just on one country, today's innovative startups are increasingly looking globally for ideas, funding, people and markets. This is particularly true for new companies in Latin America, Western Europe and Asia. It is also true for many new companies in the United States. G-Lab has four goals: 1. To familiarize students with the issues and challenges facing global startups. 2. To provide students with the experience of working in a "global" startup. These companies are either based outside the US or are in the US and trying to go global at a very early stage in their development. 3. To allow students to build networks of contacts with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists around the world. We very much hope that this will lead to career opportunities in a wide range of industries and countries. We also hope your experience will help you decide whether, when and how you would like to work as a global entrepreneur. 4. To offer high quality advice for global startups. We would like MIT Sloan to become the first place that global startups look for advice and help. This is an important goal for you, the MIT Entrepreneurship Center and all future generations of MIT students.

17.908 Reading Seminar in Social Science: Race, Crime, and Citizenship in American Law, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.908 Reading Seminar in Social Science: Race, Crime, and Citizenship in American Law, Spring 2007 Ghachem, Malick This course surveys the relationship between race and crime in the United States, with a special emphasis on the role this relationship has played in the development of American ideas about citizenship and nationhood.

18.103 Fourier Analysis - Theory and Applications, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.103 Fourier Analysis - Theory and Applications, Spring 2004 Melrose, Richard 18.103 picks up where 18.100B (Analysis I) left off. Topics covered include the theory of the Lebesgue integral with applications to probability, Fourier series, and Fourier integrals.

17.40 American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.40 American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future, Fall 2004 Van Evera, Stephen The mission for this course is to explain and evaluate past and present United States policies. What caused the United States' past involvement in foreign wars and interventions? Were the results of U.S. policies good or bad? Would other policies have better served the U.S. and/or the wider world? Were the beliefs that guided U.S. policy true or false? If false, what explains these misperceptions? General theories that bear on the causes and consequences of American policy will be applied to explain and evaluate past and present policies. The history of United States foreign policy in the 20th century is covered in detail. Functional topics are also covered: U.S. military policy, U.S. foreign economic policy, and U.S. policy on human rights and democracy overseas. Finally, we will predict and prescribe for the future. What policies should the U.S. adopt toward current problems and crises? These problems include the war against Al Qaeda and the wider war on terror; Iraq and Saddam Hussein; the Taiwan Straits; the Central African conflicts; and more. What should be the U.S. stance on global environmental and human rights questions?

18.785 Analytic Number Theory, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.785 Analytic Number Theory, Spring 2007 Kedlaya, Kiran This course is an introduction to analytic number theory, including the use of zeta functions and L-functions to prove distribution results concerning prime numbers (e.g., the prime number theorem in arithmetic progressions).

17.424 International Political Economy of Advanced Industrial Societies, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.424 International Political Economy of Advanced Industrial Societies, Spring 2007 Singer, David Andrew This graduate class is designed as a PhD-level overview of international political economy (IPE), with an emphasis on the advanced industrial countries. The syllabus is divided into three sections: international trade; international monetary and financial relations (including foreign direct investment); and security.

21F.040 A Passage to India: Introduction to Modern Indian Culture and Society, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.040 A Passage to India: Introduction to Modern Indian Culture and Society, Spring 2005 Banerjee, Arundhati This course introduces students to Indian Culture through films, short-stories, novels, essays, and newspaper articles. The course examines some major social and political controversies of contemporary India through discussions centered on India's history, politics and religion. The focus is on issues such as ethnic tension and terrorism, poverty and inequality, caste conflict, the "missing women," and the effects of globalization on popular and folk cultures. Particular emphasis is on the IT revolution, outsourcing, the "new global India," and the enormous regional and sub-cultural differences.

21A.350J / SP.484J / STS.086J / WGS.484J The Anthropology of Computing, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.350J / SP.484J / STS.086J / WGS.484J The Anthropology of Computing, Fall 2004 Helmreich, Stefan This course examines computers anthropologically, as meaningful tools revealing the social and cultural orders that produce them. We read classic texts in computer science along with works analyzing links between machines and culture. We explore early computation theory and capitalist manufacturing; cybernetics and WWII operations research; artificial intelligence and gendered subjectivity; the creation and commodification of the personal computer; the hacking aesthetic; non-Western histories of computing; the growth of the Internet as a military, academic, and commercial project; the politics of identity in cyberspace; and the emergence of "evolutionary" computation.

12.158 / 12.458 Molecular Biogeochemistry, Fall 2010

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.158 / 12.458 Molecular Biogeochemistry, Fall 2010 Summons, Roger; Hallmann, Christian; Sepulveda, Julio This course covers all aspects of molecular biosignatures, such as their pathways of lipid biosynthesis, the distribution patterns of lipid biosynthetic pathways with regard to phylogeny and physiology, isotopic contents, occurrence in modern organisms and environments, diagenetic pathways, analytical techniques and the occurrence of molecular fossils through the geological record. Students analyze in depth the recent literature on chemical fossils. Lectures provide background on the subject matter. Basic knowledge of organic chemistry required. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

21M.785 / 21M.789 / 21W.769J Playwrights' Workshop, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21M.785 / 21M.789 / 21W.769J Playwrights' Workshop, Spring 2007 Brody, Alan This course provides continued work in the development of play scripts for the theater. Writers work on sustained pieces in weekly workshop meetings, individual consultation with the instructor, and in collaboration with student actors, directors, and designers. Fully developed scripts are eligible for inclusion in the Playwrights' Workshop Production.

8.09 Classical Mechanics, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.09 Classical Mechanics, Fall 2006 Wyslouch, Boleslaw This class provides a formal introduction to classical mechanics, Euler-Lagrange equations, Hamilton's equations of motion used to describe central force motion, scattering, perturbation theory and Noether's theorem. The course also extends to continuous and relativistic systems and classical electrodynamics.

21F.108 / 21F.158 Chinese II (Streamlined), Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.108 / 21F.158 Chinese II (Streamlined), Spring 2003 Zhang, Jin Continuation of 21F.107. See 21F.107, for full description. For graduate credit see 21F.158. From the course home page: Course Description This course is the continuation of 21F.107/157 Chinese I (Streamlined), an introduction to modern standard Chinese, colloquially called Mandarin. 21F.107/157 and 21F.108/158 together form the elementary level of the streamlined curriculum intended for students with some conversational ability, but little or no reading (or writing) skills. The emphasis of the course is on standard pronunciation (and accurate tones); standard usage and grammar; and reading and writing characters in context. Students who have not taken 21F.107/157 should have an interview with the instructor by the end of the first week of Spring term.

STS.042J / 8.225J Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman: Physics in the 20th Century, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

STS.042J / 8.225J Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman: Physics in the 20th Century, Fall 2002 Kaiser, David This class will study some of the changing ideas within modern physics, ranging from relativity theory and quantum mechanics to solid-state physics, nuclear and elementary particles, and cosmology. These ideas will be situated within shifting institutional, cultural, and political contexts. The overall aim is to understand the changing roles of physics and of physicists over the course of the twentieth century.

22.01 Introduction to Ionizing Radiation, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.01 Introduction to Ionizing Radiation, Fall 2006 Coderre, Jeffrey This course provides an introduction to the basic properties of ionizing radiations and their uses in medicine, industry, science, and environmental studies. We will discuss natural and man-made radiation sources, energy deposition and dose calculations, and various physical, chemical, and biological processes and effects of radiation, with examples of their uses, and principles of radiation protection.

21H.104J / 11.015J Riots, Strikes, and Conspiracies in American History, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.104J / 11.015J Riots, Strikes, and Conspiracies in American History, Fall 2004 Maier, Pauline; Fogelson, Robert This course uses readings and discussions to focus on a series of short-term events that shed light on American politics, culture, and social organization. It emphasizes finding ways to make sense of these complicated, highly traumatic events, and on using them to understand larger processes of change in American history. The class also gives students experience with primary documentation research through a term paper assignment.

21H.968J / STS.415J Nature, Environment, and Empire, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.968J / STS.415J Nature, Environment, and Empire, Spring 2005 Ritvo, Harriet This course is an exploration of the relationship between the study of natural history, both domestic and exotic, by Europeans and Americans, and concrete exploitation of the natural world, focusing on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

16.31 Feedback Control Systems, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.31 Feedback Control Systems, Fall 2007 How, Jonathan P. This course covers the fundamentals of control design and analysis using state-space methods. This includes both the practical and theoretical aspects of the topic. By the end of the course, the student should be able to design controllers using state-space methods and evaluate whether these controllers are robust.

21H.101 American History to 1865, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.101 American History to 1865, Fall 2005 Maier, Pauline This course focuses on a basic history of American social, economic, and political development from the colonial period through the Civil War. The colonial heritages of Spanish and British America; the American Revolution and its impact; the establishment and growth of the new nation; and the Civil War, its background, character, and impact are examined. Readings include writings of the period by Winthrop, Paine, Jefferson, Madison, W. H. Garrison, G. Fitzhugh, H. B. Stowe, and Lincoln.

1.258J / 11.541J / ESD.226J Public Transportation Service and Operations Planning, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.258J / 11.541J / ESD.226J Public Transportation Service and Operations Planning, Spring 2006 Wilson, Nigel This course describes the evolution and role of urban public transportation modes, systems, and services, focusing on bus and rail. Technological characteristics and their impacts on capacity, service quality, and cost are described. Current practice and new methods for data collection and analysis, performance monitoring, route design, frequency determination, and vehicle and crew scheduling are also discussed. In addition, the effect of pricing policy and service quality on ridership and methods for estimating costs associated with proposed service changes are presented together with means to improve operations through real time intervention.

21F.740 The New Spain: 1977-Present, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.740 The New Spain: 1977-Present, Fall 2005 Resnick, Margery This course deals with the vast changes in Spanish social, political, and cultural life that have taken place since the death of Franco. It examines the new freedom from censorship; the re-emergence of strong movements for regional autonomy: the Basque region and Catalonia; the new cinema including Almodóvar and Saura; educational reforms instituted by the socialist government, and the fiction of Carme Riera and Terenci Moix. Special emphasis is placed on the emergence of mass media as a vehicle for expression in Spain. Consideration is given to the changes wrought by Spain's acceptance into the European Community. Materials include magazines, newspapers, films, fiction and Amando de Miguel's Los Españoles. This course is taught in Spanish.

SP.406 / WGS.406 Sexual and Gender Identities, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

SP.406 / WGS.406 Sexual and Gender Identities, Fall 2006 Surkan, Kim This course introduces scholarly debates about sexual identities, gender identities and expressions, and sexual orientation and its representation in various media. We begin with an investigation of the theoretical underpinnings of the emerging field of queer studies, from the nineteenth century to the present day, and consider how subsequent work in transgender studies continues to challenge traditional understandings of sex, gender, and sexuality.

15.769 Operations Strategy, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.769 Operations Strategy, Fall 2005 Rosenfield, Donald; Sharon, Dror The class provides a unifying framework for analyzing strategic issues in manufacturing and service operations. Relationships between manufacturing and service companies and their suppliers, customers, and competitors are analyzed. The material also covers decisions in technology, facilities, vertical integration, human resources and other strategic areas. Means of competition such as cost, quality, and innovativeness are explored, together with an approach to make operations decisions in the era of outsourcing and globalization.

14.123 Microeconomic Theory III, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.123 Microeconomic Theory III, Spring 2009 Eso, Peter This half-semester course discusses decision theory and topics in game theory. We present models of individual decision-making under certainty and uncertainty. Topics include preference orderings, expected utility, risk, stochastic dominance, supermodularity, monotone comparative statics, background risk, game theory, rationalizability, iterated strict dominance multi-stage games, sequential equilibrium, trembling-hand perfection, stability, signaling games, theory of auctions, global games, repeated games, and correlation.

1.133 Masters of Engineering Concepts of Engineering Practice, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.133 Masters of Engineering Concepts of Engineering Practice, Fall 2003 Adams, E. Eric Core requirement for the M.Eng. program designed to teach students about the roles of today's professional engineer and expose them to team-building skills through lectures, team workshops, and seminars. Topics include: written and oral communication, job placement skills, trends in the engineering and construction industry, risk analysis and risk management, managing public information, proposal preparation, project evaluation, project management, liability, professional ethics, and negotiation. Draws on relevant large-scale projects to illustrate each component of the subject. Grading is based on both individual and team exercises involving written and oral presentations. From the course home page: Course Description 1.133 is a core requirement for the Master of Engineering (M. Eng.) program. It features lectures presented by a variety of industry and academic speakers. The course is designed to teach students about the roles of today's professional engineer and to expose them to team-building skills through lectures, team workshops, and seminars. Topics include: written and oral communications, job placement skills, trends in the engineering and construction industry, proposal preparation, project evaluation, project management, professional ethics, and negotiation. The course draws on relevent large scale projects to illustrate each component of the subject. Course lectures are integrated with a weekly seminar series and the MEng group project subjects which are mentioned herein.

14.121 Microeconomic Theory I, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.121 Microeconomic Theory I, Fall 2008 Pathak, Parag A. Theories of production and individual choice (under certainty and uncertainty); markets and competition; tools of comparative statics and their application to price theory.

18.03 Differential Equations, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.03 Differential Equations, Spring 2006 Miller, Haynes; Mattuck, Arthur Differential Equations are the language in which the laws of nature are expressed. Understanding properties of solutions of differential equations is fundamental to much of contemporary science and engineering. Ordinary differential equations (ODE's) deal with functions of one variable, which can often be thought of as time. Topics include: Solution of first-order ODE's by analytical, graphical and numerical methods; Linear ODE's, especially second order with constant coefficients; Undetermined coefficients and variation of parameters; Sinusoidal and exponential signals: oscillations, damping, resonance; Complex numbers and exponentials; Fourier series, periodic solutions; Delta functions, convolution, and Laplace transform methods; Matrix and first order linear systems: eigenvalues and eigenvectors; and Non-linear autonomous systems: critical point analysis and phase plane diagrams.

16.358J / 16.863J System Safety, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.358J / 16.863J System Safety, Spring 2005 Leveson, Nancy This course covers important concepts and techniques in designing and operating safety-critical systems. Topics covered include: the nature of risk, formal accident and human error models, causes of accidents, fundamental concepts of system safety engineering, system and software hazard analysis, designing for safety, fault tolerance, safety issues in the design of human-machine interaction, verification of safety, creating a safety culture, and management of safety-critical projects. It also includes a class project involving the high-level system design and analysis of a safety-critical system.

16.410 / 16.413 Principles of Autonomy and Decision Making, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.410 / 16.413 Principles of Autonomy and Decision Making, Fall 2005 Williams, Brian; Roy, Nicholas This course surveys a variety of reasoning, optimization, and decision-making methodologies for creating highly autonomous systems and decision support aids. The focus is on principles, algorithms, and their applications, taken from the disciplines of artificial intelligence and operations research. Reasoning paradigms include logic and deduction, heuristic and constraint-based search, model-based reasoning, planning and execution, reasoning under uncertainty, and machine learning. Optimization paradigms include linear, integer and dynamic programming. Decision-making paradigms include decision theoretic planning, and Markov decision processes. This course is offered both to undergraduate (16.410) students as a professional area undergraduate subject, in the field of aerospace information technology, and graduate (16.413) students.

2.626 Fundamentals of Photovoltaics, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.626 Fundamentals of Photovoltaics, Fall 2008 Buonassisi, Tonio In this course students will learn how solar cells convert light into electricity, how solar cells are manufactured, how solar cells are evaluated, what technologies are currently on the market, and how to evaluate the risk and potential of existing and emerging solar cell technologies. We examine the potential & drawbacks of currently manufactured technologies (single- and multi-crystalline silicon, micromorph tandem cells, CdTe, CIGS, CPV, PVT), as well as pre-commercial technologies (organics, biomimetic, organic/inorganic hybrid, and nanostructure-based solar cells). Hands-on laboratory sessions explore how a solar cell works in practice. We scrutinize what limits solar cell performance and cost, and the major hurdles — technological, economic, and political — towards widespread substitution of fossil fuels. Students will apply this knowledge towards developing and critiquing a solar energy technology prospectus.

14.41 Public Economics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.41 Public Economics, Fall 2004 Gruber, Jonathan This course examines the role of the public sector in the economy. The aim of the course is to provide an understanding of the reasons for government intervention in the economy, the extent of that intervention, and the response of private agents to the government's actions.

21F.044 Traditional Chinese Literature: Poetry, Fiction, and Drama, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

21F.044 Traditional Chinese Literature: Poetry, Fiction, and Drama, Spring 2007 Faculty, Foreign Languages and Literatures Department This course is an introduction to some of the major genres of traditional Chinese poetry, fiction, and drama. Intended to give students a basic understanding of the central features of traditional Chinese literary genres, as well as to introduce students to the classic works of the Chinese literary tradition. Works read include Journey to the West, Outlaws of the Marsh, Dream of the Red Chamber, and the poetry of the major Tang dynasty poets. Literature read in translation. Taught in English.

18.904 Seminar in Topology, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.904 Seminar in Topology, Fall 2005 Behrens, Mark In this course, students present and discuss the subject matter with faculty guidance. Topics presented by the students include the fundamental group and covering spaces. Instruction and practice in written and oral communication are provided to the students.

15.810 Introduction to Marketing, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.810 Introduction to Marketing, Spring 2005 Hauser, John This course is an introduction to the theory and application of marketing. Marketing topics covered include Customer needs, Company skills, Competition, Collaborators, and Context in marketing and product development (5C's). The course combines cases, discussions, and readings to provide a mix of integrating concepts and hands-on problem solving.

12.009 Theoretical Environmental Analysis, Spring 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.009 Theoretical Environmental Analysis, Spring 2011 Rothman, Daniel; Follett, Christopher This course analyzes cooperative processes that shape the natural environment, now and in the geologic past. It emphasizes the development of theoretical models that relate the physical and biological worlds, the comparison of theory to observational data, and associated mathematical methods. Topics include carbon cycle dynamics; ecosystem structure, stability and complexity; mass extinctions; biosphere-geosphere coevolution; and climate change. Employs techniques such as stability analysis; scaling; null model construction; time series and network analysis.

20.320 Biomolecular Kinetics and Cell Dynamics, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

20.320 Biomolecular Kinetics and Cell Dynamics, Spring 2006 Lauffenburger, Douglas; White, Forest This class covers analysis of kinetics and dynamics of molecular and cellular processes across a hierarchy of scales, including intracellular, extracellular, and cell population levels; a spectrum of biotechnology applications are also taken into consideration. Topics include gene regulation networks; nucleic acid hybridization; signal transduction pathways; and cell populations in tissues and bioreactors. Emphasis is placed on experimental methods, quantitative analysis, and computational modeling.

15.067 Competitive Decision-Making and Negotiation, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.067 Competitive Decision-Making and Negotiation, Spring 2003 Kaufman, Gordon This course is centered on twelve negotiation exercises that simulate competitive business situations. Specific topics covered include distributive bargaining (split the pie!), mixed motive bargaining (several issues at stake) with two and with more than two parties, auctions and fair division. Ethical dilemmas in negotiation are discussed at various times throughout the course. There are two principal objectives for this course. The first is to provide you with negotiation tools that enable you to achieve your negotiation objectives in a fair and responsible fashion. The second is to "learn by doing." That is, we provide a forum in which you actively apply these tools to a wide variety of business oriented negotiation settings.

15.279 Management Communication for Undergraduates, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.279 Management Communication for Undergraduates, Spring 2005 Breslow, Lori This is a required seminar for Management Science majors to develop the writing, speaking, teamwork, and interpersonal communication skills necessary for managers. Students learn communication principles, strategies, and methods through discussions, exercises, examples, and cases. Assignments include writing memos and business letters, and giving oral presentations in labs outside of class. A major project is the production of a team report and presentation on a topic of interest to a managerial audience.

17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics, Fall 2006 Lawson, Chappell This class first offers some basic analytical frameworks - culture, social structure, and institutions - that you can use to examine a wide range of political outcomes. We then use these frameworks to understand (1) the relationship between democracy and economic development and (2) the relative centralization of political authority across countries. We will use theoretical arguments and a wide range of case studies to address several questions: Why are some countries democratic and others not? How does democracy affect economic development and political conflict? Why do some countries centralize power while others threaten to fall apart through secession and civil war? We will use examples from a wide range of countries including Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Mexico, and the United States. The lessons drawn from these countries will prepare you to analyze other countries of your own choosing in the paper assignments. At the end of the course, you should be able to analyze political events around the world, drawing on the theoretical explanations provided in the class.

7.91J / 7.36J / 20.490J Foundations of Computational and Systems Biology, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

7.91J / 7.36J / 20.490J Foundations of Computational and Systems Biology, Spring 2004 Burge, Christopher; Yaffe, Michael; Woolf, Peter; Keating, Amy Serving as an introduction to computational biology, this course emphasizes the fundamentals of nucleic acid and protein sequence analysis, structural analysis, and the analysis of complex biological systems. The principles and methods used for sequence alignment, motif finding, structural modeling, structure prediction, and network modeling are covered. Students are also exposed to currently emerging research areas in the fields of computational and systems biology.

21F.043J / 21H.150J Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture, and Historical Experience, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.043J / 21H.150J Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture, and Historical Experience, Fall 2005 Teng, Emma An interdisciplinary subject that draws on literature, history, anthropology, film, and cultural studies to examine the experiences of Asian Americans in U.S. society. Covers the first wave of Asian immigration in the 19th century, the rise of anti-Asian movements, the experiences of Asian Americans during WWII, the emergence of the Asian American movement in the 1960s, and the new wave of "post-1965" Asian immigration. Examines the role these historical experiences played in the formation of Asian American ethnicity, and explores how these experiences informed Asian American literature and culture. Addresses key societal issues such as racial stereotyping, media racism, affirmative action issues, the glass ceiling, the "model minority" syndrome, and anti-Asian harassment or violence. Taught in English.

1.138J / 2.062J Wave Propagation, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.138J / 2.062J Wave Propagation, Fall 2000 Mei, Chiang C.; Li, Guangda Linearized theory of wave phenomena in applied mechanics. Examples are chosen from elasticity, acoustics, geophysics, hydrodynamics and other subjects. Basic concepts. One dimensional examples. Characteristics, dispersion and group velocity. Scattering, transmission and reflection. Two dimensional reflection and refraction across an interface. Mode conversion in elastic waves. Diffraction and parabolic approximation Radiation from a line source. Surface Rayleigh waves and Love waves in elastic media. Waves on the sea surface and internal waves in a stratified fluid. Waves in moving media. Ship wave pattern. Atmospheric lee waves behind an obstacle. Waves through a laminated media, etc.

21W.731-3 Culture Shock!, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.731-3 Culture Shock!, Fall 2002 Faery, Rebecca Blevins This course is an introduction to writing prose for a public audience--specifically, prose grounded in, but not confined to, personal narrative.That is, you will write essays that engage elements and aspects of contemporary American popular culture and that do so via a vivid personal voice and presence. In the coming weeks we will read a number of articles that address current issues in popular culture along with essays, pieces of carefully-crafted nonfiction, by writers, scientists, philosophers, poets, historians, literary scholars, and many others. These essays will address a great many subjects from the contemporary world, using personal narrative and memoir to launch and elaborate an argument or position or refined observation. And you yourselves will write a great deal in the variety of forms that the essay genre embraces, attending always to the ways your purpose in writing and your intended audience shape what and how you write.

17.871 Political Science Laboratory, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.871 Political Science Laboratory, Spring 2002 Stewart, Charles Haines Introduces students to the conduct of political research using quantitative methodologies. The methods are examined in the context of specific political research activities like public opinion surveys, voting behavior, Congressional behavior, comparisons of political processes in different countries, and the evaluation of public policies. Students participate in joint class projects and conduct individual projects. Does not count toward HASS Requirement.

1.85 Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.85 Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering, Spring 2005 Shanahan, Peter Theory and design of systems for treating industrial and municipal wastewater and potable water supplies. Methods for characterizing wastewater properties. Physical, chemical, and biological processes, including primary treatment, and suspended growth and fixed-film methods for secondary treatment. Nutrient removal. Reactor design and process kinetics. State-of-the-art processes. Sludge processing and disposal.

MAS.630 Affective Computing, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.630 Affective Computing, Spring 2008 Picard, Rosalind W. This class explores computing that relates to, arises from, or deliberately influences emotion. Topics include the interaction of emotion with cognition and perception; the role of emotion in human-computer interaction; the communication of human emotion via face, voice, physiology, and behavior; construction of computers that have skills of emotional intelligence; the development of computers that "have" emotion; affective technologies for autism; and other areas of current research interest. Weekly reading, discussion, and a term project are required.

11.016J / 4.211J The Once and Future City, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.016J / 4.211J The Once and Future City, Spring 2006 Spirn, Anne Whiston What is a city? What shapes it? How does its history influence future development? How do physical form and institutions vary from city to city and how are these differences significant? How are cities changing and what is their future? This course will explore these and other questions, with emphasis upon twentieth-century American cities. A major focus will be on the physical form of cities - from downtown and inner-city to suburb and edge city - and the processes that shape them. The class Web site can be found here: The City.

18.310C Principles of Applied Mathematics, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.310C Principles of Applied Mathematics, Fall 2007 Shor, Peter; Kleitman, Daniel Principles of Applied Mathematics is a study of illustrative topics in discrete applied mathematics including sorting algorithms, information theory, coding theory, secret codes, generating functions, linear programming, game theory. There is an emphasis on topics that have direct application in the real world. This course was recently revised to meet the MIT Undergraduate Communication Requirement (CR). It covers the same content as 18.310, but assignments are structured with an additional focus on writing.

15.014 Applied Macro- and International Economics, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.014 Applied Macro- and International Economics, Spring 2004 Rigobon, Roberto 15.014 focuses on using case studies to investigate the macroenvironment in which firms operate. The course is divided in five parts: Basic tools of macroeconomic management Evaluation of different economic development strategies Crises in emerging markets: causes, solutions, and prevention Problems faced by transition economies Challenges of developed countries This course is a full-term version of Applied Macro- and International Economics (15.012), with additional topics.

9.35 Sensation and Perception, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.35 Sensation and Perception, Spring 2001 Adelson, Edward H.; Anderson, Barton L. How do the senses work? How do physical stimuli get transformed into signals in the nervous system? How does the brain use those signals to determine what's out there in the world? All the senses are discussed; vision is covered most extensively, with topics including the perception of color, motion, form, and depth.

1.203J / 6.281J / 13.665J / 15.073J / 16.76J / ESD.216J Logistical and Transportation Planning Methods, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.203J / 6.281J / 13.665J / 15.073J / 16.76J / ESD.216J Logistical and Transportation Planning Methods, Fall 2001 Barnett, Arnold; Larson, Richard C., 1943-; Odoni, Amedeo R. Quantitative techniques of operations research with emphasis on applications in transportation systems analysis (urban, air, ocean, highway, and pickup and delivery systems) and in the planning and design of logistically oriented urban service systems (e.g., fire and police departments, emergency medical services, and emergency repair services). Unified study of functions of random variables, geometrical probability, multi-server queuing theory, spatial location theory, network analysis and graph theory, and relevant methods of simulation. Computer exercises and discussions of implementation difficulties.

8.044 Statistical Physics I, Spring 2008

2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.044 Statistical Physics I, Spring 2008 Lee, Young This course offers an introduction to probability, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics. Numerous examples are used to illustrate a wide variety of physical phenomena such as magnetism, polyatomic gases, thermal radiation, electrons in solids, and noise in electronic devices.

10.391J / 1.818J / 2.65J / 11.371J / 22.811J / ESD.166J Sustainable Energy, January IAP 2007 - Spring 2007

2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

10.391J / 1.818J / 2.65J / 11.371J / 22.811J / ESD.166J Sustainable Energy, January IAP 2007 - Spring 2007 Drake, Elisabeth; Incropera, Frank; Tester, Jefferson W.; Golay, Michael This course assesses current and potential future energy systems, covers resources, extraction, conversion, and end-use, and emphasizes meeting regional and global energy needs in the 21st century in a sustainable manner. Different renewable and conventional energy technologies will be presented including biomass energy, fossil fuels, geothermal energy, nuclear power, wind power, solar energy, hydrogen fuel, and fusion energy and their attributes described within a framework that aids in evaluation and analysis of energy technology systems in the context of political, social, economic, and environmental goals. This course is offered during the last two weeks of the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month, and continues into the Spring semester.

4.241J / 11.330J Theory of City Form, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

4.241J / 11.330J Theory of City Form, Spring 2004 Beinart, Julian Theories about cities and the form that settlements should take will be discussed. Attempts will be made at a distinction between descriptive and normative theory, by examining examples of various theories of city form over time. The class will concentrate on the origins of the modern city and theories about its emerging form, including the transformation of the nineteenth-century city and its organization. It analyzes current issues of city form in relation to city making, social structure, and physical design. Case studies of several cities will be presented as examples of the theories discussed in the class.

12.003 Physics of Atmospheres and Oceans, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.003 Physics of Atmospheres and Oceans, Fall 2007 Marshall, John C. The laws of classical mechanics and thermodynamics are used to explore how the properties of fluids on a rotating Earth manifest themselves in, and help shape, the global patterns of atmospheric winds, ocean currents, and the climate of the Earth. Theoretical discussion focuses on the physical processes involved. Underlying mechanisms are illustrated through laboratory demonstrations, using a rotating table, and through analysis of atmospheric and oceanic data.

12.864 Inference from Data and Models, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.864 Inference from Data and Models, Spring 2003 Wunsch, Carl Fundamental methods used for exploring the information content of observations related to kinematical and dynamical models. Basic statistics and linear algebra for inverse methods including singular value decompositions, control theory, sequential estimation (Kalman filters and smoothing algorithms), adjoint/Pontryagin principle methods, model testing, etc. Second part focuses on stationary processes, including Fourier methods, z-transforms, sampling theorems, spectra including multi-taper methods, coherences, filtering, etc. Directed at the quantitative combinations of models, with realistic, i.e. sparse and noisy observations.

17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics, Fall 2003 Lawson, Chappell H., 1967-; Rodden, Jonathan Why are some countries democratic and others not? How do political institutions affect economic development and political conflict? How do politics in the United States compare to politics in other countries? This class first reviews cultural, social, and institutional explanations for political outcomes. It then turns to more detailed examination of specific topics: ethnic conflict in India, democratic collapse in Weimar Germany, regional disparities in Italy, market-oriented reform (or lack thereof) in Brazil, corruption in Mexico, ethnic violence in Yugoslavia, the impoverishment of post-Communist Russia, and the prospects for democracy in China. Each of these examples is meant to stand in for a range of cases, allowing you to extrapolate to new material. At the end of the course, you should be able to analyze political events around the world, drawing on the theoretical explanations provided in the class.

21M.065 Introduction to Music Composition, Fall 2009

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

21M.065 Introduction to Music Composition, Fall 2009 Makan, Keeril Through a progressive series of composition projects, students investigate the sonic organization of musical works and performances, focusing on fundamental questions of unity and variety. Aesthetic issues are considered in the pragmatic context of the instructions that composers provide to achieve a desired musical result, whether these instructions are notated in prose, as graphic images, or in symbolic notation. No formal training is required; this version of the class is a general elective suitable for a relatively large-enrollment class. Weekly listening, reading, and composition assignments draw on a broad range of musical styles and intellectual traditions, from various cultures and historical periods.

14.452 Economic Growth, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.452 Economic Growth, Fall 2008 Acemoglu, Daron The basic machines of macroeconomics. Ramsey, Solow, Samuelson-Diamond, RBCs, ISLM, Mundell-Fleming, Fischer-Taylor. How they work, what shortcuts they take, and how they can be used. Half-term subject. From the course home page: Course Description This half semester class presents an introduction to macroeconomic modeling, focusing on the theory of economic growth and some of its applications. It will introduce a number of models of non-stochastic and stochastic macroeconomic equilibrium. It will use these models to shed light both on the process of economic growth at the world level and on sources of income and growth differences across countries.

14.126 Game Theory, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.126 Game Theory, Fall 2004 Ergin, Haluk; Yildiz, Muhamet This course is a rigorous investigation of the evolutionary and epistemic foundations of solution concepts, such as rationalizability and Nash equilibrium. It covers classical topics, such as repeated games, bargaining, and supermodular games as well as new topics such as global games, heterogeneous priors, psychological games, and games without expected utility maximization. Applications are provided when available.

21G.101 / 21G.151 Chinese I (Regular), Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

21G.101 / 21G.151 Chinese I (Regular), Spring 2006 Wheatley, Julian K. This subject is the first semester of two that form an introduction to modern standard Chinese, commonly called Mandarin. Though not everyone taking this course will be an absolute beginner, the course presupposes no prior background in the language. The purpose of this course is to develop: Basic conversational abilities (pronunciation, fundamental grammatical patterns, common vocabulary, and standard usage) Basic reading and writing skills (in both the traditional character set and the simplified) An understanding of the language learning process so that you are able to continue studying effectively on your own. The main text is Wheatley, J. K. Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin. Part I. (unpublished, but available online). (Part II of the book forms the basis of 21G.102 / 152, which is also published on OpenCourseWare.) Chinese Sequence on OCW OpenCourseWare now offers a complete sequence of four Chinese language courses, covering beginning to intermediate levels of instruction at MIT. They can be used not just as the basis for taught courses, but also for self-instruction and elementary-to-intermediate review. The four Chinese subjects provide the following materials: an online textbook in four parts, J. K. Wheatley's Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin; audio files of the main conversational and narrative material in this book; and syllabi and day-by-day schedules for each term. Course sequnce on OCW. CHINESE COURSES COURSE SITES Chinese I (Spring 2006) 21G.101/151 Chinese II (Spring 2006) 21G.102/152 Chinese III (Fall 2005) 21G.103 Chinese IV (Spring 2006) 21G.104

8.033 Relativity, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.033 Relativity, Fall 2003 Rappaport, S. A., 1942- Normally taken by physics majors in their sophomore year. Einstein's postulates; consequences for simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, clock synchronization; Lorentz transformation; relativistic effects and paradoxes; Minkowski diagrams; invariants and four-vectors; momentum, energy and mass; particle collisions. Relativity and electricity; Coulomb's law; magnetic fields. Brief introduction to Newtonian cosmology. Introduction to some concepts of General Relativity; principle of equivalence. The Schwarzchild metric; gravitational red shift, particle and light trajectories, geodesics, Shapiro delay.

22.313 Thermal Hydraulics in Nuclear Power Technology, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.313 Thermal Hydraulics in Nuclear Power Technology, Spring 2003 Todreas, Neil E. Advanced topics emphasizing thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena and analysis methods. Single-heated channel-transient analysis. Multiple-heated channels connected at plena. Loop analysis including single and two-phase natural circulation. Kinematics and dynamics of two-phase flows with energy addition. Boiling, instabilities, and critical conditions. Subchannel analysis.

21F.030 East Asian Cultures: From Zen to Pop, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.030 East Asian Cultures: From Zen to Pop, Fall 2002 Anonymous Examines traditional forms of East Asian culture (including literature, art, performance, food, and religion) as well as contemporary forms of popular culture (film, pop music, karaoke, and manga). Covers China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with an emphasis on China. Attention given to women's culture. The influence and presence of Asian cultural expressions in the US are also considered. Use made of resources in the Boston area, including the MFA, the Children's Museum, and the Sackler collection at Harvard. Taught in English.

22.314J / 1.56J / 2.084J Structural Mechanics in Nuclear Power Technology, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.314J / 1.56J / 2.084J Structural Mechanics in Nuclear Power Technology, Spring 2004 Kazimi, Mujid S.; Buyukozturk, O. (Oral) Structural components in nuclear power plant systems, their functional purposes, operating conditions, and mechanical-structural design requirements. Combines mechanics techniques with models of material behavior to determine adequacy of component design. Considerations include mechanical loading, brittle fracture, inelastic behavior, elevated temperatures, neutron irradiation, and seismic effects.

16.423J Space Biomedical Engineering & Life Support, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.423J Space Biomedical Engineering & Life Support, Fall 2002 Newman, Dava J. Fundamentals of human performance, physiology, and life support impacting engineering design and aerospace systems. Topics include: effects of gravity on the muscle, skeletal, cardiovascular, and neurovestibular systems; human/pilot modeling and human/machine design; flight experiment design; and life support engineering for extravehicular activity (EVA). Case studies of current research are presented. Assignments include a design project, quantitative homework sets, and quizzes emphasizing engineering and systems aspects.

SP.235 / ES.SP235 Chemistry of Sports, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.235 / ES.SP235 Chemistry of Sports, Spring 2009 Christie, Patricia; Lyons, Steve This seminar will focus on three sports: swimming, cycling and running. There will be two components to the seminar: classroom sessions and a "laboratory" in the form of a structured training program. The classroom component will introduce the students to the chemistry of their own biological system. With swimming, running and cycling as sample sports, students are encouraged to apply their knowledge to complete a triathlon shortly after the term.

STS.066 Brains and Culture: Love, Lies & Neurotransmitters, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

STS.066 Brains and Culture: Love, Lies & Neurotransmitters, Fall 2002 Dumit, Joseph Subject examines the brain as a cultural object in contemporary media, science, and society. Explores cultural assumptions about neuroscience by drawing on anthropology, history, semiotics, and the cognitive sciences. Topics include historical views of the brain; digital images of the brain; psychopharmacology; mental illness; neurotransmitters; and the culture of brain science. Class assignments include three brief analytical papers and one oral presentation.

SP.721 D-Lab: Development, Dialogue and Delivery, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

SP.721 D-Lab: Development, Dialogue and Delivery, Fall 2004 Smith, Amy J.; Kornbluth, Kurt D-Lab is a year-long series of courses and field trips. The fall class provides a basic background in international development and appropriate technology through guest speakers, case studies and hands-on exercises. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in an IAP field trip to Haiti, India, Brazil, Honduras, Zambia, Samoa, or Lesotho and continue their work in a spring term design class. As part of the fall class, students will partner with community organizations in these countries and develop plans for the IAP site visit. In addition, students will learn about the culture, language, economics, politics and history of their host country.

3.091 Introduction to Solid State Chemistry, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

3.091 Introduction to Solid State Chemistry, Fall 2004 Sadoway, Donald This course explores the basic principles of chemistry and their application to engineering systems. It deals with the relationship between electronic structure, chemical bonding, and atomic order. It also investigates the characterization of atomic arrangements in crystalline and amorphous solids: metals, ceramics, semiconductors, and polymers (including proteins). Topics covered include organic chemistry, solution chemistry, acid-base equilibria, electrochemistry, biochemistry, chemical kinetics, diffusion, and phase diagrams. Examples are drawn from industrial practice (including the environmental impact of chemical processes), from energy generation and storage, e.g., batteries and fuel cells, and from emerging technologies, e.g., photonic and biomedical devices.

6.251J / 15.081J Introduction to Mathematical Programming, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.251J / 15.081J Introduction to Mathematical Programming, Fall 2002 Tsitsiklis, John This course offers an introduction to optimization problems, algorithms, and their complexity, emphasizing basic methodologies and the underlying mathematical structures. The main topics covered include: Theory and algorithms for linear programming Network flow problems and algorithms Introduction to integer programming and combinatorial problems

21H.421 Introduction to Environmental History, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.421 Introduction to Environmental History, Spring 2004 Ritvo, Harriet This seminar provides a historical overview of the interactions between people and their environments. Focusing primarily on the experience of Europeans in the period after Columbus, the subject explores the influence of nature (climate, topography, plants, animals, and microorganisms) on human history and the reciprocal influence of people on nature. Topics include the biological consequences of the European encounter with the Americas, the environmental impact of technology, and the roots of the current environmental crisis.

21H.346 The French Revolution and Napoleonic France, Spring 2000

2000-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.346 The French Revolution and Napoleonic France, Spring 2000 Ravel, Jeffrey S. Examines the origins, course, and consequences of the revolution which arose in France at the end of the eighteenth century and its Napoleonic sequel. Particular attention given to the interplay of politics, culture, and social questions in the period, as well as the impact of the Revolution outside France. From the course home page: Course Description The French esteem the Revolution of 1789 to be the turning point in their national history; journalists, politicians, scholars, and others outside France have called this moment the birth of modern political culture. In this subject we will begin with a brief survey of French politics, culture and society in the century prior to the Revolution, emphasizing the reasons for the end of the Old Regime and the origins of the Revolution. Next, we will examine the turbulent decade of the 1790s, when the French experimented with a constitutional monarchy, a republic, a dictatorship by committee, and a parliamentary form of government, only to end in a military coup d'état staged by Napoléon Bonaparte and his supporters. In 1804, Napoléon crowned himself emperor thus initiating the First Empire, which was characterized by relentless military campaigning abroad and the consolidation of certain legal and administrative reforms at home. Finally, we will consider the impact of the Revolution and its Napoleonic sequel in Europe and elsewhere, and we will discuss the ongoing influence of these events in the following two centuries. This subject is open to all interested undergraduates and graduate students; there are no prerequisites.

11.225 Argumentation and Communication, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.225 Argumentation and Communication, Fall 2002 Morrison, James C. A writing practicum associated with 11.200 and 11.205 that focuses on helping students present their ideas in cogent, persuasive arguments and other analytical frameworks. Reading and writing assignments and other exercises stress the connections between clear thinking, critical reading, and effective writing. From the course home page: Course Description This course examines the principles and practices of clear and effective communication in addressing public issues and policies. It aims to help students plan, organize, and present their analysis and research in the form of well-founded claims and persuasive arguments that address the interests, concerns, and expectations of their audience. To achieve this aim, the course encompasses the following learning objectives: to sharpen students' persuasive skills in the service of planning, program, and policy analysis; to develop students' writing style to help them achieve the clarity and vigor needed to be persuasive in their academic and professional lives; to provide practice in presenting the fruits of research orally; and to provide guidance in the use of source material, both conventional and electronic, in the conduct of research, the sharing of information with colleagues, and the production of finished work The curriculum consists of a series of writing assignments, due in alternate weeks, that focus on case studies in organizational and public communication, capped by an oral presentation on a planning topic of the student's own choosing. The planning topic would ideally be one that focuses on the individual student's research interests, either current or projected. The presentation could consist of anything from a contemplated research proposal to preliminary findings to substantially completed research with conclusions and recommendations. It should also serve as a capstone activity encompassing the learning in the course.

2.96 / 6.930 / 10.806 / 13.52 / 16.653 / 22.002 Management in Engineering, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.96 / 6.930 / 10.806 / 13.52 / 16.653 / 22.002 Management in Engineering, Fall 2002 Chun, Jung-Hoon; Kang, David S.; D'Arbeloff, Alex; Auh, Jae Introduction of engineering management. Financial principles, management of innovation, engineering project planning and control, human factors, career planning, patents and technical strategy. Case study method of instruction emphasizes participation in class discussion. Juniors, seniors, or graduate students. Engineering School-Wide Elective subject.

9.02 Brain Laboratory, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.02 Brain Laboratory, Spring 2002 Miller, Earl; Jhaveri, Sonal Consists of a series of hands-on laboratories designed to give students experience with common techniques for conducting neuroscience research. Included are sessions on anatomical, ablation, neurophysiological, and computer modeling techniques, and ways these techniques are used to study brain function. Each session consists of a brief quiz on assigned readings that provide background to the lab, a lecture that expands on the readings, and that week's laboratory. Lab reports required. Students receive training in the art of scientific writing and oral presentation with feedback designed to improve writing and speaking skills. Assignments include two smaller lab reports, one major lab report with revision, and an oral report.

ESD.36J / 1.432J System and Project Management, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.36J / 1.432J System and Project Management, Fall 2003 Lyneis, James; de Weck, Olivier; Eppinger, Steven The course is designed for students in the System Design and Management (SDM) program and therefore assumes that you already have a basic knowledge of project management. The objective is to introduce advanced methods and tools of project management in a realistic context such that they can be taken back to the workplace to improve management of development projects. In contrast to traditional courses on the subject we will emphasize scenarios that cannot be fully predicted such as task iterations, unplanned rework, perceived versus actual progress and misalignments between tasks, product architectures and organizations. This class was also offered in Course 13 (Department of Ocean Engineering) as 13.615J. In 2005, ocean engineering subjects became part of Course 2 (Department of Mechanical Engineering), and the 13.470J designation was retired.

22.02 Introduction to Applied Nuclear Physics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.02 Introduction to Applied Nuclear Physics, Spring 2003 Molvig, Kim This course concentrates on the basic concepts of nuclear physics with emphasis on nuclear structure and radiation interactions with matter. Included: elementary quantum theory; nuclear forces; shell structure of the nucleus; alpha, beta, and gamma radioactive decays; interactions of nuclear radiations (charged particles, gammas, and neutrons) with matter; nuclear reactions; and fission and fusion. The course is divided into three main sections: Quantum Mechanics Fundamentals Nuclear Structure and Nuclear Decays Interactions in Nuclear Matter and Nuclear Reactions

6.045J / 18.400J Automata, Computability, and Complexity, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.045J / 18.400J Automata, Computability, and Complexity, Spring 2005 Lynch, Nancy This course is offered to undergraduates and introduces basic mathematical models of computation and the finite representation of infinite objects. The course is slower paced than 6.840J/18.404J. Topics covered include: finite automata and regular languages, context-free languages, Turing machines, partial recursive functions, Church's Thesis, undecidability, reducibility and completeness, time complexity and NP-completeness, probabilistic computation, and interactive proof systems.

21W.784 Becoming Digital: Writing About Media Change, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.784 Becoming Digital: Writing About Media Change, Fall 2005 Evens, Aden The computer and related technologies have invaded our daily lives, have changed the way we communicate, do business, gather information, entertain ourselves. Even technology once considered distinctly "modern" - photography, the telephone, movies, television - has been altered or replaced by faster and more dynamic media that allow more manipulation and control by the individual. Anyone can now create stunning photographic images without a processing lab; and film no longer earns its name, as the cinema often presents images that were never filmed to begin with, but created or doctored in the digital domain. What are the consequences of these changes for the media and arts they alter? How does digitizing affect the values, ethical and aesthetic, of images, texts, and sounds? How do these technologies change the way we spend our time and relate to other people? In the age of the digital, what becomes of property, of history, of identity? Through a series of careful comparisons of images, texts, movies, games, and music - pre-digital versus post-digital - this course will analyze the ways in which these media and our responses to them have changed in the digital era; and we will ask about the value of these changes.

6.685 Electric Machines, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.685 Electric Machines, Fall 2005 Kirtley Jr., James L. 6.685 explores concepts in electromechanics, using electric machinery as examples. It teaches an understanding of principles and analysis of electromechanical systems. By the end of the course, students are capable of doing electromechanical design of the major classes of rotating and linear electric machines and have an understanding of the principles of the energy conversion parts of Mechatronics. In addition to design, students learn how to estimate the dynamic parameters of electric machines and understand what the implications of those parameters are on the performance of systems incorporating those machines.

21H.466 Imperial and Revolutionary Russia: Culture and Politics, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.466 Imperial and Revolutionary Russia: Culture and Politics, Fall 2008 Wood, Elizabeth A. At the beginning of the eighteenth century Russia began to come into its own as a major European power. Members of the Russian intellectual classes increasingly compared themselves and their autocratic order to states and societies in the West. This comparison generated both a new sense of national consciousness and intense criticism of the existing order in Russia. In this course we will examine different perspectives on Russian history and literature in order to try to understand the Russian Empire as it changed from the medieval period to the modern.

21H.991J / STS.210J Theories and Methods in the Study of History, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.991J / STS.210J Theories and Methods in the Study of History, Fall 2004 McCants, Anne The purpose of this course is to acquaint you with a variety of approaches to the past used by historians writing in the twentieth century. Most of the books on the list constitute, in my view (and others), modern classics, or potential classics, in social, economic and cultural history. We will examine how historians conceive of their object of study, how they use primary sources as a basis for their accounts, how they structure the narrative and analytic discussion of their topic, and what are the advantages and drawbacks of their various approaches.

22.106 Neutron Interactions and Applications, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

22.106 Neutron Interactions and Applications, Spring 2005 Yip, Sidney This course is a foundational study of the effects of single and multiple interactions on neutron distributions and their applications to problems across the Nuclear Engineering department - fission, fusion, and RST. Particle simulation methods are introduced to deal with complex processes that cannot be studied only experimentally or by numerical solutions of equations. Treatment will emphasize basic concepts and understanding, as well as showing the underlying scientific connections with current research areas.

14.33 Economics Research and Communication, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.33 Economics Research and Communication, Fall 2004 Ellison, Sara This course will guide students through the process of forming economic hypotheses, gathering the appropriate data, analyzing them, and effectively communicating their results. All students will be expected to have successfully completed Introduction to Statistical Methods in Economics and Econometrics (or their equivalents) as well as courses in basic microeconomics and macroeconomics. Students may find it useful to take at least one economics field course and perform a UROP before taking this course, but these are not requirements.

7.89 Topics in Computational and Systems Biology, Fall 2007

2007-12-01T00:00:00Z

7.89 Topics in Computational and Systems Biology, Fall 2007 Burge, Christopher This is a seminar based on research literature. Papers covered are selected to illustrate important problems and approaches in the field of computational and systems biology, and provide students a framework from which to evaluate new developments. The MIT Initiative in Computational and Systems Biology (CSBi) is a campus-wide research and education program that links biology, engineering, and computer science in a multidisciplinary approach to the systematic analysis and modeling of complex biological phenomena. This course is one of a series of core subjects offered through the CSB PhD program, for students with an interest in interdisciplinary training and research in the area of computational and systems biology. Acknowledgments In addition to the staff listed on this page, the following three guest lecturers also contributed to this course: Prof. Amy Keating, Prof. Joel Voldman, and Prof. Forest White.

14.662 Labor Economics II, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.662 Labor Economics II, Spring 2007 Pischke, Jorn-Steffen; Piore, Michael This is the second of a two-part sequence of courses in labor economics. The course sequence is also open to qualified students in related fields and classes may be taken individually or out of sequence. This part of the sequence is principally concerned with issues relating to the determinants of the wage and salary distribution. The first half is organized around topics in wage determination, which are of particular interest for current research and policy and culminates with a focus on recent debates about the increasing dispersion of wage and salary income. The second half of the course is focused on labor market institutions and technological changes, and relates the debate about the income distribution to other major changes in the structure and texture of advanced industrial societies which have accompanied the widening dispersion of income. The emphasis is on the United States and other advanced industrial countries, with some discussion of the relevance of the theory and analysis to developing economies.

10.547J / 7.547J / 15.136J / HST.920J Principles and Practice of Drug Development, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

10.547J / 7.547J / 15.136J / HST.920J Principles and Practice of Drug Development, Fall 2005 Cooney, Charles; Rubin, Robert; Finkelstein MD, Stan; Allen, Tom; Sinskey, Anthony This course serves as a description and critical assessment of the major issues and stages of developing a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical. Topics covered include drug discovery, preclinical development, clinical investigation, manufacturing and regulatory issues considered for small and large molecules, and economic and financial considerations of the drug development process. A multidisciplinary perspective is provided by the faculty, who represent clinical, life, and management sciences. Various industry guests also participate.

15.874 / 15.871 System Dynamics for Business Policy, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.874 / 15.871 System Dynamics for Business Policy, Fall 2003 Morrison, J. Bradley; Sterman, John; Repenning, Nelson 15.874 and 15.871 provide an introduction to system dynamics modeling for the analysis of business policy and strategy. Students learn to visualize a business organization in terms of the structures and policies that create dynamics and regulate performance. The course uses role playing games, simulation models, and management flight simulators to develop principles for the successful management of complex strategies. Special emphasis will be placed on case studies of successful strategies using system dynamics. 15.874 is a full semester course and 15.871 is a half semester course. The two classes meet together and cover the same material for the first half of the term. In the second half of the semester, only 15.874 continues.

9.09J / 7.29J Cellular Neurobiology, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.09J / 7.29J Cellular Neurobiology, Spring 2005 Littleton, Troy; Quinn, William This course serves as an introduction to the structure and function of the nervous system. Emphasis is placed on the cellular properties of neurons and other excitable cells. Topics covered include the structure and biophysical properties of excitable cells, synaptic transmission, neurochemistry, neurodevelopment, and the integration of information in simple systems and the visual system.

8.07 Electromagnetism II, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.07 Electromagnetism II, Fall 2005 Bertschinger, Edmund This course is the second in a series on Electromagnetism beginning with Electromagnetism I (8.02 or 8.022). It is a survey of basic electromagnetic phenomena: electrostatics; magnetostatics; electromagnetic properties of matter; time-dependent electromagnetic fields; Maxwell's equations; electromagnetic waves; emission, absorption, and scattering of radiation; and relativistic electrodynamics and mechanics.

8.422 Atomic and Optical Physics II, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

8.422 Atomic and Optical Physics II, Spring 2005 Chuang, Isaac; Ketterle, Wolfgang This is the second of a two-semester subject sequence beginning with Atomic and Optical Physics I (8.421) that provides the foundations for contemporary research in selected areas of atomic and optical physics. Topics covered include non-classical states of light, multi-photon processes, coherence, trapping and cooling, atomic interactions, and experimental methods.

6.013 Electromagnetics and Applications, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.013 Electromagnetics and Applications, Fall 2002 Staelin, David H.; Kong, Jin Au, 1942-; Melcher, James R.; Zahn, Markus, 1946-; Ippen, E. P. (Erich Peter) Electromagnetic phenomena are explored in modern applications including wireless communications, circuits, computer interconnects and peripherals, optical fiber links and components, microwave communications and radar, antennas, sensors, micro-electromechanical systems, and power generation and transmission. Fundamentals include quasistatic and dynamic solutions to Maxwell's equations; waves, radiation, and diffraction; coupling to media and structures; guided and unguided waves; resonance; and forces, power, and energy.

1.010 Uncertainty in Engineering, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.010 Uncertainty in Engineering, Fall 2004 Veneziano, Daniele This undergraduate class serves as an introduction to probability and statistics, with emphasis on engineering applications. The first segment discusses events and their probability, Bayes' Theorem, discrete and continuous random variables and vectors, univariate and multivariate distributions, Bernoulli trials and Poisson point processes, and full-distribution uncertainty propagation and conditional analysis. The second segment deals with second-moment representation of uncertainty and second-moment uncertainty propagation and conditional analysis. The final segment covers random sampling, point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing, and linear regression. Many of the concepts covered in class are illustrated with real-world examples from various areas of engineering.

18.05 Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.05 Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Spring 2005 Panchenko, Dmitry This course provides an elementary introduction to probability and statistics with applications. Topics include: basic probability models; combinatorics; random variables; discrete and continuous probability distributions; statistical estimation and testing; confidence intervals; and an introduction to linear regression.

21L.485 20th-Century Fiction, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.485 20th-Century Fiction, Fall 2002 Thorburn, David Tradition and innovation in representative fiction of the early modern period. Recurring themes: the role of the artist in the modern period, the representation of psychological and sexual experience, the virtues (and defects) of the aggressively experimental character of so many modern books. Works by such writers as Conrad, Kipling, Isaac Babel, Kafka, James, Lawrence, Mann, Ford Madox Ford, Joyce, Woolf, Faulkner, and Nabokov.

5.74 Introductory Quantum Mechanics II, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.74 Introductory Quantum Mechanics II, Spring 2007 Tokmakoff, Andrei Time-dependent quantum mechanics and spectroscopy. Topics covered include perturbation theory, two-level systems, light-matter interactions, relaxation in quantum systems, correlation functions and linear response theory, and nonlinear spectroscopy. From the course home page: Course Description This class covers topics in time-dependent quantum mechanics, molecular spectroscopy, and relaxation, with an emphasis on descriptions applicable to condensed phase problems and a statistical description of ensembles.

MAS.961 Designing Sociable Media, Spring 2001

2001-06-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.961 Designing Sociable Media, Spring 2001 Donath, Judith S. This course is about social life in the on-line world. Its focus is on how the design of the interface influences people's interactions with each other and shapes the cultural mores and structures they develop. We will examine the ways social cues are communicated in the real and the virtual world, discuss the limits imposed upon on-line communities by their mediated nature, and explore directions that virtual societies can take that are impossible for physical ones. Readings range from classic papers in cognitive science, anthropology and urban studies to recent studies in the sociology of online communities. The work for this class includes reading articles, analyzing existing systems and designing innovative interfaces. From the course home page: The instructor's own web site for this course is available at http://smg.media.mit.edu/classes/SociableDesign2001/.

6.253 Convex Analysis and Optimization, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.253 Convex Analysis and Optimization, Spring 2004 Bertsekas, Dimitri 6.253 develops the core analytical issues of continuous optimization, duality, and saddle point theory, using a handful of unifying principles that can be easily visualized and readily understood. The mathematical theory of convex sets and functions is discussed in detail, and is the basis for an intuitive, highly visual, geometrical approach to the subject.

11.302J / 4.235J Urban Design Politics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.302J / 4.235J Urban Design Politics, Spring 2003 Vale, Lawrence This is a seminar about the ways that urban design contributes to the distribution of political power and resources in cities. "Design," in this view, is not some value-neutral aesthetic applied to efforts at urban development but is, instead, an integral part of the motives driving that development. The class investigates the nature of the relations between built form and political purposes through close examination of a wide variety of situations where public and private sector design commissions and planning processes have been clearly motivated by political pressures, as well as situations where the political assumptions have remained more tacit. We will explore cases from both developed and developing countries.

21A.100 Introduction to Anthropology, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

21A.100 Introduction to Anthropology, Fall 2004 Howe, James This class introduces students to the methods and perspectives of cultural anthropology. Readings emphasize case studies in very different settings (a nuclear weapons laboratory, a cattle-herding society of the Sudan, and a Jewish elder center in Los Angeles). Although some of the results and conclusions of anthropology will be discussed, emphasis will be on appreciating cultural difference and its implications, studying cultures and societies through long-term fieldwork, and most of all, learning to think analytically about other people's lives and our own.

SP.235 Chemistry of Sports, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.235 Chemistry of Sports, Spring 2007 Christie, Patricia Dianne, 1967- In this new seminar, we will be focusing on three sports, swimming, cycling and running. There will be two components to the seminar, a classroom and a laboratory. The classroom component will introduce the students to the chemistry of their own biological system. Since we are looking at swimming, running and cycling as our sample sports, we will apply the classroom knowledge to complete a triathlon.

ESD.140 Organizational Processes, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

ESD.140 Organizational Processes, Spring 2002 Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Joel; Kochan, Thomas A. Focuses on the organization of the future, identifies its characteristics, and explores the implications for living in, managing, and leading such an organization. Also focuses on skills such as organizational diagnosis, teamwork, and process analysis. Examines the creation of the structures, rewards, career paths, and cultures needed within the firm, and the alliances, learning, and change practices needed to maintain global performance. Restricted to first year LFM students and students in the SDM and TPP programs.

18.152 Introduction to Partial Differential Equations, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.152 Introduction to Partial Differential Equations, Fall 2004 Staffilani, Gigliola; Vasy, Andras This course analyzes initial and boundary value problems for ordinary differential equations and the wave and heat equation in one space dimension. It also covers the Sturm-Liouville theory and eigenfunction expansions, as well as the Dirichlet problem for Laplace's operator and potential theory.

6.231 Dynamic Programming and Stochastic Control, Fall 2008

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.231 Dynamic Programming and Stochastic Control, Fall 2008 Bertsekas, Dimitri This course covers the basic models and solution techniques for problems of sequential decision making under uncertainty (stochastic control). We will consider optimal control of a dynamical system over both a finite and an infinite number of stages (finite and infinite horizon). We will also discuss some approximation methods for problems involving large state spaces. Applications of dynamic programming in a variety of fields will be covered in recitations.

16.31 Feedback Control Systems, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.31 Feedback Control Systems, Fall 2001 How, Jonathan P. Introduction to the state-space approach to control system analysis and control synthesis. State-space representation of dynamic systems; controllability and observability; state-space realizations of transfer functions; and canonical forms. Design of controllers using state-space methods, including pole placement and optimal control methods. Introduction to the Kalman filter. Limitations on performance of control systems from classical and state-space perspectives. Introduction to robustness of multivariable control systems, using frequency domain techniques. From the course home page: Course Description The goal of this subject is to teach the fundamentals of control design and analysis using state-space methods. This includes both the practical and theoretical aspects of the topic. By the end of the course, students should be able to design controllers using state-space methods and evaluate whether these controllers are "robust," that is, if they are likely to work well in practice.

SP.401 / WGS.401 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.401 / WGS.401 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, Spring 2005 Surkan, Kim An interdisciplinary subject that draws on literature, history, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, and feminist theory to examine our cultural assumptions about gender, trace the effects of new scholarship on traditional disciplines, and increase awareness of the history and experience of women as half the world's population. From the course home page: Course Description This course is designed as an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Women's and Gender Studies, an academic area of study focused on the ways that sex and gender manifest themselves in social, cultural, and political contexts. The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions, and debates in Women's Studies scholarship, both historical and contemporary. This semester you will become acquainted with many of the critical questions and concepts feminist scholars have developed as tools for thinking about gendered experience. In addition, we will study the interconnections among systems of oppression (such as sexism, racism, classism, ethnocentrism, homophobia/heterosexism, transphobia, ableism and others). In this course you will learn to "read" and analyze gender, exploring how it impacts our understanding of the world.

14.271 Industrial Organization I, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.271 Industrial Organization I, Fall 2001 Ellison, Glenn, 1965-; Ellison, Sara Fisher Covers theoretical and empirical work dealing with the structure, behavior, and performance of firms and markets and core issues in antitrust. Topics include: the organization of the firm, monopoly, price discrimination, oligopoly, and auctions. Theoretical and empirical work are integrated in each area. From the course home page: Course Description The course provides a graduate level introduction to Industrial Organization. It is designed to provide a broad introduction to topics and industries that current researchers are studying as well as to expose students to a wide variety of techniques. It will start the process of preparing economics Ph.D. students to conduct thesis research in the area, and may also be of interest to doctoral students working in other areas of economics and related fields. The course integrates theoretical models and empirical studies. The course presumes that students have a familiarity with micro theory, basic game theory and some econometrics.

6.042J / 18.062J Mathematics for Computer Science, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.042J / 18.062J Mathematics for Computer Science, Spring 2005 Leiserson, Charles; Lehman, Eric; Devadas, Srinivas; Meyer, Albert R. This course is offered to undergraduates and is an elementary discrete mathematics course oriented towards applications in computer science and engineering. Topics covered include: formal logic notation, induction, sets and relations, permutations and combinations, counting principles, and discrete probability.

BE.442 Molecular Structure of Biological Materials, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

BE.442 Molecular Structure of Biological Materials, Fall 2002 Zhang, Shuguang, Dr. Basic molecular structural principles of biological materials. Molecular structures of various materials of biological origin, including collagen, silk, bone, protein adhesives, GFP, self-assembling peptides. Molecular design of new biological materials for nanotechnology, biocomputing and regenerative medicine. Graduate students are expected to complete additional coursework.

HST.071 Human Reproductive Biology, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

HST.071 Human Reproductive Biology, Fall 2002 Klapholz, Henry; Benacerraf, Beryl; Burke, Louis; Davis, Ann; Holmes, Lewis; Klipstein, Sigal; Lim, Kee-Hak; Morentaler, Abraham; Oskowitz, Selwyn; Penzias, Alan; Reindollar, Richard; Richardson, Douglas; Zand, Sarvenaz; Bonventre, Joseph B. Lectures and clinical case discussions designed to provide the student with a clear understanding of the physiology, endocrinology, and pathology of human reproduction. Emphasis is on the role of technology in reproductive science. Suggestions for future research contributions in the field are probed. Students become involved in the wider aspects of reproduction, such as prenatal diagnosis, in vitro fertilization, abortion, menopause, contraception and ethics relation to reproductive science. (Only HST students may register under HST.070, graded P/D/F.) From the course home page: Course Description Lectures, laboratory sessions, and clinical case discussions designed to provide the student with a clear understanding of the physiology, endocrinology, and pathology of human reproduction. Emphasis is on quantitative analytic techniques and the role of technology in reproductive science. The course also involves the student in the wider aspects of reproduction, such as prenatal diagnosis, in vitro fertilization, abortion, menopause, and contraception.

18.405J / 6.841J Advanced Complexity Theory, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.405J / 6.841J Advanced Complexity Theory, Fall 2001 Spielman, Daniel The topics for this course cover various aspects of complexity theory, such as the basic time and space classes, the polynomial-time hierarchy and the randomized classes . This is a pure theory class, so no applications were involved.

2.71 Optics, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

2.71 Optics, Fall 2001 Barbastathis, George Introduction to optical science with elementary engineering applications. Geometrical optics: ray-tracing, aberrations, lens design, apertures and stops, radiometry and photometry. Wave optics: basic electrodynamics, polarization, interference, wave-guiding, Fresnel and Faunhofer diffraction, image formation, resolution, space-bandwidth product. Emphasis on analytical and numerical tools used in optical design. Graduate students are required to complete additional assignments with stronger analytical content, and an advanced design project.

SP.772 Internet Technology in Local and Global Communities, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.772 Internet Technology in Local and Global Communities, Spring 2005 Gray, Paul E.; Gaudi, Manish The MIT-Africa Internet Technology Initiative (MIT-AITI) organization is an innovative approach by MIT students to integrate computers and internet technology into the education of students in African schools. The program focuses upon programming principles, cutting-edge internet technology, free open-source systems, and even an entrepreneurship seminar to introduce students in Africa to the power of technology and to equip them with skills that will allow them to be creative, resourceful, and prosperous. The mission statement of the AITI program is based on the idea that information technology carries the potential to empower people around the globe with knowledge. The AITI program is implemented with emphasis on classroom teaching, community-oriented projects, and independent learning. MIT-AITI achieves this goal by sending MIT students to three African nations in order to teach both students and teachers through intensive classroom and lab sessions for six weeks. Hence, MIT-AITI provides MIT students with an opportunity for community service where they can apply their extensive engineering skills. Moreover, MIT-AITI creates a long-term cultural and technical understanding between MIT and African educational institutions.

15.269A Literature, Ethics and Authority, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.269A Literature, Ethics and Authority, Spring 2003 Hafrey, Leigh Professor Hafrey builds 15.269 around stories, because people everywhere use story to make sense of the world in which we live and act. Sense-making through story declares our ethical engagement with the world: recounting an event or action assigns it value, and asserts the authority of our unique interpretation through the story.

18.336 Numerical Methods of Applied Mathematics II, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.336 Numerical Methods of Applied Mathematics II, Spring 2004 Koev, Plamen S. Advanced introduction to applications and theory of numerical methods for solution of differential equations, especially of physically-arising partial differential equations, with emphasis on the fundamental ideas underlying various methods. Topics include finite differences, spectral methods, finite elements, well-posedness and stability, particle methods and lattice gases, boundary and nonlinear instabilities.

16.100 Aerodynamics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

16.100 Aerodynamics, Fall 2002 Darmofal, David L. This course extends fluid mechanic concepts from Unified Engineering to the aerodynamic performance of wings and bodies in sub/supersonic regimes. 16.100 generally has four components: subsonic potential flows, including source/vortex panel methods; viscous flows, including laminar and turbulent boundary layers; aerodynamics of airfoils and wings, including thin airfoil theory, lifting line theory, and panel method/interacting boundary layer methods; and supersonic and hypersonic airfoil theory. Course material varies each year depending upon the focus of the design problem.

6.161 Modern Optics Project Laboratory, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.161 Modern Optics Project Laboratory, Fall 2002 Warde, Cardinal Lectures, laboratory exercises, and projects in modern optics. Topics: polarization properties of light, reflection and refraction, coherence and interference, Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction, imaging and transforming properties of lenses, spatial filtering, coherent optical processors, holography, optical properties of materials, lasers, nonlinear optics, electro-optic and acousto-optic materials and devices, optical detectors, fiber optics, and optical communication. Students may use this subject to find an advanced undergraduate project and/or to satisfy Phase II of the writing requirement.

6.163 Strobe Project Laboratory, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.163 Strobe Project Laboratory, Spring 2005 Bales, James Williams A project laboratory for the application of electronic flash sources to measurement and photography. First half covers fundamentals of photography and electronic flashes, including experiments on application of electronic flash to photography, stroboscopy, motion analysis, and high-speed videography. Students write five extensive lab reports, which may be suitable for the Phase II Writing Requirement. In the second half, students work in small groups to select, design, and execute independent projects in measurement or photography that apply learned techniques.

21W.730-4 Writing and the Environment, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

21W.730-4 Writing and the Environment, Fall 2002 Taft, Cynthia B. Environmentalists have traditionally relied upon the power of their prose to transform the thoughts and behavior of their contemporaries. John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, evoked the wonders of California's Hetch Hetchy Valley in the hope that he could stop a dam with words. Another early environmentalist, Aldo Leopold, summoned up a world made barren by the loss of predators in the hope that he could stop the slaughter of wolves. More recently, Rachel Carson, a marine biologist with a penchant for writing, described a world without wildlife in Silent Spring and altered the way that Americans understood their impact on the landscape. Leopold and Carson were professional scientists, and like the other writers we will encounter this fall, they realized that they could alter the perceptions of their contemporaries only if they were able to transmit their knowledge in engaging and accessible language. We will do our best to follow in their footsteps. We will consider the strategies of popular science writers like Lewis Thomas, David Quammen, John McPhee, and Ursula K. LeGuin. We will also sample works by less familiar geologists,hydrologists, and biologists. Students in this course will have a chance to try out several ways of characterizing and explaining natural environments. The first paper of the term will draw upon personal experience; the others will require a modest amount of research. The paper will provide opportunities to examine the landscapes that each student knows best, and all will go through multiple phases as we explore different strategies for writing and revision.

18.175 Theory of Probability, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.175 Theory of Probability, Spring 2005 Panchenko, Dmitry A. Laws of large numbers and central limit theorems for sums of independent random variables, conditioning and martingales, Brownian motion and elements of diffusion theory.

9.70 Social Psychology, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.70 Social Psychology, Spring 2002 Chorover, Stephan L. Examines interpersonal and group dynamics, considers how the thoughts, feelings, and actions of individuals are influenced by (and influence) the beliefs, values and practices of large and small groups. Learning occurs mainly through class discussions and participation in study groups. Regular homework assignments, occasional lectures and demonstrations.

3.320 Atomistic Computer Modeling of Materials, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.320 Atomistic Computer Modeling of Materials, Spring 2003 Marzari, Nicola; Ceder, Gerbrand; Morgan, Dane Theory and application of atomistic computer simulations to model, understand, and predict the properties of real materials. Energy models, from classical potentials to first-principles approaches. Density-functional theory and the total-energy pseudopotential method. Errors and accuracy of quantitative predictions. Thermodynamic ensembles, Monte Carlo sampling and molecular dynamics simulations. Free energies and phase transitions. Fluctuations and transport properties. Coarse-graining approaches and mesoscale models.

11.304J Site and Urban Systems Planning, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.304J Site and Urban Systems Planning, Spring 2002 Ben-Joseph, Eran; Ishii, Hiroshi; Ratti, Carlo The planning of sites and the infrastructure systems which serve them. Site analysis, spatial organization of uses on sites, design of roadways and subdivision patterns, grading plans, utility systems, analysis of runoff, parking requirements, traffic and off-site impacts, landscaping. Lectures on analytical techniques and examples of good site-planning practice. Assignments on each aspect of subject. From the course home page: Course Description The Site and Urban Systems Planning course provides a unique opportunity to engage in the exploration, utilization and critical assessment of new multi-layered manipulative simulation interfaces. Developed by the Tangible Media Group at the Media Lab, these platforms combine and update digital and tangible data in ways that promise to enhance design and planning processes and communication with the public. By testing and applying these platforms, as well as traditional methods, we will be able to learn various approaches involved in evaluating and planning sites. These approaches include: 1. Understanding spatial as well as temporal relationships between individual site factors and local or regional context. 2. Identifying basic relationships between natural and cultural processes and how they influence site-planning decisions. 3. Evaluating natural and cultural site systems as they shape design programs and goals. 4. Evaluating and critiquing alternative site development proposals. 5. Practicing common as well as new techniques commonly utilized by site planning professionals.

18.101 Analysis II, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.101 Analysis II, Fall 2004 Guillemin, V., 1937- Continues 18.100, in the direction of manifolds and global analysis. Differentiable maps, inverse and implicit function theorems, n-dimensional Riemann integral, change of variables in multiple integrals, manifolds, differential forms, n-dimensional version of Stokes' theorem. 18.901 helpful but not required.

8.07 Electromagnetism II, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

8.07 Electromagnetism II, Fall 2002 Zwiebach, Barton; Levitov, Leonid Survey of basic electromagnetic phenomena: electrostatics, magnetostatics; electromagnetic properties of matter. Time-dependent electromagnetic fields and Maxwell's equations. Electromagnetic waves, emission, absorption, and scattering of radiation. Relativistic electrodynamics and mechanics.

14.30 Introduction to Statistical Method in Economics, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.30 Introduction to Statistical Method in Economics, Spring 2003 Ellison, Sara Fisher This course will provide a solid foundation in probability and statistics for economists and other social scientists. We will emphasize topics needed in the further study of econometrics and provide basic preparation for 14.32. No prior preparation in probability and statistics is required, but familiarity with basic algebra and calculus is assumed.

14.451 Macroeconomic Theory I, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.451 Macroeconomic Theory I, Spring 2003 Angeletos, Marios The first half of the semester is an introduction to the techniques and the applications of dynamic general equilibrium models, with particular emphasis on models of economic growth.

21L.486 20th Century Drama, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

21L.486 20th Century Drama, Fall 2001 Henderson, Diana E. In this course we will sample the range of mainstream and experimental drama that has been composed during the past century. Half of these plays are now acknowledged to be influential "classics" of modern drama; the other half are prize-winning contemporary plays that have broken new ground. We will study them both as distinguished writing and as scripts for performance. Moreover, all of these plays are historical: some draw their subject matter from past centuries, while others convey a sense of how contemporary events are informed by and located within a larger historical frame. During the first century of film, television, and computers, it seems that writers for the theater have been especially attuned to the relationships between past and present, in their art and in society. Within this multimedia context, we will consider what drama in particular has to offer now and in the future. This is also a HASS Communication-Intensive Course, in which we will work on improving your skills, awareness, and confidence as a writer and speaker; a variety of writing opportunities (including revision of at least one essay), class reports, and group performance work will aid us in realizing these goals.

21F.401 German I, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

21F.401 German I, Fall 2003 Jaeger, Dagmar Introduction to German language and culture. Acquisition of vocabulary and grammatical concepts through active communication. Audio, video, and printed materials provide direct exposure to authentic German language and culture. Self-paced language lab program is fully coordinated with textbook/workbook. Development of effective basic communication skills. For graduate credit see 21F.451.

6.685 Electric Machines, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.685 Electric Machines, Fall 2003 Kirtley, James L. Treatment of electromechanical transducers, rotating and linear electric machines. Lumped-parameter electromechanics of interaction. Development of device characteristics: energy conversion density, efficiency; and of system interaction characteristics: regulation, stability, controllability, and response. Use of electric machines in drive systems. Problems taken from current research. Alternate years. From the course home page: Course Description 6.685 explores concepts in electromechanics, using electric machinery as examples. It teaches an understanding of principles and analysis of electromechanical systems. By the end of the course, students are capable of doing electromechanical design of the major classes of rotating and linear electric machines, and have an understanding of the principles of the energy conversion parts of Mechatronics. In addition to design, students learn how to estimate the dynamic parameters of electric machines and understand what the implications of those parameters are on the performance of systems incorporating those machines.

2.001 Mechanics & Materials I, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

2.001 Mechanics & Materials I, Spring 2003 Sarma, Sanjay E.; Thornton, Anna; Williams, James H.; Socrate, Simona Introduction to statics and the mechanics of deformable solids. Emphasis on the three basic principles of equilibrium, geometric compatibility, and material behavior. Stress and its relation to force and moment; strain and its relation to displacement; linear elasticity with thermal expansion. Failure modes. Application to simple engineering structures such as rods, shafts, beams, and trusses. Application to design. Introduction to material selection. From the course home page: Application to biomechanics of natural materials and structures.

14.471 Public Economics I, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

14.471 Public Economics I, Fall 2003 Poterba, James M. Theory and evidence on government taxation policy. Topics include tax incidence; optimal tax theory; the effect of taxation on labor supply and savings; corrective taxes for externalities; taxation and corporate behavior; and tax expenditure policy. From the course home page: Course Description This course is a one-semester introduction to the economic analysis of taxation. It covers both theoretical contributions, such as the theory of optimal income and commodity taxation, as well as empirical work, such as the study of how taxes affect labor supply. The course is designed to acquaint students with key questions in the economics of taxation, and to equip them to carry out their own research in this field.

6.763 Applied Superconductivity, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.763 Applied Superconductivity, Fall 2001 Orlando, Terry P.; Segall, Kenneth J. Phenomenological approach to superconductivity, with emphasis on superconducting electronics. Electrodynamics of superconductors, London's model, and flux quantization. Josephson Junctions and superconducting quantum devices, equivalent circuits, and high-speed superconducting electronics. Quantized circuits for quantum computing. Overview of type II superconductors, critical magnetic fields, pinning, the critical state model, superconducting materials, and microscopic theory of superconductivity. Alternate years. From the course home page: The materials are largely based on the textbook, Foundations of Applied Superconductivity, co-written by Professor Terry P. Orlando (see http://www.aw.com for more information).

6.061 / 6.979 Introduction to Electric Power Systems, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

6.061 / 6.979 Introduction to Electric Power Systems, Spring 2003 Kirtley, James L. Fundamentals of energy-handling electric circuits and electromechanical apparatus. Modeling of magnetic field devices and description of their behavior using appropriate models. Simplification of problems using transformation techniques. Power electric circuits, magnetic circuits, lumped parameter electromechanics, and elements of linear and rotating electric machinery. Modeling of synchronous, induction, and dc machinery. Alternate years. From the course home page: Course Description This course is offered both to undergraduates (6.061) and graduates (6.979), where the graduate version has different problem sets and an additional term project. 6.061 / 6.979 is an introductory course in the field of electric power systems and electrical to mechanical energy conversion. Material encountered in the subject includes: Fundamentals of energy-handling electric circuits and electromechanical apparatus. Modeling of magnetic field devices and description of their behavior using appropriate models. Simplification of problems using transformation techniques. Power electric circuits, magnetic circuits, lumped parameter electromechanics, elements of linear and rotating electric machinery. Modeling of synchronous, induction and dc machinery. The course uses examples from current research.

17.410 / 17.411 Globalization, Migration & International Relations, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

17.410 / 17.411 Globalization, Migration & International Relations, Fall 2002 Choucri, Nazli This graduate course is in three Parts. Together they are intended to provide theoretical, empirical, and policy perspectives on source and consequences of globalization, focusing on emergent structures and processes, and on the implications of flows of goods and services across national boundaries - with special attention to the issue of migration, on the assumption that people matter and matter a lot. An important concern addressed pertains to the dilemmas of international policies that are shaped by the macro-level consequences of micro-level behavior.

10.450 Process Dynamics, Operations, and Control, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

10.450 Process Dynamics, Operations, and Control, Spring 2003 Johnston, Barry Scott, 1952- Introduction to dynamic processes and the engineering tasks of process operations and control. Subject covers modeling the static and dynamic behavior of processes; control strategies; design of feedback, feedforward, and other control structures; model-based control; applications to process equipment.

1.011 Project Evaluation, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

1.011 Project Evaluation, Spring 2003 Martland, Carl D. (Carl Douglas); Lu, Lexcie, 1979- Methodologies for evaluating civil engineering projects, which typically are large-scale, long-lived projects involving many economic, financial, social, and environmental factors. Basic techniques of engineering economics, including net present value analysis, life-cycle costing, benefit-cost analysis, and other approaches to project evaluation. Resource and cost estimation procedures appropriate for large-scale infrastructure systems. Examples drawn from building design and construction, transportation systems, urban development, environmental projects, water resource management, and other elements of both the public and private infrastructure.

24.02 Moral Problems and the Good Life, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

24.02 Moral Problems and the Good Life, Fall 2006 Haslanger, Sally Anne Subject examines classic texts from the history of Western moral philosophy, and their answers to the question of what is the best way to live. These texts include works by Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, and J. S. Mill. Among the questions that arise are: What is it to have a good life? How important is moral integrity, personal happiness, individual autonomy, and self expression, if one is to live in the best way that one can? Emphasis on close analysis and the evaluation of philosophical ideas and arguments. Description from course home page: This course will focus on issues that arise in contemporary public debate concerning matters of social justice. Topics will likely include: euthanasia, gay marriage, racism and racial profiling, free speech, hunger and global inequality. Students will be exposed to multiple points of view on the topics and will be given guidance in analyzing the moral frameworks informing opposing positions. The goal will be to provide the basis for respectful and informed discussion of matters of common moral concern.

BE.430J Fields, Forces, and Flows in Biological Systems, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

BE.430J Fields, Forces, and Flows in Biological Systems, Fall 2004 Grodzinsky, Alan J.; Lauffenburger, Douglas A. This course covers the following topics: conduction, diffusion, convection in electrolytes; fields in heterogeneous media; electrical double layers; Maxwell stress tensor and electrical forces in physiological systems; and fluid and solid continua: equations of motion useful for porous, hydrated biological tissues. Case studies considered include membrane transport; electrode interfaces; electrical, mechanical, and chemical transduction in tissues; electrophoretic and electroosmotic flows; diffusion/reaction; and ECG. The course also examines electromechanical and physicochemical interactions in biomaterials and cells; orthopaedic, cardiovascular, and other clinical examples.

16.901 Computational Methods in Aerospace Engineering, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

16.901 Computational Methods in Aerospace Engineering, Spring 2003 Darmofal, David L. Introduction to computational techniques arising in aerospace engineering. Applications drawn from aerospace structures, aerodynamics, dynamics and control, and aerospace systems. Techniques include: numerical integration of systems of ordinary differential equations; finite-difference, finite-volume, and finite-element discretization of partial differential equations; numerical linear algebra; eigenvalue problems; and optimization with constraints.

21H.912 The World Since 1492, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

21H.912 The World Since 1492, Spring 2003 Russell, Mona L. This course explores the last 500 years of world history. Rather than trying to cover all regions for all periods of time, we will focus on four related themes: the struggles between Europeans and colonized peoples; the global formation of capitalist economies and industrialization; the emergence of modern states; and the development of the tastes and disciplines of bourgeois society. Note: This course is based on a model developed by Professor Daniel Segal of Pitzer College.

18.155 Differential Analysis, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

18.155 Differential Analysis, Fall 2002 Melrose, Richard B. Fundamental solutions for elliptic, hyperbolic and parabolic differential operators. Method of characteristics. Review of Lebesgue integration. Distributions. Fourier transform. Homogeneous distributions. Asymptotic methods.

11.328J / 4.240J Urban Design Skills: Observing, Interpreting, and Representing the City, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.328J / 4.240J Urban Design Skills: Observing, Interpreting, and Representing the City, Fall 2002 Ben-Joseph, Eran; Vale, Lawrence An introduction to the methods of recording, evaluating, and communicating about the urban environment. Through visual observation, field analysis, measurements, interviews, and other means, students learn to draw on their senses and develop their ability to deduce, conclude, question, and test conclusions about how the environment is used and valued. Through the use of representational tools such as drawing, photographing, computer modeling and desktop publishing, students communicate what is observed as well as their impressions and ideas. Intended as a foundation for future studio work in urban design. From the course home page: The course will build skills fundamental to undertaking a wide variety of urban design efforts, including for example: design of streets and public places, shaping neighborhood form and function, and incorporating natural systems into the urban fabric.

1.964 Design for Sustainability, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

1.964 Design for Sustainability, Fall 2004 Connor, J. J. (Jerome J.); Ochsendorf, John A This course on sustainability will cover the implications of this topic on engineering, design, and architecture. The course will begin with a general survey and discussion of current trends, followed by the introduction of the life cycle assessment (LCA) method as a rigorous, quantitative alternative to current popular sustainability measures for the built environment.

MAS.622 / 1.126J Pattern Recognition & Analysis, Fall 2000

2000-12-01T00:00:00Z

MAS.622 / 1.126J Pattern Recognition & Analysis, Fall 2000 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory. Fundamentals of characterizing and recognizing patterns and features of interest in numerical data. Basic tools and theory for signal understanding problems with applications to user modeling, affect recognition, speech recognition and understanding, computer vision, physiological analysis, and more. Decision theory, statistical classification, maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation, non-parametric methods, unsupervised learning and clustering. Additional topics on machine and human learning from active research.

21H.206 American Consumer Culture, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

21H.206 American Consumer Culture, Fall 2001 Jacobs, Meg, 1969- Examines how and why twentieth-century Americans came to define the "good life" through consumption, leisure, and material abundance. Explores how such things as department stores, advertising, mass-produced cars, and suburbs transformed the American economy, society, and politics.

24.119 Mind and Machines, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

24.119 Mind and Machines, Spring 2005 Byrne, Alexander Examination of problems in the intersection of artificial intelligence, psychology, and philosophy. Issues discussed: whether people are Turing Machines, whether computers can be conscious, limitations on what computers can do, computation and neurophysiology, the Turing test, the analog/digital distinction, the Chinese Room argument, the causal efficacy of content, the inverted spectrum, mental representation, procedural semantics, connectionism, the relation between simulation and explanation, and whether some aspects of mentality are more resistant to programming than others. From the course home page: Course Description This course is an introduction to many of the central issues in a branch of philosophy called philosophy of mind. Some of the questions we will discuss include the following. Can computers think? Is the mind an immaterial thing? Or is the mind the brain? Or does the mind stand to the brain as a computer program stands to the hardware? How can creatures like ourselves think thoughts that are "about" things? (For example, we can all think that Aristotle is a philosopher, and in that sense think "about" Aristotle, but what is the explanation of this quite remarkable ability?) Can I know whether your experiences and my experiences when we look at raspberries, fire trucks and stop lights are the same? Can consciousness be given a scientific explanation?

6.728 Applied Quantum and Statistical Physics, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.728 Applied Quantum and Statistical Physics, Fall 2002 Bulovic, Vladimir, 1970-; Orlando, Terry P.; Hagelstein, Peter L. Elementary quantum mechanics and statistical physics. Introduces applied quantum physics. Emphasizes experimental basis for quantum mechanics. Applies Schrodinger's equation to the free particle, tunneling, the harmonic oscillator, and hydrogen atom. Variational methods. Elementary statistical physics; Fermi-Dirac, Bose-Einstein, and Boltzmann distribution functions. Simple models for metals, semiconductors, and devices such as electron microscopes, scanning tunneling microscope, thermonic emitters, atomic force microscope, and more.

HST.921 / HST.923 Information Technology in the Health Care System of the Future, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

HST.921 / HST.923 Information Technology in the Health Care System of the Future, Spring 2003 Locke, Steven E. (Steven Elliot); Bergeron, Bryan P.; Sands, Daniel Z.; Blander, Jeffrey The healthcare system in the US has been in the midst of a rapid transition in response to changing trends and patterns of care. The growing emphasis on evidence-based medical practice, continuous quality improvement, clinical and cost-effectiveness, and risk management have led to a sea change in medical practice that has been stressful for clinicians, patients, and administrators. As care becomes more tightly managed, it becomes a challenge for clinicians, administrators, and patients to balance time, money, resources, and clinical outcomes. Can emerging technologies help solve these complex problems? How has the demise of the dot.com industry effected these trends and slowed the proliferation of potential solutions? This innovative, trans-faculty course will teach the student how information technologies are shaping and redefining the health care marketplace through examining aspects related to 1) improved economies of scale, 2) greater technical and business efficiencies in the delivery of care to patients, 3) advanced tools for patient education and self-care, 4) network integrated decision support tools for clinicians, and 5) e-health applications and e-commerce. Students are required to take this course in conjunction with HST 923, the tutorial/practicum portion of the course, where they will work in interdisciplinary teams (including students in medicine, business, law, engineering, computer science, media, public health, and government) to analyze, develop, and present an innovative solution to a current or future clinical management program or health care problem which will incorporate (but is not limited to) management techniques, services, and technologies as presented during lectures and laboratories. Students' proposed solutions will draw upon their understanding of tools and principles acquired during the course and will be presented as an application design on the final day of the course. Opportunities to interact with corporate sponsors will enhance the emphasis on practical solutions to real world problems.Sponsored driven projects in past years have included those from Pfizer Health Solutions, Merck, Johnson and Johnson, Mass General, and Warner Lambert. (Note: A special project will be organized and supported by the faculty this year to help students identify ways to support efforts to combat bio-terrorism through improved uses of clinical and bioinformatic systems.)

22.101 Applied Nuclear Physics, Fall 2004

2004-12-01T00:00:00Z

22.101 Applied Nuclear Physics, Fall 2004 Yip, Sidney Fundamentals of nuclear physics for engineering students. Basic properties of the nucleus and nuclear radiations. Elementary quantum mechanical calculations of bound-state energies and barrier transmission probability. Binding energy and nuclear stability. Interactions of charged particles, neutrons, and gamma rays with matter. Radioactive decays. Energetics and general cross-section behavior in nuclear reactions. Description from course home page: This subject deals with foundational knowledge for all students in NED. Emphasis is on nuclear concepts (as opposed to traditional nuclear physics), especially nuclear radiations and their interactions with matter. We will study different types of reactions, single-collision phenomena (cross sections) and leave the effects of many collisions to later subjects (22.105 and 22.106). Quantum mechanics is used at a lower level than in 22.51 and 22.106.

18.311 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Spring 2009

2009-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.311 Principles of Applied Mathematics, Spring 2009 Kasimov, Aslan This course is about mathematical analysis of continuum models of various natural phenomena. Such models are generally described by partial differential equations (PDE) and for this reason much of the course is devoted to the analysis of PDE. Examples of applications come from physics, chemistry, biology, complex systems: traffic flows, shock waves, hydraulic jumps, bio-fluid flows, chemical reactions, diffusion, heat transfer, population dynamics, and pattern formation.

6.450 Principles of Digital Communication - I, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.450 Principles of Digital Communication - I, Fall 2002 Gallager, Robert G. 6.450 was offered in Fall 2002 as a relatively new elective on digital communication. The course serves as an introduction to the theory and practice behind many of today's communications systems. 6.450 forms the first of a two-course sequence on digital communication. The second class, 6.451, is offered in the spring. Topics covered include: digital communications at the block diagram level, data compression, Lempel-Ziv algorithm, scalar and vector quantization, sampling and aliasing, the Nyquist criterion, PAM and QAM modulation, signal constellations, finite-energy waveform spaces, detection, and introduction to communication system design.

SP.776 / SP.786 Design for Demining, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

SP.776 / SP.786 Design for Demining, Spring 2005 Heafitz, Andrew; Linder, Benjamin M. Humanitarian Demining is the process of detecting, removing and disposing of landmines. Millions of landmines are buried in more than 80 countries resulting in 20,000 civilian victims every year. MIT Design for Demining is a design course that spans the entire product design and development process from identification of needs and idea generation to prototyping and blast testing to manufacture and deployment. Technical, business and customer aspects are addressed. Students learn about demining while they design, develop and deliver devices to aid the demining community. Past students have invented or improved hand tools, protective gear, safety equipment, educational graphics and teaching materials. Some tools designed in previous years are in use worldwide in the thousands. Course work is informed by a class field trip to a US Army base for demining training and guest expert speakers. This course is sponsored by the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA).

14.33 Economics Research and Communication, Spring 2002

2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

14.33 Economics Research and Communication, Spring 2002 Ellison, Sara Fisher Designed to expose students to the process of conducting independent research in empirical economics and effectively communicating the results of the research. Begins with an econometric analysis of an assigned economic question and culminates in each student choosing an original topic, performing appropriate analysis, and delivering oral and written project reports.

STS.006J / 24.06J Bioethics, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

STS.006J / 24.06J Bioethics, Spring 2006 Hare, Caspar John, 1972-; Jones, David S. (David Shumway) Many difficult ethical questions have arisen from the explosive growth of biomedical research and the health-care industry since World War II. When and how should doctors be allowed to help patients end their lives? Should embryos be cloned for research and/or reproduction? Should parents be given control over the genetic make-up of their children? What sorts of living things is it appropriate to use as research subjects? How should we distribute scarce and expensive medical resources? While some of these questions are genuinely new, products of rapid changes in biomedical technology, others have been debated for centuries. Drawing on philosophy, history, and anthropology, this course will show students how problems in bioethics can be approached from a variety of perspectives, with the aim of understanding how we have gotten where we are, and how we should decide where to go next.

15.928 Strategic Management and Consulting Proseminar: Theoretical Foundations, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.928 Strategic Management and Consulting Proseminar: Theoretical Foundations, Spring 2003 Schulmeyer, Gerhard Hans Provides students with strategic frameworks and a broad exposure to business matters that affect strategic management and the consulting industry. To fulfill that objective, the Proseminar invites distinguished executives from businesses and consulting firms. The Proseminar is organized according to the themes that represent the primary challenges that managers are facing today. The themes were identified after an extensive survey of top executives in the U.S. and abroad. The faculty in charge of the seminar provide a continuous briefing of the subjects being discussed to assure the continuity of the learning process. From the course home page: Course Description 15.928, Proseminar in Strategic Management and Consulting: Theoretical Foundations, provides students with strategic frameworks and a broad exposure to business matters that affect strategic management and the consulting industry. To fulfill that objective, the Proseminar invites distinguished executives from businesses and consulting firms. Fifty top executives from the U.S. and abroad were interviewed to identify the major issues that they were facing in today's world. From this survey six themes emerged as the leading subjects of strategic importance. We have organized the Proseminar accordingly. These themes are: * Theme 1. Restoring Credibility and Winning Stakeholders Trust. * Theme 2. Focus on Short-Term Efficiency - Cost Containment and Implementation. * Theme 3. Largest Destruction of Shareholder Value - How Could It Happen? * Theme 4. Structuring the Organization for Unstable Markets. * Theme 5. Motivating Employees in a Turbulent Environment - Becoming an Employer of Choice. * Theme 6. Globalization - The Question of Fairness.

11.225 Argumentation and Communication, Fall 2005

2005-12-01T00:00:00Z

11.225 Argumentation and Communication, Fall 2005 Abbanat, Cherie Miot A writing practicum associated with 11.200 and 11.205 that focuses on helping students present their ideas in cogent, persuasive arguments and other analytical frameworks. Reading and writing assignments and other exercises stress the connections between clear thinking, critical reading, and effective writing.

12.740 Paleoceanography, Spring 2006

2006-06-01T00:00:00Z

12.740 Paleoceanography, Spring 2006 Boyle, Edward A. This class examines tools, data, and ideas related to past climate changes as seen in marine, ice core, and continental records. The most recent climate changes (mainly the past 500,000 years, ranging up to about 2 million years ago) will be emphasized. Quantitative tools for the examination of paleoceanographic data will be introduced (statistics, factor analysis, time series analysis, simple climatology).

15.568B Management Information Systems: Generating Business Value from Information Technology, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

15.568B Management Information Systems: Generating Business Value from Information Technology, Spring 2003 Weill, Peter Concepts, frameworks, tools, techniques, and processes that assist management in its interaction with and direction of computer-based information systems today. Discusses the impact of the Internet, changes in the IT industry, and changes in other industries as a result of IT. Also notes the redesign of information flows to meet the needs of both control and empowerment in the era of the global information infrastructure and networked organizations. Emphasizes managerial point of view and organizational issues involved in managing a firm's information resources. From the course home page: Course Description Information Technology is pervasive in today's firms. For many firms IT is the single largest capital investment, often exceeding 50% of capital expenditure. As a result, in this course we take the strategic perspective of the general manager and study how these leading firms get more value from their IT investments. The course focuses on the business value that can be achieved rather than the details of the technology. Issues around IT governance will pervade the course. An IT background is not required and this is not a "technical" course. This is, however, an integrative course, including issues of business strategy, finance, and the study of organizations and people, which are also covered in other parts of the Sloan MBA program. The creation of business value requires the successful integration of these issues with the potential of IT. Spring 2003 was the last time that this course was taught as 15.568B. In the future, this course will be named 15.571, Generating Business Value from IT.

9.013J / 7.68J Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology: The Brain and Cognitive Sciences III, Spring 2003

2003-06-01T00:00:00Z

9.013J / 7.68J Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology: The Brain and Cognitive Sciences III, Spring 2003 Constantine-Paton, Martha, 1947-; Sheng, Morgan Hwa-Tze; Garrity, Paul A. Subject covers all major areas of cellular and molecular neurobiology including excitable cells and membranes, ion channels and receptors, synaptic transmission, cell type determination, axon guidance and targeting, neuronal cell biology, synapse formation and plasticity. Includes lectures and exams, and involves presentation and discussion of primary literature. Focus on major concepts and recent advances in experimental neuroscience.

5.46 Organic Structure Determination, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

5.46 Organic Structure Determination, Spring 2004 Jamison, Timothy F. Applications of 1D and 2D ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy to organic structure determination. This course covers modern and advanced methods of elucidation of the structures of organic molecules, including NMR, MS, and IR (among others). The fundamental physical and chemical principles of each method will be discussed. The major emphasis of this course is on structure determination by way of interpreting the data (generally in the form of a spectrum or spectra) that each method provides.

15.060 Data, Models, and Decisions, Fall 2002

2002-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.060 Data, Models, and Decisions, Fall 2002 Freund, Robert Michael; Wang, Yashan; Bertsimas, Dimitris Introduces students to the basic tools in using data to make informed management decisions. Covers introductory probability, decision analysis, basic statistics, regression, simulation, linear and nonlinear optimization, and discrete optimization. Computer spreadsheet exercises, cases, and examples drawn from marketing, finance, operations management, and other management functions. Restricted to first-year Sloan master's students.

12.301 / 12.842 Climate Physics and Chemistry, Fall 2006

2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

12.301 / 12.842 Climate Physics and Chemistry, Fall 2006 Boyle, Edward A.; Emanuel, Kerry A., 1955-; Wunsch, Carl Meets with graduate subject 12.840, but assignments differ. See description under subject 12.840. From the course home page: Course Description This course introduces students to climate studies, including beginnings of the solar system, time scales, and climate in human history; methods for detecting climate change, including proxies, ice cores, instrumental records, and time series analysis; physical and chemical processes in climate, including primordial atmosphere, ozone chemistry, carbon and oxygen cycles, and heat and water budgets; internal feedback mechanisms, including ice, aerosols, water vapor, clouds, and ocean circulation; climate forcing, including orbital variations, volcanism, plate tectonics, and solar variability; climate models and mechanisms of variability, including energy balance, coupled models, and global ocean and atmosphere models; and outstanding problems.

6.854J / 18.415J Advanced Algorithms, Fall 2001

2001-12-01T00:00:00Z

6.854J / 18.415J Advanced Algorithms, Fall 2001 Goemans, Michel A first-year graduate course in algorithms. Emphasizes fundamental algorithms and advanced methods of algorithmic design, analysis, and implementation. Data structures. Network flows. Linear programming. Computational geometry. Approximation algorithms. Alternate years. From the course home page: Course Description This is a graduate course on the design and analysis of algorithms, covering several advanced topics not studied in typical introductory courses on algorithms. It is especially designed for doctoral students interested in theoretical computer science.

18.465 Topics in Statistics: Statistical Learning Theory, Spring 2004

2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

18.465 Topics in Statistics: Statistical Learning Theory, Spring 2004 Panchenko, Dmitry A. The main goal of this course is to study the generalization ability of a number of popular machine learning algorithms such as boosting, support vector machines and neural networks. Topics include Vapnik-Chervonenkis theory, concentration inequalities in product spaces, and other elements of empirical process theory.

11.469 Urban Sociology in Theory and Practice, Spring 2007

2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

11.469 Urban Sociology in Theory and Practice, Spring 2007 Davis, Diane E., 1953- This course is intended to introduce graduate students to a set of core writings in the field of urban sociology. Topics include the changing nature of community, social inequality, political power, socio-spatial change, technological change, and the relationship between the built environment and human behavior. We examine the key theoretical paradigms that have constituted the field since its founding, assess how and why they have changed over time, and discuss the implications of these paradigmatic shifts for urban scholarship, social policy and the planning practice.

15.391 Early Stage Capital, Fall 2003

2003-12-01T00:00:00Z

15.391 Early Stage Capital, Fall 2003 Loessberg, Shari 15.391 examines the elements of raising early stage capital, focusing on start-up ventures and the early stages of company development. This course also prepares entrepreneurs to make the best use of outside advisors, and to negotiate effective long-term relationships with funding sources. Working in teams, students interact with venture capitalists and other professionals throughout the semester. Disclaimer: The web sites for this course and the materials they offer are provided for educational use only. They are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney and no attorney-client relationship is created by using them. All materials are provided "as-is", without any express or implied warranties.

17.42 Causes and Prevention of War, Spring 2005

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

17.42 Causes and Prevention of War, Spring 2005 Van Evera, Stephen The causes and prevention of interstate war are the central topics of this course. The course goal is to discover and assess the means to prevent or control war. Hence we focus on manipulable or controllable war-causes. The topics covered include the dilemmas, misperceptions, crimes and blunders that caused wars of the past; the origins of these and other war-causes; the possible causes of wars of the future; and possible means to prevent such wars, including short-term policy steps and more utopian schemes. The historical cases covered include World War I, World War II, Korea, Indochina, and the Peloponnesian, Crimean and Seven Years wars.