(Offered as MUSI 108 and PHYS 108) Appreciating music requires no special scientific or mathematical ability. Yet science and mathematics have a lot to tell us about how we make music and build instruments, what we consider harmonious, and how music is processed by the ear and brain.
What makes pop music pop? Or not pop? And who decides? In this course, we’ll dive into the history of popular music through the lens of four contemporary albums: Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter (Parkwood Entertainment, 2024), Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Rimas Entertainment,2025), Apsilon’s Haut wie Pelz (Four Music Productions, 2024), and Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (Amusement Records, 2023).
Open to seniors with consent of the Department.
Spring semester. The Department.
How to handle overenrollment: null
Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Quantitative work, Writing intensive, Independent research.
This course will explore the geometry of curves, surfaces and higher dimensional geometric objects in n-dimensional Euclidean space. For curves, the key concepts are curvature and torsion, while for surfaces, the key players are Gaussian curvature, geodesics, and the Gauss-Bonnet Theorem. Other topics covered may include (time permitting) two-dimensional Riemmanian geometry, differential forms and manifolds.
The quadratic formula shows us that the roots of a quadratic polynomial possess a certain symmetry. Galois Theory is the study of the corresponding symmetry for higher degree polynomials. We will develop this theory starting from a basic knowledge of groups, rings, and fields. One of our main goals will be to prove that there is no general version of the quadratic formula for a polynomial of degree five or more.
Completeness of the real numbers; topology of the real line including the Bolzano-Weierstrass and Heine-Borel theorems; sequences, properties of continuous functions on sets; infinite series, uniform convergence.
MATH 211 and either MATH 271 or 272, or consent of the instructor is required. Students with a grade of B+ or lower in linear algebra are encouraged to take another 200-level course with proofs before taking MATH 355.
Limited to 25 students per section.
Completeness of the real numbers; topology of the real line including the Bolzano-Weierstrass and Heine-Borel theorems; sequences, properties of continuous functions on sets; infinite series, uniform convergence.
MATH 211 and either MATH 271 or 272, or consent of the instructor is required. Students with a grade of B+ or lower in linear algebra are encouraged to take another 200-level course with proofs before taking MATH 355.
Limited to 25 students per section.
A brief consideration of properties of sets, mappings, and the system of integers, followed by an introduction to the theory of groups and rings including the principal theorems on homomorphisms and the related quotient structures; integral domains, fields, polynomial rings.
MATH 211 and either MATH 271 or 272, or consent of the instructor is required. Students with a grade of B+ or lower in linear algebra are encouraged to take another 200-level course with proofs before taking MATH 350.
Limited to 25 students per section.
A brief consideration of properties of sets, mappings, and the system of integers, followed by an introduction to the theory of groups and rings including the principal theorems on homomorphisms and the related quotient structures; integral domains, fields, polynomial rings.
MATH 211 and either MATH 271 or 272, or consent of the instructor is required. Students with a grade of B+ or lower in linear algebra are encouraged to take another 200-level course with proofs before taking MATH 350.
Limited to 25 students per section.
Partial differential equations (PDEs) describe how quantities change with respect to two or more independent variables and are fundamental in modeling a wide range of real-world phenomena. This course introduces the core concepts and methods for studying PDEs, focusing on the archetypal second-order equations: the heat equation, the wave equation, and Laplace's equation. Applications span various scientific fields, including acoustics, optics, electrostatics, heat conduction, and wave propagation.
