ESE 2190
Vector Calculus and Dynamics of Physical Systems
This course will explore fundamental concepts in vector calculus and partial differential equations with a focus on their practical applications and conceptual understanding. We will derive the Laplace, diffusion, and wave equations and explore their solutions in different coordinate systems. The course will emphasize computational solutions and data visualization in case studies involving applications to areas such as electrostatics, heat conduction in solids , transmission lines, antennas, and wave propagation, providing hands-on experience in solving partial differential equations in real-world scenarios.
Instructors
Reviews
Nussinov came through for me!! The course was hard but she was there to help to give extensions to explain. Be prepared to work and you will be just fine.
5/11/2026
One of the most caring professors I ever had. She is genuinely there to get you through the material if you want to learn. The material was not difficult but it's a lot. I like her circuits class more than 2190.
5/4/2026
There was lots of work, but it was mostly done in groups. Professor Nussinov was flexible with deadlines, and the exams were fine if you attended class. The antenna case study was great, and it ended with a fun poster session. I would take her class again.
4/29/2026
So detailed focused and oriented. Not much to learn but spent a enourmous amount of time doing unnecessary tasks.
4/26/2026
Lectures are long, boring, and not really coherent. Way too much work outside class with lots of research, case studies, biweekly time-consuming assignments, homework, and exams. Instructor is nice but doesn't really seem to care about workload feedback. This class is one of the least enjoyable I've taken so far.
4/16/2026
Not great lectures. Too much work and research considering it's a math class. Case studies could be interesting if the workload (within the case studies and outside assignments) weren't so much. Kind professor.
4/16/2026
Lectures were not worth going to; she reads off slides that have many mistakes. Workload was way too heavy for this course and not enough time was given for exams.
4/15/2026
Professor Nussinov is a good professor, but it's clear in 2190 that she needs more resources. The lectures are definitely dense with material, and it is unlike any math class I've taken. I think more revisions are needed to this class so that the learning outcomes are clearer.
5/13/2025
Professor Nussinov is very kind and clearly cares about her students, but the lecture quality is mediocre. Mistakes and typos are frequently found in slides and posted notes, and oftentimes points are taken off for very random and trivial reasons. Thankfully there's a generous grading cutoff, and she's definitely willing to help during office hours
5/10/2025
8-10 hrs/week
Very useful class with real-world applications in many subdisciplines of physics and engineering, but the quality of lectures is mediocre with many mistakes and typos in the slides and posted notes. Nussinov is very caring and always willing to help, but grading criteria is very unclear, inconsistent, and confusing; oftentimes points are taken off for trivial and random things as if it were a hardcore mechanism to prevent grade inflation since 2190 does have a generous letter grade cutoff. Case studies are very time consuming and getting good and competent teammates is very important.
5/9/2025