Class Central is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Early Universe

Massachusetts Institute of Technology via MIT OpenCourseWare

Overview

The Early Universe provides an introduction to modern cosmology. The first part of the course deals with the classical cosmology, and later part with modern particle physics and its recent impact on cosmology. In the News ----------- For more about Professor Guth's work, [listen to this interview](http://www.wbur.org/2015/02/26/visionaries-alan-guth-mit) from WBUR, Boston's National Public Radio news station. You may also be interested in this MIT Alumni Association Podcast [Inflationary Cosmology—Is Our Universe Part of a Multiverse?](https://alum.mit.edu/slice/podcast-inflationary-cosmology-our-universe-part-multiverse) with Professor Guth.

Syllabus

1. Inflationary Cosmology: Is Our Universe Part of a Multiverse? Part I.
2. Inflationary Cosmology: Is Our Universe Part of a Multiverse, Part II.
3. The Doppler Effect and Special Relativity.
4. The Kinematics of the Homogeneous Expanding Universe.
5. Cosmological Redshift and the Dynamics of Homogeneous Expansion, Part I.
6. The Dynamics of Homogeneous Expansion, Part II.
7. The Dynamics of Homogeneous Expansion, Part III.
8. The Dynamics of Homogeneous Expansion, Part IV.
9. The Dynamics of Homogeneous Expansion, Part V.
10. Introduction to Non-Euclidean Spaces.
11. Non-Euclidean Spaces: Closed Universes.
12. Non-Euclidean Spaces: Open Universes and the Spacetime Metric.
13. Non-Euclidean Spaces: Spacetime Metric and Geodesic Equation.
14. The Geodesic Equation.
15. Black-Body Radiation and the Early History of the Universe, Part I.
16. Black-Body Radiation and the Early History of the Universe, Part II.
17. Black-Body Radiation and the Early History of the Universe, Part III.
18. Cosmic Microwave Background Spectrum and the Cosmological Constant, Part I.
19. The Cosmological Constant, Part II.
20. Supernovae Ia and Vacuum Energy Density.
21. Problems of the Conventional (Non-inflationary) Hot Big Bang Model.
22. The Higgs Field and the Cosmological Magnetic Monopole Problem.
23. Inflation.

Taught by

Prof. Alan Guth

Reviews

Start your review of The Early Universe

Never Stop Learning.

Get personalized course recommendations, track subjects and courses with reminders, and more.

Someone learning on their laptop while sitting on the floor.