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Topics : Weeks

Introduction : 1.5
What is programming? Coding? Use of spreadsheets & other computer programs. Mathematical models & scientific inquiry. WWW, Electronic Mail and scientific word processing.

Experimental Data - What to do with it?: 3.0
Use of data. Review of needed terms and concepts. Spreadsheets vs other programs. What's the answer? Review of program design. Basic Statisitics and Minitab.

Computer Representation of Numbers: 1.0
Fixed and floating point numbers; binary, octal and hexadecimal arithmetic; precision and the unit round. Measured values vs numbers. How does one variable depend on another? Errors.

Curve Fitting & Graphing Results : 2.5
Least Squares fits to data. Elementary regression. Interpolation vs. Approximation

Computer Modelling, Differential Equations and Chaos: 3.0
Non-linear oscillators. Phase-space graphs. Newton's Method.

Brief Introduction to Random Numbers and Simulations: 1.0

Presentation of Student Projects: 2.0

NOTE: ONCE A STUDENT HAS RECEIVED CREDIT, INCLUDING TRANSFER CREDIT, FOR A COURSE, CREDIT MAY NOT BE RECEIVED FOR ANY COURSE WITH MATERIAL THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO IT OR IS A PREREQUISITE FOR IT.

KMS/lsa 8/96

MATH/COSC 303 Class Policy

Office Hours: I will be in my office much more frequently than this. Drop in or call. If I'm not in my office look around the building (seminar room, other faculty offices, the computer lab etc.). I will also be available by appointment.

Messages: There are answering machines on both phones listed above. In addition you can send E-Mail.

Exam(s): There will be an in-class exam around midterm. The exam date and material covered by it will be announced in class. It is the student's responsibility to find out what announcements he/she missed by coming late, leaving early, or missing class. There may also be a final exam during the exam period.

Homework: See attached homework statement.

Attendance: is required. Attendance will not be taken in lecture. However, students are responsible for all material covered in class or in outside reading assignments. It is the student's responsibility to find out what announcements he/she missed by coming late, leaving early, or missing class.

Academic Dishonesty: The instructor adheres to the policy of academic dishonesty as it appears in the college catalog. Students are encouraged to discuss material and homework with each other and the instructor. However, credit should be given to others from whom you have gotten help or ideas.

Writing across the curriculum: Students will be required to express themselves clearly in writing assignments given in lecture and in essay questions in the final examination. In addition, narratives will be required accompanying all homework assignments.(see homework statement)

Class Format: Participatory, students are expected to come to class prepared and to contribute to the discussion of topics. Predominantly there will be informal lectures with questions encouraged at appropriate times. However, there will also be in-class cooperative exercises and discussion. Please try to come to class on time! If for some reason you must be late, enter quietly and try to avoid disturbing the lecture.

Project: See attached assignment description.

Exam Grade Scale:

Project Assignment for Scientific Computing

Assignment: Come up with an approved project, complete it, write a short (4-7 pages) narrative of the project and present your project to the class.

Purpose: To allow each student the opportunity to "define" part of the course to fit his or her interests. To encourage and promote independent thinking and work. Scientific Computing is a very broad field. This assignment will allow students an opportunity to explore an area of interest to them. The presentations will expose all the students to the variety of topics covered by the projects and give the presenters some valuable experience in presenting to a peer group.

Format: The projects should be computer projects, either involving a laboratory component or not. Students should turn in the computer program(s) worksheets or spreadsheet(s) (well documented) and an accompanying narrative in Word Perfect or Microsoft Word format, explaining the topic, how it was chosen, how the program was designed and how it operates. All of this should be turned in to the instructor electronically either on Disk or as attachments to Groupwise Mail messages.

Presentations can either include a demonstration of the program itself or a discussion of the results. The project must be discussed at length and in some detail with the professor. It must be "approved" in advance to be acceptable.

Length: The narratives should be four to seven pages typed, double-spaced 12 pt with one inch margins. The projects should be designed to be equivalent, in time spent, to approximately two weeks worth of homework.

Grades: Weight will be given to the complexity of the topic covered and the depth in which it is covered. Superficial analysis and or relatively simple topics will receive lower grades than will the more difficult topics or deep coverage. The narrative is important and approximately 50% of your grade will be determined by the narrative. Narratives will be graded on form, style and content. Included in form are grammar, spelling and punctuation as well as the physical presentation of the paper. Included in content is proper citation of sources, accuracy, interest and mathematical or scientific value. Included in style are readability, transitions and all the intangible things that make a good piece of prose. The presentation will contribute approximately 40% to your grade and work handed in with the narrative approximately 10%. These percentages are somewhat arbitrary and may vary from project to project. Projects will be graded holistically, in other words I will not give you three separate grades, only one.

Deadlines:
Initial discussion of topic with me should occur during the first two weeks of class.
Project topics must be approved by March 1.
An outline of the project clearly showing what problems/programs it will include and what material will be covered in the narrative is due on March 31.
Presentation dates will be assigned by lottery in April. Unless agreed upon by the instructor and the student, all presentations will occur during the last two weeks of classes.
Final Project narratives, programs and problems are due May 3 .

Homework Description

There will be regularly assigned homework sets with clearly defined due dates. These homework assignments will involve use of computer resources, library resources and pen & paper and calculator exercises. Along with the formal results, for each set I require an accompanying narrative. Homework grades count as 65% of the final grade for a student in this class. As a result, I strongly urge you to take the homework seriously. There will be assignments in this course for which you may need extra help outside of class. Students who do well in this course generally make frequent use of office hours. Students should NEVER WAIT UNTIL THE LAST DAY BEFORE IT'S DUE TO START ON AN ASSIGNMENT !!!!

Narrative Description: The narratives will vary in length and should be informal in style. In other words, the style in which they are written should be the style you might use when writing a letter to a friend. Remember, however, that I have to be able to understand them. The narratives should tell the story of your completing your homework. In the process of telling the story they should address the following questions:

• How did you go about completing this homework set?
• Did all the results come out as expected? Why or why not?
• Did you learn anything by doing this assignment? What?
• Are you confused about anything in the assignment?
• With whom did you discuss the assignments? What, if any, contribution did discussions with others make to the completion of your homework set?
• Now that you are finished, do you think there might have been a better way to do the assignment?

Grading Criteria: Homework will be graded on the quality of your work and on the depth of thought regarding the work. Narratives are very important for the latter. They should provide evidence of critical thought about the course material involved in the assignment.
My intention is to grade on content, not on style, grammar, punctuation or spelling. I will, to the extent which it is possible ignore these. In other words, I have to be able to read and make sense of your entries, but this is not a formal writing assignment designed to test or strengthen your command of standard written English. It is primarily a tool to monitor the programming and problem solving process. I hope that it may have the side effect of helping you to express yourself and communicate with the written word.

Grading scheme: All assignments will be graded on a 10 point scale with 10 being a perfect score. Although some assignments may be broken into two parts with two separate grades, individual problems will not receive separate grades. The assignments will be graded holistically and the grades will be subjective. A letter grade for homework will be assigned at the end of the course and a midterm letter grade progress report will be provided to each student. Any student who is concerned about his or her progress is encouraged to discuss this with the instructor.

Late Homework: Penalties for handing in late homework will vary at the instructor's discretion. They will not exceed 1 point per calendar day after the due date.