Numerical Analysis

Math 685 / CSI 700, Fall 2009

This is the web page http://math.gmu.edu/~sander/courses/m685f09/index.html
It will be updated regularly and always contain the latest information on the course.

General Information:

Instructor:	Evelyn Sander
Office:	Room 251, ST1
E-mail:	esander@gmu.edu
Web Page:	http://math.gmu.edu/~sander/
Phone:	(703) 993-1490
Fax:	(703) 993-1491
Office hours:	M 2:30-3:30pm, and by appointment

Lectures: M 4:30-7:10pm, Room 242, Science and Tech I (NEW LOCATION)
Prerequisites: Sufficient recall of undergraduate linear algebra, differential equations and computer literacy including familiarity with Matlab.
Textbook: Scientific Computing -- An Introductory Survey (2nd edition) by Michael T. Heath (McGraw Hill, 2002).

Lectures:	M 4:30-7:10pm, Room 242, Science and Tech I (NEW LOCATION)
Prerequisites:	Sufficient recall of undergraduate linear algebra, differential equations and computer literacy including familiarity with Matlab.
Textbook:	Scientific Computing -- An Introductory Survey (2nd edition) by Michael T. Heath (McGraw Hill, 2002).

Important Links:

Detailed syllabus and homework page (including notes and Matlab sessions)
The author of the textbook maintains an accompanying webpage with useful information (lecture notes, errata, ...)

Syllabus:

This course will cover the fundamental concepts of numerical methods for scientific computing. Students will learn how computational methods are constructed, and how they are used to solve problems arising from the sciences and engineering. A more detailed syllabus can be found here. It will be updated regularly.

Homework Assignments:

Homework assignments and their due dates are posted on the detailed syllabus and homework page. The assignments consist of exercises from the textbook and computational projects to be completed in Matlab. I will not accept late homework under any circumstances. A few of the lowest homework scores will automatically be dropped at the end of the semester.

Matlab:

The software package Matlab will be used for analysis and presentation of data. Matlab is a computing environment with programming capability, good graphics, and powerful library functions. It is available on campus on the Mason cluster and several Unix computer labs. Alternatively, a PC or Macintosh version can be purchased at the bookstore. Many Matlab tutorials are available:

A very good tutorial by Kermit Sigmon, University of Florida, in Postscript format. There is also an HTML version of this tutorial.
The official Getting Started with Matlab guide from Mathworks in PDF format.
You should also take a look at the following tutorial that takes you through some very basic commands: Basic Tutorial.

Also, the manual which comes with the PC version is very complete. Further information on Matlab can be found here.

Grading Policy:

Your final grade in the course will be determined from and your performance in a midterm exam, the homework assignments, a final exam, attendance, and promptness. Weights for these items will be distributed approximately according to the following schedule:

Homework Midterm Exam Final Exam Attendance and promptness
48% 20% 27% 5%

Homework	Midterm Exam	Final Exam	Attendance and promptness
48%	20%	27%	5%

Important Dates:

Midterm Exam Monday, November 2, 4:30-7:10pm.
Final Exam Monday, December 14, 4:30-7:15pm. Our class is a nonstandard time, so don't get confused by the university-wide final exam schedule.
Columbus Day October 12th is a holiday, and class is on Tuesday October 13th.

Honor Code

You may discuss homework problems with others. However, the writeup and all computations must be entirely done by you.
You may use sources other than the textbook to help you with your assignment, but then you must cite these sources.
Any violations will be brought to the Honor Committee and result in a grade of F for all individuals involved. See The GMU Honor Code.

Evelyn Sander, Last modified: Mon Sep 28 11:52:49 EDT 2009