UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-CLEAR LAKE

 

SYLLABUS – Summer 2010

 

 

PHYS 5533                 Methods in Computational Physics

                                    TR 06:00 – 08:29PM BAYOU 3324

 

INSTRUCTOR:          David Garrison

OFFICE:                     BAYOU 3531-2         

EMAIL:                       garrison@uhcl.edu

TELEPHONE:            281-283-3796

 

Course Description:    Overview of essential methods needed to solve physics problems in a Unix environment.

 

Prerequisites:               Programming Language: Fortran, C, Java or Matlab

 

Required:                     Applied Numerical Methods for Engineers and Scientists by S. S. Rao

 

Recommended:            Any book of mathematical formulas and integration tables,

Example SchaumÕs Outlines: Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables

 

USB Memory Stick

 

                                    Numerical Recipes in C: The Art of Scientific Computing 3rd Edition by Press, Teukolsky, Vetterling and Flannery

                                    http://www.nr.com

 

Numerical Methods for Physics 2nd Edition by Alejandro Garcia

 

Policies:

 

1.   Office Hours:      TR 5:00-6:00 pm and by appointment

 

2.   Measurements:    4 Bi-Weekly Assignments

 

3.   Grading:              The grade boundaries will be (whichever is lower):

 

A – 90% or more than one standard deviation above the mean

B – 80% or class average

C – 70% or one standard deviation below the mean

D – 65% or one and a half standard deviations below the mean

F – 60% or more than two standard deviations below the mean

 

Refined letter grade system, including Ò+Ó or Ò-Ò, will be used

 

4.   Honesty Code:     I will be honest in all my academic activities and will not tolerate dishonesty.

 

5.   Make-ups:           Make-up exams are not recommended.  If you know ahead of time that you will be unable to attend an exam, please let me know in advance so that we can make other arrangements.

 

6.   Disability Accommodation Statement:     If you are certified as disabled and are entitled to accommodation under the ADA Act., sec 503, please see the instructor as soon as possible.  If you are not currently certified and believe that you may qualify, please contact the Coordinator of Disabled Services, at 283-2627, in Health and Disability Services.

 

Week

Topic

Chapter(s)

1

Introduction to Unix and tools

 

2

Linear Algebra and Systems of Equations

R 3,4

3

Curve Fitting and Root Finding

R 5

4

Statistical Methods and Monte Carlo

R 6

5

Numerical Differentiation and Integration

R 7,8

6

(Fast) Fourier Transforms

NR 12

7

Ordinary Differential Equations: 1

R 9

8

Ordinary Differential Equations: 2

R 10

9

Partial Differential Equations

R 11

10

Intro to Advanced Scientific Computing