|
PHYSICS 201: MATHEMATICAL METHODS FOR SCIENTISTS, SPRING 2002 Tim Gfroerer, Davidson College
Office Hours: TT 9:00 – 11:00 am and MW
2:00 – 4:00 pm. If you’re looking for me
during other normal working hours, I’m probably somewhere in Dana. Please check the research labs in the basement. Course
webpage:
http://webphysics.davidson.edu/faculty/thg/201-2002.htm I will post announcements, class demonstrations, assignments, and solutions here.
Objectives: This course is designed to introduce a broad range of mathematical techniques that are used to solve scientific problems. Clearly, the course cannot achieve the depth of individual math courses on each subject and we will not be as detailed in our proofs. Our purpose is to give you some experience with a variety of important mathematical techniques so that you will be familiar with them when you see them again. We will emphasize how the techniques can be used to solve various problems in the sciences. I will assume that you have had two semesters of calculus, but I will survey the mathematical and scientific background of the class to set an appropriate level and pace for the course. We will focus on the following topics:
Class Discussion: Attendance at and participation in class discussions are critical for
learning new math. Reading the relevant
sections before class will definitely facilitate this part of the learning
process. Ask questions! The college’s 25% rule on attendance will be
in effect. Homework: A course like this has one vital purpose: enabling you to solve new kinds of problems. Building problem solving skills take lots of practice. To this end, I will assign a substantial amount of homework. I encourage you to work together on the homework sets, but you must participate in the process of obtaining the solution to each problem. When working with a partner, keep in mind that reviews and the final will test your individual problem-solving ability. Do not consult solution sets or another student’s work from any previous class. Always show your arguments, realizing that clarity and neatness count. Homework will be collected for grading at the beginning of class on the dates designated and late homework will not be accepted.
Reviews and Final Exam: We will have 3 closed-book
take-home reviews on the following weeks: 2/18, 4/3, and 4/29. The comprehensive final exam will be
take-home and open-book, to be completed during the self-scheduled exam period. Computers: As you know, programs like Mathematica
and MathCAD can simplify traditional mathematical operations like series
expansion, integration, and matrix analysis.
These programs include graphical tools that can help us visualize the
math we are doing. We will demonstrate
and use some of these features in this course and you may use these programs to
solve or check homework problems whenever you think they might help. Be
sure to document your usage of these programs. However,
be aware that you cannot use these programs on
reviews. Grading:
|