CS 401: Introduction to Applied Scientific Computing with MATLAB

Description

An introduction to the use of MATLAB as an aid to scientific research. The course will introduce the basic syntax and features of MATLAB and will develop the background necessary for the more specialized courses. The course will cover basic MATLAB programming and vectorized operations, data input/output, and simple visualization. The course will emphasize applied issues such as managing large data sets, simulation, and visualization, but will also introduce fundamental ideas in scientific computing such as floating point arithmetic and algorithm efficiency. Although the course will use MATLAB, the ideas and concepts covered are common to many computational environments.

Time and Place

MWF 9:05-9:55AM, 2146 Snee Hall

Syllabus

Grading

The course must be taken S/U. Grades will be based on the student's performance on 4 weekly problem sets. To pass, students must demonstrate a basic level of understanding of the course material.

Problem Sets

Problem sets will be posted here at least 1 week prior to the due date. All problem sets are due by 5PM on the date specified. The answers should be e-mailed to the instructor at ajp9@cornell.edu with "CIS 401 Problem set N" as the subject (where N=1, 2 ,3,or 4). Assignments on paper, stone tablet, or in another atom-based format will not be accepted.

   Problem set 1.      key
   Problem set 2.      key      myfft.m       FourierMat.m
   Problem set 3.      key      StochSwan.m       SwanEx.m
   Problem set 4.

Course Policies

The policies of this course are determined by the amount of material that must be covered and the short time allotted. The easiest way to describe these policies is as an agreement between me the instructor and you the student, and it is important that we understand each other's perspective. We are both very busy and it is vital that we use the four weeks efficiently. Therefore, I propose the following agreement:

INSTRUCTOR: will give 12 lectures based on the syllabus above. Each lecture will start on time and will end at the designated time, if not before. Lecture notes will be provided on-line by 10PM the night before the lecture. The instructor will be available to answer questions during office hours, by appointment, and for a few minutes before and after lectures. The instructor will prepare four assignments that can be completed in a reasonable amount of time (2-4 hours) using mainly the information covered in the lectures. The instructor will return assignments in a prompt manner and with concise comments on any errors.

STUDENT: will be in his/her seat in the lecture hall prior to the start of every lecture. This is a common courtesy to the instructor and to fellow students. If the student wants more information on a topic or needs help, he/she will come by office hours or make an appointment with the instructor. The student will turn in assignments on time and in the specified format. Late assignments WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! Exceptions to this rule will only be made for university-sanctioned reasons such as severe illness, injury, death, or by special arrangement with the instructor made at least 3 days prior to the due date. Adhering to this policy will allow the course to discuss the assignments in class in a timely fashion, and deviations from this policy will jeopardize the student's chance of passing the class.

Instructor

Andrew J. Pershing  
3134 Snee Hall 
ajp9@cornell.edu  
5-5552

Office Hours:

Mondays & Tuesdays, 11AM-1PM & by appointment