The theory of special relativity, originally proposed by Albert Einstein in his famous 1905 paper, has had profound consequences on our view of physics, space, and time. This course will introduce you to the concepts behind special relativity including, but not limited to, length contraction, time dilation, the Lorentz transformation, relativistic kinematics, Doppler shifts, and even so-called “paradoxes.”

Offered in the spring and fall terms, 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.

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 Econometrics. No prior preparation in probability and statistics is required, but familiarity with basic algebra and calculus is assumed.

This course will provide a solid foundation in probability and statistics for economists and other social scientists. We will emphasize topics needed for further study of econometrics and provide basic preparation for 14.32 Econometrics. Topics include elements of probability theory, sampling theory, statistical estimation, and hypothesis testing.

Introduction to Statistical Physics introduces the concepts and formalism at the foundations of statistical physics. By the end of the course, students should understand qualitative and quantitative definitions of entropy, the implications of the laws of thermodynamics, and why the Boltzmann distribution is important in modeling systems at finite temperature. In terms of skills, students should have increased their familiarity with mathematical methods in the physical science, learned how to write short programs to simulate random events, and become more adept at articulating their understanding of physics.
This course was offered as part of MITES Summer, a six-week, residential STEM experience for rising high school seniors. MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) provides transformative experiences that bolster confidence, create lifelong community, and build an exciting, challenging foundation in STEM for highly motivated 7th–12th grade students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.

This course is an introduction to Markov chains, random walks, martingales, and Galton-Watsom tree. The course requires basic knowledge in probability theory and linear algebra including conditional expectation and matrix.

This class assesses current and potential future energy systems, covering resources, extraction, conversion, and end-use technologies, with emphasis on meeting regional and global energy needs in the 21st century in a sustainable manner. Instructors and guest lecturers will examine various renewable and conventional energy production technologies, energy end-use practices and alternatives, and consumption practices in different countries. Students will learn a quantitative framework to aid in evaluation and analysis of energy technology system proposals in the context of engineering, political, social, economic, and environmental goals. Students taking the graduate version, Sustainable Energy, complete additional assignments.

This course is concerned with the concepts and principles which have been of central significance in the recent development of syntactic theory, with special focus on the “Government and Binding” (GB) / “Principles and Parameters” (P&P) / “Minimalist Program” (MP) approach.
It is the first of a series of two courses (24.951 is taught during the Fall and 24.952 is taught in the Spring). This course deals mostly with phrase structure, argument structure and its syntactic expression, including “A-movement”. Though other issues (e.g. wh-movement, antecedent-contained deletion, extraposition) may be mentioned during the semester, the course will not systematically investigate these topics in class until 24.952.
The goal of the course is to understand why certain problems have been treated in certain ways. Thus, on many occasions a variety of approaches will be discussed, and the (recent) historical development of these approaches are emphasized.

Introduction to systems thinking and system dynamics modeling applied to strategy, organizational change, and policy design. Students use simulation models, management flight simulators, and case studies to develop conceptual and modeling skills for the design and management of high-performance organizations in a dynamic world.

This seminar is an introduction to the usage and impacts of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on urban planning, the urban environment and communities. Students will explore how social relationships, our sense of community, the urban infrastructure, and planning practice have been affected by technological change. Literature reviews, guest speakers, and web surfing will provide examples and issues that are debated in class and homework exercises. We will examine metropolitan information infrastructures, urban modeling and visualization, e-government, collaborative planning, and cyber communities.
Students will attend a regular Tuesday seminar and occasional seminars of invited speakers during lunchtime on Fridays or Mondays.
During the past two decades, ICTs have become so pervasive and disruptive that their impact on urban planning and social relationships has begun to reach far beyond their immediate use as efficient bookkeeping and automation tools. This seminar will examine ICT impacts on our sense of community, urban planning practice, the meaning of ‘place’, and the nature of metropolitan governance. In each of the four areas, we will utilize readings, class discussion, guest lectures, and homework exercises to identify and critique key trends, relevant theories, and promising directions for research and professional practice.

This course explores perspectives in the policy process - agenda setting, problem definition, framing the terms of debate, formulation and analysis of options, implementation and evaluation of policy outcomes using frameworks including economics and markets, law, and business and management. Methods include cost/benefit analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and system dynamics. Exercises include developing skills to work on the interface between technology and societal issues; simulation exercises; case studies; and group projects that illustrate issues involving multiple stakeholders with different value structures, high levels of uncertainty, multiple levels of complexity; and value trade-offs that are characteristic of engineering systems. Emphasis on negotiation, team building and group dynamics, and management of multiple actors and leadership.

This course introduces topology, covering topics fundamental to modern analysis and geometry. It also deals with subjects like topological spaces and continuous functions, connectedness, compactness, separation axioms, and selected further topics such as function spaces, metrization theorems, embedding theorems and the fundamental group.

1.201J/11.545J/ESD.210J is required for all first-year Master of Science in Transportation students. It would be of interest to, as well as accessible to, students in Urban Studies and Planning, Political Science, Technology and Policy, Management, and various engineering departments. It is a good subject for those who plan to take only one subject in transportation and serves as an entry point to other transportation subjects as well.
The subject focuses on fundamental principles of transportation systems, introduces transportation systems components and networks, and addresses how one invests in and operates them effectively. The tie between transportation and related systems is emphasized.

This course examines both the structure of cities and the ways they can be changed. It introduces graduate students to theories about how cities are formed, and the practice of urban design and development, using U.S. and international examples. The course is organized into two parts: Part 1 analyzes the forces which act to shape and to change cities; Part 2 surveys key models of physical form and social intervention that have been deployed to resolve competing forces acting on the city. This course includes models of urban analysis, contemporary theories of urban design, and implementation strategies. Lectures in this course are supplemented by discussion periods, student work, and field trips.

This course examines the evolving structure of cities and the way that cities, suburbs, and metropolitan areas can be designed and developed. Boston and other American cities are studied to see how physical, social, political and economic forces interact to shape and reshape cities over time.

This class serves as an introduction to video recording and editing, presenting video as a tool of personal apprehension and expression, with an emphasis on self-exploration, performance, social critique, and the organization of raw experience into aesthetic form (narrative, abstract, documentary, essay). Students are required to complete a variety of assignments to learn the basics of video capture and editing, culminating in a final assignment that has to do with personal storytelling.

This course offers an introduction to the interdisciplinary study of videogames as texts through an examination of their cultural, educational, and social functions in contemporary settings. Students play and analyze videogames while reading current research and theory from a variety of sources in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and industry. Assignments focus on game analysis in the context of the theories discussed in class. Class meetings involve regular reading, writing, and presentation exercises. No prior programming experience required. Students taking the graduate version complete additional assignments.

This course gives a broad overview of Western music from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, with emphasis on late baroque, classical, romantic, and modernist styles (1700-1910). It is also meant to enhance students’ musical experience by developing listening skills and an understanding of diverse forms and genres. Major composers and their works will be placed in social and cultural contexts. Weekly lectures feature demonstrations by professional performers, and introduce topics to be discussed in sections. The focus of the course is on the weekly listening and reading assignments.

This course offers an introduction to women’s and gender studies, an interdisciplinary academic field that explores 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, education, medicine, social policy, and the family, and explores the intersection of gender, race, class, and sexuality in individual lives and social institutions.

This course is an introduction to diverse musical traditions of the world. Music from a wide range of geographical areas is studied in terms of structure, performance practice, social use, aesthetics, and cross-cultural contact. Course work includes hands-on music making, live demonstrations by guest artists, and ethnographic research projects.