29::98 Undergraduate Seminar: Intro Computational
Physics
Fall Semester 2006
3:30P - 5:30P W 201 VAN.
Instructor: Prof. Yannick Meurice
Objectives
Many fields of research are driven by fast progress in high-performance
computing. Proficiency with computers is an important asset on a
competitive job market. A course
on computational physics was offered for the first time in Fall
2005. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer this course before
Fall 2007. Nevertheless, a seminar on computational physics will be
offered this Fall.
The seminar is open to physics undergraduates who have already taken
Introductory Physics I and II (29:27 and 29:28 or equivalent). The
seminar meets every week and starts with a short presentation by the
instructor or the students. The students will then work at their level
and at their pace using the computers available in room 201. A
T.A. (Daping Du) will be available for help (office hours Th 10-11 AM).
It is suitable for
students who want to start using computers or students who are already
familiar with programming and are interested to work on more advanced
projects.
It will offer a hands-on experience with the contemporaryuse of
computers. It emphasizes solving selected physics problems rather than
learning systematically numerical methods or programming languages
(this is offered in courses from other Departments). It assume no prior
knowledge of programming languages. The course will start with the user
friendly mathematical environment Mathematica.
Later in the class, we may introduce other programming language such as
C++. The course will also provide a practical introduction to the
use of open source codes such as Linux. The course will be taught in
front of computers. Due to the limited space in room 201, the
enrollment will be limited to 16 students.
Physics topics that may be covered: numerical solutions of ordinary
differential equations in classical mechanics, electrostatic problems,
energy eigenvalues in quantum mechanics and Monte Carlo simulations in
statistical mechanics.
Instructor
- Office:514 VAN
- Phone:335-1991
- Email:yannick-meurice@uiowa.edu
- Web page:http://www-hep.physics.uiowa.edu/~meurice
- Seminar: 2:30-4:30 PM, room 201 in the Van
Allen Building
- Office Hours: M Tu W 9:30-10:30 AM or by appointment
References
R. Zimmerman and F. Olness, Mathematica for Physics, Springer,
Second Edition 2001.
The input code used
in that book is available at http://www.physics.smu.edu/~olness/www/book/edition2/OlnessZimmermanBook/
D. Yevick, Computational Physics and Object-Oriented Programing with
C++, Cambridge 2005.
J.Newman, Monte Carlo Methods in Statistical Physics, Oxford
University Press, 1999.
W. Press, S. Teukolsky, W. Vetterling and B. Flannery, Numerical
Recipes in C++, Cambridge, 2003.
Opportunities to learn
Reading assignments, problem sets and sample work can be found at
http://www-hep.physics.uiowa.edu/~meurice/cp/todo5.html
.
Final
Grade
The course will be graded as S/F. Active participation on a
regular basis and individual progress is considered sufficient.
Computer Lab
Five computers will be available in VAN 407E. Part of the
individual assignements will be to set up these computers with Linux
and perform simple tasks.
If time permits at the end of the semester, these
computers will be configured as a cluster and used for parallel
programming.
DEPARTMENT OF
PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY MAIN OFFICE
AVAILABILTY OF MODIFICATIONS
- “I need to
hear from anyone who has a disability, which may require some
modification of seating, testing, or other class requirements so that
appropriate arrangements may be made. Please contact me during my
office hours."
Students with disablities should also contact the Office of Student
Disabilities Services (335-1462)
PROCEDURES
FOR STUDENT COMPLAINTS
- A student who has a complaint related
to a Physics or Astronomy course should follow the procedures
summarized below. The full policy on student complaints is on-line in
the College's Student Academic Handbook http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/students/academic_handbook/ix.shtml
• Ordinarily, the student should attempt to resolve the matter with the
instructor first. If the complaint is not resolved to the student's
satisfaction, the student should go to the course supervisor (if the
instructor is a teaching assistant) or to Chair, Professor Thomas
Boggess.
• If the matter remains unresolved, the student may submit a written
complaint to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, 120 Schaeffer
Hall (335-2633). The associate dean will attempt to resolve the
complaint and, if necessary, may convene a special committee to
recommend appropriate action. In any event, the associate dean will
respond to the student in writing regarding the disposition of the
complaint. For any complaint that cannot be resolved through the
mechanisms described above, please refer to the College’s Student
Academic Handbook for further information.
A student suspected of
plagiarism or cheating must inform the student in writing as soon as
possible after the incident has been observed or discovered. Instructors who detect cheating or plagiarism
may decide, in consultation with the departmental executive officer, to
reduce the student's grade on the assignment or the course, even to
assign an F. The instructor writes an account of the chronology of the
plagiarism or cheating incident for the DEO (Associate Chair), who
sends an endorsement of the written report of the case to the Associate
Dean for Academic Programs, CLAS. A copy of the report will be
sent to the student.
-
The College guideline is that one semester
hour of credit is the equivalent of approximately three hours of work
(class time + out-of-class preparation) each week over the course of a
whole semester. In a typical lecture/discussion course, each hour of
class normally entails at least two hours of outside preparation for
the average student (e.g., in a three-credit-hour lecture course,
standard out-of-class preparation is six hours per week). This standard
is the basis on which the Registrar's Office assigns hours of
University credit for courses.
STUDENT RIGHTS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
- The College's
Educational Policy Committee suggests that syllabi include a section on
student rights and responsibilities. They suggest the following:
- "All students
in the College have specific rights and responsibilities. You have the
right to adjudication of any complaints you have about classroom
activities or instructor actions. Information on these procedures is
available in the Schedule of Courses and on-line in the College's
Student Academic Handbook (http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/students/academic_handbook/).
You also have the right to expect a classroom environment that enables
you to learn, including modifications if you have a disability."
- "Your
responsibilities to this class-and to your education as a whole-include
attendance
and participation. (Here an instructor could put specific information
on his/her or the department's attendance policy.) You are also
expected to be honest and honorable in your fulfillment of assignments
and in test-taking situations (the College's policy on plagiarism and
cheating is on-line in the College's Student Academic Handbook http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/students/academic_handbook/).
You have a responsibility to the rest of the class-and to the
instructor-to help create a classroom environment where all may learn.
At the most basic level, this means that you will respect the other
members of the class and the instructor, and treat them with the
courtesy you hope to receive in turn."
- This course is given by the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences. This means that class policies on matters such as
requirements, grading, and sanctions for academic dishonesty are
governed by the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences.
Students wishing to add or drop this course after the official deadline
must receive the approval of the Dean of the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences . Details of the University policy of cross
enrollments may be found at:
http://www.uiowa.edu/~provost/deos/crossenroll.doc