Syllabus for PHYS 542, Spring Quarter, 2011

R. J. Wilkes 

last update:            5/24/11

DATE TOPIC TEXT SECTIONS (3rd ed.)
29-Mar Introduction; numerical precision Ch. 1.0-2, 7.0-4
31-Mar Sorting, matrix inversion, histograms Ch. 2, Ch. 8
5-Apr Interpolation and smoothing: polynomial, spline, Chebyshev, miscellaneous Ch. 3, 5.0-3, 5.7-10
7-Apr Integration: elementary, Gaussian quad 4.0-7
12-Apr ... Monte Carlo and 2D integration 7.7-9, 4.8
14-Apr Statistics: basics, commonly used distributions 6.0-4, 14.0-1
19-Apr ... significance tests 14.2-4
21-Apr Statistics continued... correlations 
*** Independent Study Project proposals due ***
14.5-9
26-Apr Exam 1 -- open book -- material covered through 21-April. 
28-Apr Minimization and fitting: linear LSQ 15.0-4, 10.0-3
3-May ... max likelihood, minimax, nonlinear LSQ, robust fitting Notes, 15.5-7
5-May Monte Carlo simulation methods Notes, 15.8-9
10-May Monte Carlo simulation methods, continued
Notes, 15.8-9
12-May Fourier methods: FFT 12.0-6
17-May ... convolution and correlations   (JW away)
13.0-3
19-May ... spectra and filtering   (JW away) 13.4-9
24-May Differential equations: Runge-Kutta, shooting, relaxation methods, Eigenvalue methods, Partial differential equations 17.0-6,18.0-3, 11, 20
26-May Supplementary topics:
Method of moments, Unfolding, Cellular automata,
Notes - not on exam.
31-May
project presentations 2C
Notes - not on exam.
2-June NO OFFICIAL CLASS. I'll be online to talk informally about additional topics, please join me if you wish.
TAKE-HOME EXAM #2 - See "Slides" directory in course home page. Material covered since Exam 1.
***term project papers due 5pm***
Due on Monday,
6/6/11 at 5pm 
  NOTE: NO FINAL EXAM during exam week. Class is over Exam 2. Exam results and grades will be posted on your MyUW gradebook page by 6/13.