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Relativity

Imagine this: You can fit a 10 m pole in a barn half the size. Your twin is now 10 years older than you, but you didn't use a time machine. And no matter how fast you run, you can never reach the speed of light. How can you explain these scenarios? In this 5-hour, two day seminar, we use thought experiments like these and other tools to explore Einstein's theory of special relativity. We introduce Einstein's two postulates and explore the counterintuitive effects of time dilation, length contraction, and relativity of simultaneity. The class concludes with a look at spacetime diagrams and several challenging paradoxes of relativity.

6 hours

6 hours  

Schedule

STARTING SOON

Sat & Sun
Sep 28 - Sep 29
4:00 - 7:00
PM ET  
Sep 28 - Sep 29
4:00 - 7:00 PM Eastern
3:00 - 6:00 PM Central
2:00 - 5:00 PM Mountain
1:00 - 4:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$145
$145
ENROLL
Sat & Sun
Dec 14 - Dec 15
4:00 - 7:00
PM ET  
Dec 14 - Dec 15
4:00 - 7:00 PM Eastern
3:00 - 6:00 PM Central
2:00 - 5:00 PM Mountain
1:00 - 4:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$145
$145
ENROLL

AoPS Holidays

There are no classes October 31, November 25 ‐ December 1, December 21 ‐ January 3, May 24 ‐ 26, July 4 ‐ 6, and August 29 ‐ September 1, 2025.

Topics

1 The Principle of Relativity
2 The Speed of Light and Time Dilation
3 Length Contraction and Simultaneity
4 Paradoxes

I found WOOT extremely helpful during my first year of taking AMCs and AIME, and my qualification for USAJMO is largely due to WOOT. WOOT is great (and challenging) for students trying to cross the barrier between computational math and olympiad math. The instructors are experienced and able to help students at all levels. I will definitely be taking WOOT next year.