This module considers how the history of modern South Africa was forged by the discovery of diamonds and gold in the late 19th century. In one sense, this is a...

Cities of Gold: South Africa, 1867-2012 (HIST0698)

This module considers how the history of modern South Africa was forged by the discovery of diamonds and gold in the late 19th century. In one sense, this is a history of conquest, industrialisation and the formation of a strong modern state, with the capacity to implement systematic policies of racial segregation. Indeed, the systematic policies of apartheid (‘separate development’) implemented after 1948 would make South Africa  ‘the polecat of the world’, in a continent experiencing ‘the winds of change’ and decolonisation in the aftermath of World War II. Thus, South Africa became a Cold War hotspot: witnessing guerrilla insurgency, township revolts, trade union mobilisation, and civic protest. The collapse of apartheid eventually brought Nelson Mandela, once slighted as a Communist Terrorist,  to power in 1994, where he was revered as the father of a new, democratic ‘rainbow nation’. Yet a generation on – when South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world – we must also ask how the legacies of settler colonialism and apartheid endure in a post-industrial society, scarred by high unemployment.

Complex analysis|random processes|stability analysis|discrete analysis|variational methods

The course equips students with an in-depth understanding of advanced mathematical concepts, techniques and methods specific to the general area of electronic...

The course equips students with an in-depth understanding of advanced mathematical concepts, techniques and methods specific to the general area of electronic and electrical engineering. Students will develop skills in mathematical analysis, which will be instrumental in facilitating their understanding of more advanced engineering topics covered in the third and fourth years.

The content / syllabus of the module includes functions of complex variables, properties of special mathematical functions (e.g., Bessel, Hankel, elliptic functions), mathematical description of random processes, special mathematical transforms (e.g., z-transform), linear stability analysis, discrete mathematics and variational methods. These mathematical concepts and tools will facilitate students’ grasp of key applications in a series of engineering disciplines, including signal processing, antenna design, machine learning, control systems and optical communications.  