Teaching Staff

Professor Tami Lieberman

tami@mit.edu

Office hours: E25-551 and Zoom (simultaneous); Wed, 11a-11:30a [or until questions are answered]; or by appointment

TA : A. Delphine Tripp

atripp@mit.edu: 

Office hours: Virtual; Thu, 6p-7p (Zoom link, Password: 202012)

Readings

There is no textbook for this course, which covers both fundamental and cutting-edge material. Readings are posted to Canvas and can be accessed from the 'Calendar' view. These should be read before class, as discussions in class will build on them.

Some class time will be dedicated to critical discussion of primary literature (indicated as discussion papers in calendar events). Reading primary literature can be time consuming, so please plan accordingly.

Homework and Grading

• 60% Problem sets (5)

• 30% Short in-class quizzes (3)

• 10% Participation in class and paper discussions

Collaboration: Working together on problem sets is acceptable. Regardless, I encourage each student to try to complete problem sets on their own first; problems are not designed to be impossibly hard, and you will learn from reasoning through difficult problems on your own. Each student must hand in their own unique code and write-up.

Programming: You are welcome to use any programming language you like to solve problem sets. We will provide pointers and helpful starting code in Python, but the teaching staff can also help you with your questions in R or MATLAB.

Late assignments: 10% will be deducted for the first day late, and then 15% deducted for each day after that. Exceptions can be made with advance warning and appropriate justification. Failure to plan for difficult scheduling is not a justification, as problem sets are designed such that they can be started well ahead of the due date (no problem sets cover material presented in the lecture preceding the due date). 

Planning during a pandemic

Lectures will be in person unless there are extenuating circumstances. If Professor Lieberman or too many students are sick, class will be held virtually. Please reach out to Professor Lieberman ASAP if you are unable to attend class for any reason, including due to illness. If you are unable to attend class, the teaching staff will make accommodations for you to receive lecture materials or participate in paper discussions remotely. 

Syllabus

See the calendar below for topic, reading, and assignment schedules. Topic schedules and readings are copied from last year's course and may change before the start of the Spring 2022 semester. Zoom links to last year's classes are also provided in the calendar view. While you may find these videos helpful, they are not a substitute for attending class, as lectures and course content are revised and updated each year. Quizzes and psets will cover content not covered in these Zoom recordings. In addition, in-class discussions are an important part of learning; accordingly, active participation is considered in grading.