Math 441/620 - Numerical Analysis
Fall 2005 - Matthias K. Gobbert
Section 0101 - Schedule Number 4062/4126
This page can be reached via my homepage at
http://www.math.umbc.edu/~gobbert.
Grading Information
Final scores and grades
ordered by the identification numbers handed out in class:
Math 441,
Math 620.
Basic Information
- Matthias K. Gobbert,
Math/Psyc 416, (410) 455-2404, gobbert@math.umbc.edu,
office hours: MW 03:00-04:00 or by appointment
- Classes: SS 113, MW 04:00-05:15;
see the detailed schedule for more information.
- Prerequisites: Math 221, Math 225, Math 251, Math 301, CMSC 201,
or instructor approval
- Copies of the following books are on reserve in the library.
-
Required textbook:
Kendall E. Atkinson, An Introduction to Numerical Analysis,
second edition, Wiley, 1989.
Associated webpage:
http://www.math.uiowa.edu/~atkinson/keabooks.html
-
Recommended book on Matlab:
Desmond J. Higham and Nicholas J. Higham,
Matlab Guide, second edition, SIAM, 2005.
Associated webpage:
http://www.ma.man.ac.uk/~higham/mg
(For the purposes of this class, the earlier edition from 2000
is sufficient; SIAM sells it at a steep discount,
see www.siam.org.)
- Grading policy:
Homework and Quizzes
| Midterm Exam
| Final Exam or Project
|
40%
| 30%
| 30%
|
In addition to these formally graded course components,
your professional behavior and
active participation in all aspects of the course are required.
In particular, you are required to read assigned sections
in the textbook ahead of their coverage in class.
-
The homework is weighted so heavily, because it includes
the computer assignments that are vital to understanding
the course material.
Homework will differ for 441 and 620, with 620 students
being assigned an additional problem typically.
The quizzes will generally be unannounced and brief
(e.g., 1 or 5 minutes) at the beginning or end of class.
For instance, they may be designed to initiate class discussion
or to give me feedback on your learning.
They may be technical or non-technical in nature.
Late assignments will not be accepted under any circumstance;
a sufficient number of homework and quiz scores will be dropped
in order to avoid penalizing infrequent absences.
-
The midterm and final exams are traditional
in-class exams.
They will differ for 441 and 620.
For 620 students, the exams
are designed to prepare you for the comprehensive exam
in the Applied Mathematics program of our department.
See the detailed schedule for the dates
of the exams.
-
For graduate student, it is increasingly important
at this point in your education to learn
how to work on a larger project on your own
(with guidance by the instructor)
and to present your results in the form of a
professional-grade type-set
report (using LaTeX for Mathematics graduate students).
To allow interested 620 students to develop the necessary skills,
you may choose to replace
the final exam by a project;
since I assume here that this is a new experience for you and
not suitable for all students, you must talk to me for approval.
Additional details or changes will be announced as necessary.
See also general policies and procedures
for more information.
Overview
Numerical Analysis is concerned with the approximation of continuous
mathematical objects by constructs with only finitely many coefficients.
This takes various forms including the approximation of a function
by a series with finitely many terms or the approximation of a derivative
by a finite difference.
These approximations incur numerical error, in the examples above
known as truncation error and discretization error, respectively.
Numerical Analysis is dedicated to the analysis of these errors.
The methods covered include polynomial interpolation, numerical
differentiation and integration, approximation theory and orthogonal
polynomials, the solution of non-linear systems of equations, and
an introduction to numerical methods for ordinary differential equations.
Additionally, we will discuss the representation of real numbers
in computers according to the IEEE-standard for floating-point numbers
and the resulting round-off errors, if time permits.
This course will also include computational work to gain practical
experience with the numerical methods discussed.
I recommend the professional software package Matlab
as platform of choice, because it is a very popular package
and knowing it thoroughly is itself a marketable skill.
Other Information
UMBC Academic Integrity Policy
By enrolling in this course, each student assumes the responsibilities of
an active participant in UMBC's scholarly community in which everyone's
academic work and behavior are held to the highest standards of honesty.
Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and helping others to commit these acts
are all forms of academic dishonesty, and they are wrong. Academic
misconduct could result in disciplinary action that may include, but is
not limited to, suspension or dismissal.
To read the full Student Academic Conduct Policy, consult the
UMBC Student Handbook, the Faculty Handbook,
the UMBC Policies section of the UMBC Directory for undergraduate students,
or the Graduate School website for graduate students.
Copyright © 1999-2005 by Matthias K. Gobbert. All Rights Reserved.
This page version 2.1, December 2005.