Math 310 Numerical Analysis (Fall 2010, UAF)

Instructor: Ed Bueler
Office Hours online:  Chapman 301C
http://www.dms.uaf.edu/~bueler/
  474-7693   elbueler@alaska.edu
 Time:  MWF 10:30--11:30am
Place: Gruening 202
Text:  Burden & Faires, Numerical Analysis,
          editions 7 or 8 or 9

This course will introduce you to numerical analysis.  You'll learn methods for solving some problems of applied mathematics on computers, and why those methods work.  We will reconsider and solve problems in calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations, and in areas that are new to you.

You will be expected to understand both the theory and the practice of numerical analysis.  Theory will be learned through lecture, homework and exams.  Some problems will ask you to explain a concept and some will ask you to demonstrate an idea by a short hand calculation.  We will use the mathematical programming language Matlab/Octave from the beginning, and on every assignment.  On the homework you will be expected to turn numerical algorithms into functioning programs.

A combination of lectures and homework together make up the core of the class.  Getting the most out of both of these is your responsibility, though I have a responsibility to make them worth your time.  You should ask questions in class, about the lecture content and about homework assignments.

Exams, Homework, and Grade:   60% of your grade will be determined by closed-book exams:
25%
35%
 		Midterm Exam
Final Exam
 Friday, Oct. 29  (one hour, in-class)
Friday, Dec. 17, 10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m

40% of the grade will be determined by approximately 10 graded homework assignments.  These will combine book exercises and, as stated above, will include use of Matlab/Octave to do examples.
The course grade will be determined by points on the exams and homework, according to the schedule at right  --->


The schedule represents a guarantee.  I will use plus/minus grades as illustrated. 		Percent
93 - 100 %
90 - 92 %
87 - 89 %
82 - 86 %
79 - 81 %
76 - 78 %
  68 - 75 %
65 - 67 %
  60 - 64 %
57 - 59 %
0 - 56 %
 Grade
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
D+
D
D-
F

Prerequisites:    Calculus (through Math 202 Calculus III), plus either Math 302 Differential Equations or Math 314 Linear Algebra.  The catalog also says "knowledge of programming" is recommended, and that is true, but your knowledge can be pretty shallow as long as you are not afraid to play with a short program.  You must be willing and able to start learning Matlab/Octave immediately; that turns out to be pretty easy for most students.

Matlab/Octave tutorial:   I do not assume that you are familiar with Matlab/Octave already. It is easy to learn, even if you have little experience programming. Matlab/Octave has an interpreted environment with straightforward plotting and data viewing commands, but it really excels at making vector and matrix operations very easy.   For the first few weeks of the course I will do a tutorial in class to help you get started. Programming in Matlab/Octave will also occur, but the true programming content of this class is small. An elementary understanding of loops ("for" loops) and conditionals ("if" statements) and functions/procedures is all that is needed.  All programming proceeds by trial and error, and computers make trial and error a rapid process, and in Matlab/Octave it is especially rapid.  See www.math.uaf.edu/~bueler/MatlabEx.htm for a brief online tutorial and links to more.  The punchline again: For the homework you will be expected to turn numerical algorithms into functioning programs.

Getting a copy of Matlab or Octave: 
Supplementary text:  The ideal textbook I would want for this course would combine the required text and a very nice, easy, free book by Cleve Moler, the Matlab creator:
      C. Moler, Numerical Computing with Matlab
      http://www.mathworks.com/moler/index_ncm.html
You can download individual chapters as PDF or you can buy a copy through SIAM Press.  We will use some of the programs in the book; I'll call them the "NCM" codes.  They are at:
      http://www.mathworks.com/moler/ncmfilelist.html

Policies and Makeup exams:   The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has reasonable policies on incompletes, late withdrawals, early final examinations, etc.  See www.dms.uaf.edu/dms/Policies.html.  You are covered by the UAF Student Code of Conduct.  I will work with the Office of Disabilities Services (203 WHIT, 474-7043) to provide reasonable accommodation to student with disabilities.  I will create makeup versions of the Exams if necessary, provided you have a convincing reason for me to do so and you let me know at least two class days before the exam.

Instructor absence:  I will be teaching a short course on numerical glaciology in Italy in the second and third weeks of the semester.  I will miss class days on 9/15, 9/17, 9/20, 9/22, 9/24.  On two of days there will be a substitute, however, and on two of these days there will be special on-line slides to follow.  Along with the Matlab/Octave tutorials which will happen in the first month-and-a-half, you will not miss course content because of my absence.