Catalog description

This course is a survey of fundamental topics at the frontiers of physics.

1 credit hours

Where and when

Grading scheme

The course grade will be based on the cumulative points earned from weekly assignments and a final exam, weighted as follows. Evaluation of some in-class activities may be factored into the assignments score.

The numerical score (out of 100) will be converted to a letter grade with a corresponding grade point value, following the UM +/– grading system adopted in Fall 2011. The conversion is carried out by matching to the ranges shown in the table below.

Class attendance — Regular attendance is mandatory, since students will be expected to participate in discussions and activities during our scheduled meeting times.

Assignments — The course puts great emphasis on students thinking and exploring through guided exercises and activities. Students will be regularly asked to attempt problems, both inside and outside of class hours, alone or in groups. Problems assigned as graded homework will be due in class on the designated due date. Late assignments will be penalized at the rate of 20% per day.

Learning objectives

The goal of this course is to give students a sense of the intellectual currents of contemporary physics; to showcase the breadth of activities across the various physics subdisciplines; to identify some of the key ideas, concepts, and principles that inform and guide current research; and to highlight the urgent and exciting open questions in the field.

Topics likely to be covered

We will be interested in the various conceptual lenses physicists use to interrogate reality. The course will be organized around a set of recurring intellectual themes that cut across subfields and naturally lead to frontier questions. These include symmetry, conservation, scale and heirarchy, equilibrium, emergence, information, entropy, dimensionality, topology, fields, and unification.

Schedule

The Fall 2026 semester runs August 25 to December 11. All relevant dates are listed here:

Attendance verification

The university requires that all students have a verified attendance at least once during the first two weeks of the semester for each course. Students whose attendance is not verified will be dropped from the course and any financial aid will be adjusted accordingly. Please see http://olemiss.edu/gotoclass for more information.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Students are welcome to use AI tools for search, discovery, brainstorming, clarification on points of confusion, and bridging gaps in knowledge. All work that is submitted for evaluation, however, must be the genuine result of the student’s own individual effort. All derivations, computations, graphs, and text responses must be original. Note that math, simulation, and plotting software such as Mathematica, Matlab, and gnuplot are fair game so long as the code executed was developed independently by the student, without the aid of AI.

Academic integrity and honesty

Students are expected to adhere to the University of Mississippi Creed and the Standards of Honesty as described in Policy Code ACA.AR.600.001 and the M Book.

Students are reminded that cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Performance on all tests and assignments shall represent the individual work of the student. Those who violate the Standards of Honesty will be reported and subject to the appropriate sanction, which may include expulsion from the University.

Nondiscrimination policy

The University complies with all applicable laws regarding affirmative action and equal opportunity in all its activities and programs and does not discriminate against anyone protected by law because of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, handicap, or status as a veteran or disabled veteran.

Policies and procedures for students with disabilities

It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individual basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or meet course requirements. Students with disabilities should contact the Office of Student Disability Services (662-915-7128 or sds@olemiss.edu) to discuss their individual needs.

Examinations and last week of class

Regulations governing all examinations — A student’s failure to appear for an examination without an acceptable excuse, inability to present valid identification, absence from the room during the course of an examination without the consent of the examiner, or attempting any portion of an examination without submitting his or her answers shall result in failure of the examination. Tardiness beyond 15 minutes forfeits a student’s right to an examination.

Final examinations — A final examination, to be given at the time posted in the examination schedule, is required in each undergraduate course, unless the appropriate chair and dean have approved an exception. A student who has three or four final examinations in one day may arrange with the course instructor to take the noon or 7:30 p.m. examination at another time. In order to give a final examination at any time other than that shown in the posted examination schedule, an instructor must have prior approval of the department chair and dean.

Last week of class — The following guidelines exist to allow sufficient time for students and instructors to prepare for final examinations. These guidelines apply to the week preceding final examinations for undergraduate courses held during Fall and Spring semesters.

• During the period of Wednesday through Friday of the last week of class, instructors are not to give exams, tests, or quizzes that contribute more than 10% of the final grade for a class.

• Exceptions to the above statement are automatically made for lab-based courses, technical writing courses, seminar courses that assign a term paper, and senior design courses that assign a multi-faceted project in lieu of a final exam. Major projects of the above types, which contribute more than 10% of the final grade and which are due during this Last Week period, should be assigned in the syllabus at the beginning of the semester and any substantial change in the assignment should be made known to students before the drop deadline.

Student support services

The University Counseling Center is a professional facility offered by the University of Mississippi to assist students, faculty, and staff with many types of life stressors that interrupt day-to-day functioning. It offers individual counseling, couples counseling, group counseling, stress management, crisis intervention, assessments and referrals, outreach programs, consultations, and substance abuse services. There is no fee for currently enrolled University students, and anything that students say to a counselor is held in strict confidence. The University Counseling Center (UCC) is located at 110 Lester Hall. Information about its services and an appointment scheduling tool are provided at https://counseling.olemiss.edu. Alternatively, reach out with a call to 662-915-3784 or an email to counslg@olemiss.edu.

Updated contact information

The University must have accurate contact information, including cell phone numbers, to facilitate student communications and contact tracing. Students should check and update their University contact information in their profile on Banner/Experience. The student information portal is available through Single Sign On via https://experience.olemiss.edu/.