6.630 Electromagnetic Theory (H)

Lecturer: J. Kong
Lecturer's Rating:

J. Kong 6.5/7.0

Prerequisites: 8.02, Vector Calculus, 18.03

Response rate:

43 out of 56

Difficulty: 4.0/7.0
Overall Rating: 5.9/7.0
Term Evaluated: Fall 2002

6.630 introduces the fundamentals of electromagnetic theory. Topics include Maxwell's equations, wave propagation and dispersion, transmission lines, and waveguides. Many students felt that the material was very basic and equivalent to an undergraduate class. Students taking this class were mainly graduate students in Areas IV and V, and MEng students in Course VI. There were also a handful of graduate students from Course II, III and XXII.

WHAT'S HOT

Entertaining lectures, funny stories keep you awake
Historical insights - learning about Maxwell's life
The interpretation and physical meaning behind the equations
In-class demonstrations
Approachability of instructors

WHAT'S NOT

Sometimes too many stories
Pace is too slow
Too much time on transmission lines

Many students took 6.630 because it was related to their research, and because it offered H-Level credit and satisfied TQE requirements. One student explained that he enrolled because "6.014 is no longer offered and waves are still a mystery." Others thought the class sounded interesting and fun, and wished to strengthen their EM background. Students recommend taking this class because Kong is a great lecturer, but many felt the material was not advanced enough for a graduate-level course. This subject offers a good balance between theory and application.

Lecturer J. Kong (6.5/7.0, 43 responses) was an exceptional lecturer, and his entertaining stories kept students awake and attentive. One student commented, "He goes at a nice, reasonable pace, and is in no hurry. This is very refreshing for MIT." His blackboard technique, patience, and accessibility were also praised. Many expressed that Kong was one of the best lecturers they've ever had, even "[Kong is] the nicest professor at MIT." Several students wished to see more concepts and less math detail/derivation.

TA X. Chen (5.9/7.0, 40 responses) is hard-working and available for questions. If he doesn't know the answers right away, he will find out and follow up with you. Some felt that his English was difficult to understand. His demos were consistently well-prepared.

Problem sets were highly relevant to the lectures and helpful in understanding the material. Questions were fair -- sometimes on the easy side -- though some problems involved material that hadn't yet been covered. Some students felt that the questions were worded too concisely, and that more explanation would resolve confusion about what is being asked. Problem sets took approximately 5 hours to complete. Grading of the assignments was generous, and some felt that the high grades motivated them to work hard on the problem sets. Assignments were returned in a timely manner.

Those who collaborated found it helpful for clarifying concepts. Most students did not use bibles.

The textbook, Electromagnetic Wave Theory by J.A. Kong, followed the lectures very closely and proved a useful reference. However, the formatting was unpleasant, and the derivations often lacked sufficient detail.

The quizzes were straightforward and fair, and the grading was relatively liberal (class averages were high). The quiz questions were very similar to problem sets. Students advise working quickly, as the first exam was long.