Newtons laws and symmetries, Newton, Laplace and principle of determinism, qualitative analysis of Newtons equations of motion, Hamiltonian mechanics, one degree of freedom (DOF) systems, two DOF systems, motion in central fields, application to molecular dynamics, control of classical dynamical systems, Lagrangian mechanics, chaos and ergodic theory, rigid body motion.
3
UnitsLetter
Grading1, 2, 3
PasstimeNone
Level LimitEngineering
CollegeFor ME 169, his lectures are overall pretty high level and he uses fairly complex terminology but overall he does a great job presenting the material at a level where physicists and engineers can enjoy the class. Grades very leniently and fairly and wants you to do very well. Top tier class for sure.
Dr. Mezic is always trying to relate presented materials to the real-world problems which is a nice way to understand not always easy mathematical formulations. Though the materials are difficult and you will need to put some effort into it, if you will be dealing with dynamical systems in your future career, you cant miss with this course.
I've taken/audited all of Prof. Mezic's graduate courses. He is quite enthusiastic about the material, especially those aspects he has worked on. He consistently tries to make the mathematically abstract machinery of his classes accessible and relatable to students new to the game.
The class can be tough without a good math background. He lectures mostly out of his own book/notes, so if you can follow those the class shouldnt be too hard. He cares a lot about about the subject; a lot of the material is his own research and he clearly takes pride in it.
The class is very Math-oriented but truly fascinating, especially if you have enjoyed previous standard nonlinear dynamics courses. It is a unique opportunity to learn cutting-edge advanced topics from one of the main experts in the field. Prof. Mezic uses notes from a textbook that he is writing, so you won't need to buy one.
Mezic is both extremely knowledgeable as well as enthusiastic. Very positive attitude and always willing to help. This is a unique class and I doubt anyone can teach it as well as Mezic. Although it requires a strong mathematical foundation, this class is certainly worth taking for anyone interested in applied mathematics and dynamical systems.