PHYS 7810 Spring 2026 Homepage
PHYS 7810 Special Topics: Extreme Physics Spring 2026: Syllabus
Goals and Content
The goal of this course is to take you to the boundaries
of what is and is not known in fundamental physics today.
The course aspires to cover the following topics:
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What happens near the singularities of black holes?
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The mass inflation instability
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Diverging quantum energy-momentum
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What happened at the earliest moments of the Big Bang?
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The generation of scalar and gravitational fluctuations during inflation
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Does our Universe reproduce?
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What happens at energies approaching Grand Unified and Planck scales?
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The Standard Model, and the patterns it shows
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Higgs fields
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There are 3 generations of fermions (but 1 generation of gauge bosons)
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Is String Theory a viable theory of quantum gravity?
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I think so, provided that supersymmetry is discarded.
My intention is to give you the 50,000 foot overview,
but will cover elements of general relativity,
quantum field theory, and string theory as needed.
Some prior exposure to these disciplines will help a lot.
Problem Sets
There will 5 problem sets.
Problem sets count for 60% of your grade.
Please upload your solutions in pdf to canvas.
Please make sure your solutions are easily readable before you submit them.
Please attach any code that you created for your solution.
Please credit any help as appropriate.
Project
In place of a midterm, there will be a
Project,
which will count for 20% of your grade.
Final
The final will be an open-book, take-home exam, due 30 April.
The final will count for 20% of your grade.
Grading
Grading will be weighted as follows:
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| Problem Sets | 60% |
| Project | 20% |
| Final | 20% |
Class is in-person
This is an in-person class.
Class will not be available synchronously on zoom.
However, classes will be recorded, and posted to canvas.
My intention is to have the recording posted to canvas
on the same day as the lecture.
The canvas recordings are behind the CU firewall,
accessible only to people in the class.
By participating in the class, either in person or remotely,
you agree to have your participation (image and audio) recorded.
CU rules prohibit you from recording the class separately.
AI
This course is open everything, including AI.
As is the usual rule in science,
you must credit any external source you use, including AI.
If you find that AI helps your learning,
please share that information with the class.
Students with Disabilities
The law requires us to make reasonable accommodations to students
with learning or physical disabilities.
If you need such accommodations,
then you should tell me about them in a timely manner.
Your first step is to contact
Disability Services,
who will assess your needs and let me know what accommodations I should provide.
Mental Health
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to the well-being of
all students.
If you are struggling with personal stressors, mental health or substance use
concerns that are impacting academic or daily life,
please contact Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS),
located in C4C, or call (303)492-2277, 24/7.
Policies
Please consider the
CU required syllabus statements
as part of this syllabus.
Class conflicts that arise from student participation in all University-related extracurricular activities.
Common Courtesy
I expect you:
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To give the class your full attention.
You may expect me:
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To finish lectures on time.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Spring 2026 PHYS 7810 Homepage
Updated 2026 Jan 8