final project

Project Samples/Templates

Here are a couple of sample project reports (1, 2) at roughly the level I expect. Also: a zip file with TeX and figure files so you can see how to write up the file.

Project Topics

Here is a list of possible topics for the final project. More challenging topics are marked with a *, not to scare you off but to indicate that I will be more inclined to discuss them with you in depth than is the norm (I'm happy to discuss any project, but some might need extra guidance to ensure a level playing field.) Email me to claim a topic and it will be noted here - topics that have been struck through have been claimed.

• Spin Ice: effective field theory (Maxwell electrodynamics), Ice rules….
• Coulomb Gas in 1D: Brownian motion in a periodic potential.
• Quenched Randomness: Imry-Ma argument and Harris Criterion Aaron Friedman
• Monte Carlo solution + solution of the 2D Ising model (write a simple numerical program)
• Exact solution of the Ising model using free fermions (if you have not taken 238C with me)
• Basic ideas of quantum critical behavior (enough if done for Ising model) Brian Casas
• *Bose Hubbard SF-Mott at 1/2 filling: quantum critical point beyond LGW Mingru Yang
• Tracy-Widom distributions Dennis Mock
• *Random Matrix Ensembles
• Basic ideas behind neural networks Yifan Tian
• *Order-by-disorder in the J1-J2 model on the square lattice Pavel Maksimov
• *Topological terms in non-linear sigma models, Haldane gap Brett Brandom

Guidelines

• Write-ups should be 4-5 pages in a "Letter style" two-column journal format. The preferred way to do this is to use LaTeX in conjunction with the American Physical Society's RevTeX package. I will post a sample LaTeX file for an article here, closer to the date.
• Write-ups should be serious technical documents: include equations, figures, and references. They should require you to go into the subject in some depth (beyond Wikipedia!)
• Please submit your write-ups in PDF form, with all figures in the main text.
• Write-ups may be posted on this website unless you have an objection.
• You might find it useful to consult one of the field's master pedagogues, David Mermin, for advice: see What's wrong with these equations?