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<h2 class="hd hd-2 unit-title">1. Course Information</h2>
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<h3 class="hd hd-3 problem-header">COURSE MEETING TIMES</h3>
<p>Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1 hour / session</p>
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<h3 class="hd hd-3 problem-header">PREREQUISITE</h3>
<p>There are no prerequisites.</p>
<h3 class="hd hd-3 problem-header">COREQUISITE</h3>
<p><em><a href="https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-03sc-differential-equations-fall-2011/" target="[object Object]">18.03 Differential Equations</a></em> In particular, the first unit on scalar differential equations. (Corequisites are subjects that must be taken concurrently.)</p>
<h3 class="hd hd-3 problem-header">COURSE DESCRIPTION</h3>
<p>This course is about the Laplace transform, a single very powerful tool for understanding the behavior of a wide range of mechanical and electrical systems: from helicopters to skyscrapers, from light bulbs to cell phones. This tool captures the behavior of the system and displays it in highly graphical form that is used every day by engineers to design complex systems.</p>
<p>This course is centered on the concept of the transfer function of a system. Also called the system function, the transfer function completely describes the response of a system to any input signal in a highly conceptual manner. This visualization occurs not in the time domain, where we normally observe behavior of systems, but rather in the “frequency domain." We need a device for moving from the time domain to the frequency domain; this is the Laplace transform. We will illustrate these principles using concrete mechanical and electrical systems such as tuned mass dampers and RLC circuits.</p>
<h3 class="hd hd-3 problem-header">GRADING</h3>
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<p>25%: Online reading</p>
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<p>25%: In-class activities</p>
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<p>25%: Problem sets</p>
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<p>25%: Final exam</p>
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<h3 class="hd hd-3 problem-header">TEXTBOOKS</h3>
<p>There is no textbook used for the class, but there are reading assignments before each class.</p>
<h3 class="hd hd-3 problem-header">HOMEWORK - PROBLEM SETS</h3>
<p>There are four problem sets. Collaboration on homework is encouraged in this course. However, if you do your homework in a group, be sure it works to your advantage rather than against you.</p>
<h3 class="hd hd-3 problem-header">EXAM</h3>
<p>There is a final exam, which takes 3 hours.</p>
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