This course provides an introduction to semantics, the study of meaning in language. We will explore a range of semantic phenomena, and students will learn the tools and techniques of formal semantic analysis as well as core concepts, goals, and findings of the field.
Designed for new Teaching Fellows. An introduction to the conceptual and practical tools of French language pedagogy.
The seminar prioritizes a particular branch of French-language film theory and criticism that broadly deals with aesthetics, at the expense of reception and apparatus theories. We follow its history from the silent film-era writings of Germaine Dulac and Jean Epstein to the intersection of film aesthetics and French theory in the work of Barthes, Deleuze, Lyotard, and Rancière, to the most recent inquiries into such notions as montage, découpage, and mise en scène (Aumont, Barnard, Kessler). Weekly films will accompany the readings in order to put pressure on theory, but also to help dissipate its excessive maleness. Because French film aesthetics has been influential around the world and—vice versa—because world cinema has been crucial for the development of French film aesthetics, we will also see American, Italian, Soviet, Japanese, Iranian, Malian, and Taiwanese films, in addition to French films.
All films will be presented with English subtitles. There are no prerequisites for the course, but students wanting to enroll must be committed to attending the Tuesday night 6–9pm screenings, in addition to the 12:10–2pm seminars on Wednesdays.
This class aims to introduce the students to the field of Bible and Literature, with special attention to the Hebrew Bible and to Literary Theory. We will read portions of
Genesis, Numbers, Jonah, Hosea, Ezekiel, Esther, Mark,
and
Revelations
, and discuss it in tandem with literary theory as well as 20th Century literary texts. Literary theory, this class will argue, is central for our understanding of the Bible, and, at the same time, the Biblical text is essential for the manner in which we theorize literature. Our discussion will be guided by four loosely interconnected questions: What insights can we gain about the theology of the Biblical text from a literary analysis? What happens to theological ideas once they are dramatized and narrativized? In what way can modern literary adaptations of the Bible contribute to our understanding of the Biblical text? How does the Bible challenge and trouble some of the perceived ideas of literary theory?
The syllabus is divided into three units. The first unit —
Bible and Literature in Theory,
offers a survey of some of the scholarly approaches to the intersection of literature and theology. We will read theory that interrogates the intersection of theological and literary concepts, focusing on omniscience, authorship, temporality, characterization, and plot. The second unit —
Literature as Biblical Exegesis,
shifts the focus to a reading of Biblical texts in tandem with their modern literary and cinematic interpretations, focusing on
Job
and
Esther
. What, we will ask, happen to the Biblical world once it is being refracted through a modern sensibility? How can we take literature seriously as Biblical hermeneutics? The third unit —
Recent Directions,
introduces some of the recent directions in the field, focusing on how literature imagines the relationship between Bible, archeology, and modernity, as well as on the intersection of Biblical literature, fantasy, and science fiction.
In one sense, Pragmatics is concerned with how we use the language, why and how the speakers communicate in social interactions. The interpretation of meaning in context is probably the main field of study of this multidiscipline, considering the speaker-meaning as the central point of departure. The term Pragmatics refers to a broad perspective on different aspects of communication, including linguistics, but also cognitive psychology, cultural anthropology, philosophy, sociology and rhetoric among others. Through this course we will study chronologically and apply in specific cases of study of the Spanish language the most meaningful pragmatic theories, such as: Context, Deixis, Speech acts, Implicature, Cooperative Principle, Politeness, Relevance, Pragmatic markers, Metaphors and Cross-cultural pragmatics. Pragmatics, as we know, is a most helpful criterion in the interpretation of many different types of texts. As a course within our Departments curriculum this instrument of rhetoric analysis is a basic tool in the comprehension of our students discourse in their literary, cultural, and critical papers. This discipline goes beyond the analysis of strictly forms or verbal utterances, hence its multidisciplinary applicability to a wide range of fields of studies in Spanish. Whichever the students field of study might be, Pragmatics provides a valuable and accurate vocabulary that can be applied to any textual interpretation. In this course, the pragmatic perspective is a starting point to delve into the processes of communication in Spanish. After this first approach, the student will gain an insight into new aspects of the linguistics of language use in general and the use of Spanish in particular.
The city has historically served to gather and leverage what the hinterland has produced: urban crafts guilds added value to raw materials, crops and piecework were monetized, knowledge was assembled and disseminated in cities. Within sustainability studies, cities are often cited for the efficiency of their transportation, housing and supply or refuse infrastructures, but the nature of their relationship to their hinterlands in a globalized world may be underplayed. Nothing – whether a living creature or a settlement – can have a metabolic rate of zero. This course will look to the knowledge base of urban metabolism to ask questions about how cities supply and off-load their metabolic processes. We will also engage with experts in food supply, public health, water, energy and other basic components of urban metabolism.
This course studies the renaissance in Ukrainian culture of the 1920s - a period of revolution, experimentation, vibrant expression and polemics. Focusing on the most important developments in literature, as well as on the intellectual debates they inspired, the course will also examine the major achievements in Ukrainian theater, visual art and film as integral components of the cultural spirit that defined the era. Additionally, the course also looks at the subsequent implementation of the socialist realism and its impact on Ukrainian culture and on the cultural leaders of the renaissance. The course treats one of the most important periods of Ukrainian culture and examines it lasting impact on today's Ukraine. This period produced several world-renowned cultural figures, whose connections with the 1920s Ukraine have only recently begun to be discussed. The course will be complemented by film screenings, presentations of visual art and rare publications from this period. Entirely in English with a parallel reading list for those who read Ukrainian.
We will explore Anton Chekhov’s work on its own terms, in its cultural context, and in relation to the work of others, especially Anglophone writers who responded, directly or indirectly, to Chekhov and his work. Readings by Chekhov include selected stories (short and long), his four major plays, and
Sakhalin Island,
his study of the Russian penal colony.
There are no prerequisites. Knowledge of Russian is not required; all readings in English.
Students who know Russian are encouraged to read Chekhov’s work in Russian.
The course will be comparative as it addresses Chekhov on his own and in relation to anglophone writers.
The course is open to undergraduates (CC, GS, BC) and graduates in GSAS and other schools. The attention to
how
Chekhov writes may interest students in the School of the Arts.
Prerequisites: PHYS UN3003 and PHYS UN3007 or the equivalent. Tensor algebra, tensor analysis, introduction to Riemann geometry. Motion of particles, fluid, and fields in curved spacetime. Einstein equation. Schwarzschild solution; test-particle orbits and light bending. Introduction to black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmological models.
Prerequisites: MATH UN1102 and MATH UN1202 and MATH UN2010 or the equivalent. The second term of this course may not be taken without the first. Groups, homomorphisms, normal subgroups, the isomorphism theorems, symmetric groups, group actions, the Sylow theorems, finitely generated abelian groups.
Prerequisites: MATH UN1102 and MATH UN1202 and MATH UN2010 or the equivalent. The second term of this course may not be taken without the first. Rings, homomorphisms, ideals, integral and Euclidean domains, the division algorithm, principal ideal and unique factorization domains, fields, algebraic and transcendental extensions, splitting fields, finite fields, Galois theory.
Prerequisites: MATH GU4041 and MATH GU4042 or the equivalent Algebraic number fields, unique factorization of ideals in the ring of algebraic integers in the field into prime ideals. Dirichlet unit theorem, finiteness of the class number, ramification. If time permits, p-adic numbers and Dedekind zeta function.
Prerequisites: (MATH GU4041 and MATH GU4042) and MATH UN3007 Plane curves, affine and projective varieties, singularities, normalization, Riemann surfaces, divisors, linear systems, Riemann-Roch theorem.
Intensive study of a philosophical issue or topic, or of a philosopher, group of philosophers, or philosophical school or movement. Open only to Barnard senior philosophy majors.
Course Summary: Water, one of humankind’s first power sources, remains critically important to the task of maintaining a sustainable energy supply, in the United States and elsewhere. Conversely, the need to provide safe drinking water and keep America’s rivers clean cannot be met without access to reliable energy supplies. As the impact of climate disruption and other resource constraints begins to mount, the water/energy nexus is growing increasingly complex and conflict-prone. Essential Connections begins by examining the development of America’s water and energy policies over the past century and how such policies helped to shape present-day environmental law and regulation. Our focus then turns to the current state of US water and energy resources and policy, covering issues such as oil and gas exploration, nuclear energy, hydroelectric power and renewables. We also examine questions of inclusion and equity in connection with the ways in which communities allocate their water and energy resources and burdens along racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines. The third and final section of the course addresses the prospects for establishing water and energy policies that can withstand climate disruption, scarcity and, perhaps most importantly, America’s seemingly endless appetite for political dysfunction. By semester’s end, students will better understand the state of America’s energy and water supply systems and current efforts to cope with depletion, climate change and related threats affecting these critical, highly-interdependent systems. As a final project, students will utilize the knowledge gained during the semester to create specific proposals for preserving and enhancing the sustainability of US water and energy resources.
These two-part mid-career global leadership development courses (1.5 credit course in the summer and spring) provide intensive, collaborative, and highly interactive hands-on instruction, constructive evaluation, and ample opportunities to transform theory into practice. It utilizes cutting-edge, research-based methodologies and customized case studies to build the next generation of leaders that turn differences into opportunities, ideas into solutions, and knowledge into action. Students will acquire a variety of leadership skills in global contexts, including cross-cultural negotiation strategies, consensus building, collaborative facilitation, persuasion, inclusionary leadership, design-thinking-based problem-solving techniques, and public speaking in knowledge-intensive industries. They will gain a competitive edge in their professional careers by participating in a variety of simulation games, role-playing exercises, and mock public policy panels to apply the skills they have learned and receive valuable feedback.
A substantial paper, developing from an Autumn workshop and continuing into the Spring under the direction of an individual adviser. Open only to Barnard senior philosophy majors.
Prerequisites: MATH UN2010 and MATH GU4041 and MATH GU4051 The study of topological spaces from algebraic properties, including the essentials of homology and the fundamental group. The Brouwer fixed point theorem. The homology of surfaces. Covering spaces.
Prerequisites: An introductory biology course or instructor permission Genome sequencing, the technology used to translate DNA into data, is now a fundamental tool in biological and biomedical research, and is expected to revolutionize many related fields and industries in coming years as the technology becomes faster, smaller, and less expensive. Learning to use and interpret genomic information, however, remains challenging for many students, as it requires synthesizing knowledge from a range of disciplines, including genetics, molecular biology, and bioinformatics. Although genomics is of broad interest to many fields, such as ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics, medicine, and computer science, students in these areas often lack sufficient background training to take a genomics course. This course bridges this gap, by teaching skills in modern genomic technologies that will allow students to innovate and effectively apply these tools in novel applications across disciplines. To achieve this, we implement an active learning approach to emphasize genomics as a data science, and use this organizing principle to structure the course around computational exercises, lab-based activities using state-of-the-art sequencing instruments,case studies, and field work. Together, this approach will introduce students to the principles of genomics by allowing them to generate, analyze, and interpret data hands-on while using the most cutting-edge genomic technologies of today in a stimulating and engaging learning experience.
Enrollment limited to 12 students. Mechatronics is the application of electronics and microcomputers to control mechanical systems. Systems explored include on/off systems, solenoids, stepper motors, DC motors, thermal systems, magnetic levitation. Use of analog and digital electronics and various sensors for control. Programming microcomputers in Assembly and C. Lab required.
Prerequisites: MATH UN1202 or the equivalent, and MATH UN2010. The second term of this course may not be taken without the first. Real numbers, metric spaces, elements of general topology, sequences and series, continuity, differentiation, integration, uniform convergence, Ascoli-Arzela theorem, Stone-Weierstrass theorem.
The second term of this course may not be taken without the first. Power series, analytic functions, Implicit function theorem, Fubini theorem, change of variables formula, Lebesgue measure and integration, function spaces.
Building the functional map of the fruit fly brain. Molecular transduction and spatio-temporal encoding in the early visual system. Predictive coding in the Drosophila retina. Canonical circuits in motion detection. Canonical navigation circuits in the central complex. Molecular transduction and combinatorial encoding in the early olfactory system. Predictive coding in the antennal lobe. The functional role of the mushroom body and the lateral horn. Canonical circuits for associative learning and innate memory. Projects in Python.
Prerequisites: one year each of biology and physics, or the instructor's permission. This is a combined lecture/seminar course designed for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. The course will cover a series of cases where biological systems take advantage of physical phenomena in counter intuitive and surprising ways to accomplish their functions. In each of these cases, we will discuss different physical mechanisms at work. We will limit our discussions to simple, qualitative arguments. We will also discuss experimental methods enabling the study of these biological systems. Overall, the course will expose students to a wide range of physical concepts involved in biological processes.
Please refer to Institute for African American and African Diaspora Studies Department for section-by-section course descriptions.
RNA has recently taken center stage with the discovery that RNA molecules sculpt the landscape and information contained within our genomes. Furthermore, some ancient RNA molecules combine the roles of both genotype and phenotype into a single molecule. These multi-tasking RNAs offering a possible solution to the paradox of which came first: DNA or proteins. This seminar explores the link between modern RNA, metabolism, and insights into a prebiotic RNA world that existed some 3.8 billion years ago. Topics include the origin of life, replication, and the origin of the genetic code; conventional, new, and bizarre forms of RNA processing; structure, function and evolution of key RNA molecules, including the ribosome, and RNA therapeutics including vaccines. The format will be weekly seminar discussions with presentations. Readings will be taken from the primary literature, emphasizing seminal and recent literature. Requirements will be student presentations, class participation, and a final paper.
Prerequisites: (MATH GU4051 or MATH GU4061) and MATH UN2010 Concept of a differentiable manifold. Tangent spaces and vector fields. The inverse function theorem. Transversality and Sards theorem. Intersection theory. Orientations. Poincare-Hopf theorem. Differential forms and Stokes theorem.
An overview of approaches to estimating ages of sedimentary sequences and events in Earth history-to be-co listed at Stony Brook and Rutgers. Intended for students with good backgrounds in the physical sciences, who want to use geochronological techniques in their studies. Because of the hands-on nature of geochronology and thermochronology, we are going to run the course as a series of 5 workshops held on Saturdays (possibly a Sunday depending on scheduling)
The science and engineering of creating materials, functional structures and devices on the nanometer scale. Carbon nanotubes, nanocrystals, quantum dots, size dependent properties, self-assembly, nanostructured materials. Devices and applications, nanofabrication. Molecular engineering, bionanotechnology. Imaging and manipulating at the atomic scale. Nanotechnology in society and industry. Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite: open to public. Presentations by medical informatics faculty and invited international speakers in medical informatics, computer science, nursing informatics, library science, and related fields.
Basic concepts of seismology. Earthquake characteristics, magnitude, response spectrum, dynamic response of structures to ground motion. Base isolation and earthquake-resistant design. Wind loads and aeroelastic instabilities. Extreme winds. Wind effects on structures and gust factors.
This course provides a survey of Greek literature. It aims to improve students’ reading skills, familiarize them with some of the most canonical works of Greek literature, afford them a sense of Greek literary history, and introduce them to modern methodological approaches. Readings are drawn from the Classics Ph.D. reading list.
This course provides a survey of Latin literature. It aims to improve students’ reading skills, familiarize them with some of the most canonical works of Latin literature, afford them a sense of Latin literary history, and introduce them to modern methodological approaches. Readings are drawn from the Classics Ph.D. reading list.
People are living 30 years longer than we did 100 years ago. We have created a whole new stage of life. How do we prepare to benefit from our longer lives? What can you do in your own life? This course explores the personal, population, community, and societal dimensions of our now-longer lives, of aging itself, and the role of health and societal design in the experience of aging. The course examines the meaning of aging and the attendant expectations, myths, fears, and realities. The course examines an aging society as a public health success, the potential for building health futures, the health plan you want to be healthy in old age, and the potential for longer lives and how we unlock it. It addresses the roles public health currently plays and can play in shaping a society for an aging population. The course explores how a public health system—indeed, a society—optimized for an aging population stands to benefit all. The course also examines the physical, cognitive, and psychological aspects of aging, the exposures across our lives that affect these, the attributes and challenges of aging, keys to successful aging, and aging around the globe. The culminating project will design elements of our society that are needed to support the opportunity of having longer lives. This course comprises lectures, class discussions, individual assignments, in-class case activities, and a group project in which students shall take an active role. You will be responsible for regular preparatory assignments, writing assignments, one group project, and attending course sessions. Please note: GSAS students must receive permission from their department before registering for this course.
This course will begin by clearly defining what sustainability management is and determining if a sustainable economy is actually feasible. Students will learn to connect environmental protection to organizational management by exploring the technical, financial, managerial, and political challenges of effectively managing a sustainable environment and economy. This course is taught in a case-based format and will seek to help students learn the basics of management, environmental policy and sustainability economics. Sustainability management matters because we only have one planet, and we must learn how to manage our organizations in a way that ensures that the health of our planet can be maintained and bettered. This course is designed to introduce students to the field of sustainability management. It is not an academic course that reviews the literature of the field and discusses how scholars thing about the management of organizations that are environmentally sound. It is a practical course organized around the core concepts of sustainability.
An introduction to the analytic and geometric theory of dynamical systems; basic existence, uniqueness and parameter dependence of solutions to ordinary differential equations; constant coefficient and parametrically forced systems; Fundamental solutions; resonance; limit points, limit cycles and classification of flows in the plane (Poincare-Bendixson Therem); conservative and dissipative systems; linear and nonlinear stability analysis of equilibria and periodic solutions; stable and unstable manifolds; bifurcations, e.g. Andronov-Hopf; sensitive dependence and chaotic dynamics; selected applications.
Introduction to stochastic processes and models, with emphasis on applications to engineering and management; random walks, gambler’s ruin problem, Markov chains in both discrete and continuous time, Poisson processes, renewal processes, stopping times, Wald’s equation, binomial lattice model for pricing risky assets, simple option pricing; simulation of simple stochastic processes, Brownian motion, and geometric Brownian motion. A specialized version of IEOR E4106 for MSE students.
A course on synthesis and processing of engineering materials. Established and novel methods to produce all types of materials (including metals, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers, and composites). Fundamental and applied topics relevant to optimizing the microstructure of the materials with desired properties. Synthesis and processing of bulk, thin-film, and nano materials for various mechanical and electronic applications.
This course is designed for students who have completed seven semesters of Vietnamese class or have equivalent background of advance Vietnamese. It is aimed at developing more advance interpersonal communication skills in interpretive reading and listening as well as presentational speaking and writing at a superior level. Students are also prepared for academic, professional and literary proficiency suitable for post-secondary studies in the humanities and social sciences.
Introduction to principles of chemical reactions in soils, soil chemical properties and processes, and the chemical nature of soil solids. The scientific background for characterizing soil health, addressing soil pollution, performing soil remediation, and sustainable use of soil/subsurface resources. Properties of elements and molecules in soil, soil water chemistry, redox reactions in natural systems, mineralogy and weathering processes in soils, soil carbon cycling, climate change impact on soil, soil organic matter formation and structure, and legacy and emerging contaminants.
This course aims to provide a deeper understanding of the Korean language, culture, society, and history through critical analysis of Korean contemporary popular culture (e.g., music, drama, films, TV shows, advertisements, comic books, and other digital discourses). More specifically, the purposes of the course are twofold: (1) to analyze various sociolinguistic issues represented in contemporary Korean pop culture (e.g., honorifics, dialects, language changes, language variations across gender and generations, language contacts, neologism, slangs) and (2) to develop cultural awareness, critical thinking, digital and media literacy, and multimodal competence in Korean media and popular culture.
This course builds on an introductory course in statistics and dives deeper into linear regression models, including generalized linear models, mixed/hierarchical models, model diagnostics, and model selection. It focuses on the practical applications of these methods rather than the mathematical complexities. A prior course or equivalent knowledge of fundamental concepts in statistics as well as familiarity with R programming are required pre-requisites for this course.
Some of the main stochastic models used in engineering and operations research applications: discrete-time Markov chains, Poisson processes, birth and death processes and other continuous Markov chains, renewal reward processes. Applications: queueing, reliability, inventory, and finance.
Prerequisites: KORN W4006 or the equivalent. Selections from advanced modern Korean writings in social sciences, literature, culture, history, journalistic texts, and intensive conversation exercises.
Supply chain management, model design of a supply chain network, inventories, stock systems, commonly used inventory models, supply contracts, value of information and information sharing, risk pooling, design for postponement, managing product variety, information technology and supply chain management; international and environmental issues. Note: replaced IEOR E4000 beginning in fall 2018.