This will involve using many of the techniques which have been presented piecemeal in undergraduate mathematics classes. We will also study many of these systems numerically, since there are very few nonlinear models which can be completely solved analytically. Thus, in our discussion of specific phenomena we will also present the basic numerical techniques needed to program the specific problem on the computer. Software packages, such as Matlab, Maple, and Mathematica will be introduced to aid in studying these systems numerically. The prerequisites for this course are a basic knowledge of linear algebra and ordinary differential equations.
Students can do their computational homework using any computer language.
This is a 4 credit hour class. In addition, there will be a 1 hour computer laboratory per week. Mathematica, Matlab, and any useful canned programs, such as Gnuplot and dynamical systems programs, will be discussed in the lab. This is a good time to work on your computational homework. In addition, the instructor will be available for discussion about any computer or computational problems, such as debugging, technical questions about Fortran, C, Mathematica, etc.