Math 426 - Introduction to Mathematical Software Packages: Matlab

Winter 2002 - Matthias K. Gobbert

Schedule

This schedule is designed to give you an overview of the material to be covered and is tentative in nature.
The chapter numbers refer to the textbook, Desmond J. Higham and Nicholas J. Higham, Matlab Guide, SIAM, 2000.

Lecture	Date	Main Topic
1	Thursday 01/03	Chapter 1: A Brief Tutorial
		Chapter 2: Basics
2	Monday 01/07	Chapter 3: Distinctive Features of Matlab
		Chapter 4: Arithmetic
3, #1	Tuesday 01/08	Chapter 5: Matrices
		Chapter 6: Operators and Flow Control
4, #2	Thursday 01/10	Chapter 7: M-Files
		Chapter 10: More on Functions
5	Monday 01/14	Chapter 13: Input and Output
		Chapter 14: Troubleshooting
6, #3	Tuesday 01/15	Chapter 8: Graphics
		Chapter 17: Handle Graphics
7, #4	Thursday 01/17	Chapter 19: The Symbolic Math Toolbox
		Review
8	Tuesday 01/22	Final Exam
		Final Exam
	Thursday 01/24	Make-up Lecture
		Make-up Lecture

Important Note on Winter Schedule Policies

For this class to be a two-credit class, we have to meet eight (8) times for 3:10 hours. This duration of a Winter semester class corresponds to about two lectures in a regular semester. That's why I am listing two topics for each day.

Since the Winter semester starts on a Wednesday and since Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday is on January 21, we have to make up two (2) days.

Additionally, we have to allow for class cancellations due to inclement weather (i.e., snow fall). The general policy calls for a make-up class on the following Saturday at the same time and room. That would be an extremely onerous policy for this course! In fact, I doubt that the room is even availabe on Saturday night. So, we are forced to use to use a different policy for make-ups.

Therefore, I have put together the schedule as detailed above. In addition to our `regular' Mondays and Thursdays, it contains three Tuesdays. The final `regular' Thursday is used as make-up day in case of a class cancellation; let's hope that no more than one class gets cancelled. We will discuss these issues on the first day of class in more detail.