Textbooks are full of easy derivations which utilize many assumptions to achieve an answer using as basic of mathematics as possible. Often times these assumptions are not realistic, and therefore these solutions aren't of practical use. What, then, are the purpose of these solutions? How, if possible, can these solutions be used to extract information from real-world systems? The answer is through perturbation theory! This theoretical framework is a mathematical tool that is highly robust and can be applied to a large variety of systems in fields like classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and astrophysics. It can be both mathematically rigorous and application-based, making it a perfect tool for those interested in theoretical and experimental fields. To any prospective physics majors, this is something that you will definitely use in your undergraduate classes, so get ahead and gain some exposure!

This class serves as an introduction to Lagrangian Mechanics, a unique formalism of Classical Mechanics. Students will learn what a Lagrangian is, and how to use it to make classes in CM not only easier, but more interesting! This class if perfect for students who love the theoretical side of physics but is also presented at a level suitable for students who have limited experience in physics and mathematics.