Professor H. L. Bray
Teaching
Math 190S-01M:
The Mathematics of the Universe
Summer Term 2, June 29 - August 5, 2020
Monday - Wednesday - Friday, 5 p.m. - 7:05 p.m.
Professor
Hubert Bray
bray@math.duke.edu
189
Physics Building
(919)757-8428 (mobile)
Office
Hours: after class, and upon request
TA: Sam Lester, samuel.lester@duke.edu
Welcome to the class! We're going to have a lot of fun together. Unlike
most math classes, these classes are discussion based. Furthermore, the
topics we cover will have a lot to do with the questions you ask in
class, so bring your favorite questions!
Before many of the classes, I'm going to ask you to watch videos, as
you can see below. Listen and learn with these videos as well as you
can. Don't worry if you don't understand everything - that is not
expected the first time. Just do your best and come to class with your
questions!
However, make sure you do watch the videos. The daily quizzes are OPEN
NOTES and will be easy for those who watched the videos, rewarding
those who understood the simplest ideas. We'll pursue the deeper ideas
in class. The whole point is to get the discussion going with the
videos, so that we can cover some cool topics in class. Enjoy!
You will write 4 papers in the class, each 5-10 pages, on a topic of
your choice relating to the class, broadly interpretted. You will also
present each topic to the class with a PowerPoint style presentation
that lasts no more than 5 minutes.
We'll discuss your topic ideas in class, so come to class
with some ideas. Rough drafts of your papers are due to the TA of the
class (Sam Lester, a former
student of this class) 2 days before the due date so that he can give
you feedback. You will also meet with students in groups the day before
your presentations to practice your presentations with each other. This
is all to set you up for success on your presentation day when both
your paper and your presentation are due by midnight to both bray@math.duke.edu and samuel.lester@duke.edu.
For Monday, June 29
Watch these videos:
3.01 The Rule of Pythagoras
3.02 Rotations and the Dot Product
3.03 Gauss's Geometry and Special Relativity
For Wednesday, July 1
Watch these videos:
3.04 Special Relativity is a Minus Sign in the Rule of Pythagoras
3.05 The Light Cone
3.06 The Universality of the Speed of Light
For Friday, July 3
No class - University wide holiday.
For Monday, July 6
Watch these videos:
3.07 World Lines and the Twin "Paradox"
3.08 Boosts are Rotations in Space and Time
For Wednesday, July 8
Email papers (by midnight) and presentations (by the beginning of class) to bray@math.duke.edu and samuel.lester@duke.edu.
For Friday, July 10
Watch these videos:
3.09 How Velocities Add
3.10 How Velocities Add, Part 2
For Monday, July 13
Watch these videos:
3.11 How Lengths Contract
3.12 The Train in the Tunnel Paradox
For Wednesday, July 15
Watch these videos:
3.13 De Sitter Space: The Spacetime Unit Sphere of Special Relativity
3.14 Hyperbolic Space The Spacelike Unit Sphere of Special Relativity
For Friday, July 17
Email papers (by midnight) and presentations (by the beginning of class) to bray@math.duke.edu and samuel.lester@duke.edu.
For Monday, July 20
Watch these videos:
3.15 Time Travel and Alien Abduction
4.01 Intro to General Relativity
4.02 The Geometry of Black Holes
For Wedneday, July 22
View these slides: Presentation on Special and General Relativity
For Friday, July 24
Watch these videos:
2.01 The Kelly Criterion: Triple or Nothing
2.02 The Kelly Criterion: Quadruple or Nothing
2.03 The Kelly Criterion - The 0-1-2-3 Game
2.04 The Gambler's Ruin
For Monday, July 27
Email papers (by midnight) and presentations (by the beginning of class) to bray@math.duke.edu and samuel.lester@duke.edu.
For Wednesday, July 29
Homework assigned in class is due.
For Friday, July 31
Homework assigned in class is due.
For Monday, August 3
Homework assigned in class is due.
For Wednesday, August 5
Email papers (by midnight) and presentations (by the beginning of class) to bray@math.duke.edu and samuel.lester@duke.edu.