Autumn 2009, Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington

AMATH 383: Introduction to Continuous Mathematical Modeling

SLN 10213, MWF 10:30-11:20, Mary Gates Hall 271
(Prerequisites: AMATH 351 or MATH 307)


Instructor:


Manuel Torrilhon
Guggenheim 418D
matorril@amath.washington.edu
Office Hours: Wednesday, 3pm-4pm
in Guggenheim 406
Teaching Assistant:
Yu Hu
Guggenheim 415L (Conference Room)
huyu@u.washington.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday, 11am-12pm
in Guggenheim 406


Homework - Term Paper - Computer Software


Course Description

Introductory survey of applied mathematics with emphasis on modeling of physical and biological problems in terms of differential equations. Formulation of the model, solution of the equations, and interpretation of the results.

Textbook

We will be using parts from the book "Topics in Mathematical Modeling" by K.K. Tung, but it's not required. You can find it at the University Bookstore or at various online dealers.

Lecture Notes

I do not intend to issue lecture notes for this class. Most material will be presented at the board. Please take notes from the board!
Some slides and programs presented on the computer are available here:


Grading

There will be no exams. Your grade will be composed of 5 homework assignments (counting for 70% of you final), and a final term paper (counting for the remaining 30%).

Homework assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date, and will generally be returned in class one week later. There are no exceptions for late homework.

Every assignment that you turn in should include a header with your name, student number, due date, course, and the homework number as a title. The grader is instructed to deduct points for messiness. If you are concerned about the neatness of your homework, you may use any typesetting program that you like.

Homework

Below is the list of assignments and due dates, together with the solutions. This list will be updated during the quarter.

Assignment
Date Due
Homework Assignments
Homework Solutions
Homework #1
Friday, October 16, after class
Homework1.pdf
(Optional Mathematica Example)
Solution #1
Mathematica file
Zip with Matlab program
Homework #2
Monday, October 26, after class
Homework2.pdf
Solution #2
Mathematica file
Homework #3
Monday, November 9, after class
Homework3.pdf
Solution #3
Mathematica file
Homework #4
Wednesday, November 18, after class
Homework4.pdf
(Optional Mathematica Example)
Homework #5
Wednesday, December 2, after class
Homework5.pdf
(Optional Mathematica Example)

The homework should be put into the drop box for AMATH 383 outside Guggenheim 406.

Term Paper

A major feature of this introductory mathematical modeling course is that students develop course projects and write term papers on those projects. These term papers are to be turned in the last class of the quarter.
The project should be a problem of interest to you and one that is fun for you to investigate. It could be either a topic of your imagination, something that you have seen in other classes or you have found in text books. Some examples of text books with interesting modeling examples are

It is alright to choose a rather "easy" topic in order to be able to present it in a concise and self-contained paper. The term paper should contain about 10 pages of double-spaced text (not including figures, data tables, equations and/or computer programs).
Below is a preliminary list of final project related assigments and their due date. Guidelines for the final paper can be found here.

Due Date
Assignment Due
Friday, October 30, 2008 (in class)
Project Proposal: Finalize your topic choice, and write a rough outline (1 page) of what you plan to discuss. Include a preliminary title, an informal half page about your ideas and at least two references (outside of the course textbook).
Monday, November 23, 2008
Finalize the outline for your paper: Include a table of contents and a 1-2 page description of your mathematical model. This doesn't have to be the final version of your model.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Hard copy of final paper due in class.


Computer Software

Some of the homework and maybe also the term project will rely on the usage of mathematical software like Matlab or Mathematica, mostly for solving a given ODE and make some plots. While some examples are shown in class with Mathematica, there is no preference or recommendation what software you should use in your homework. Please use whatever suits you!
Mathematica is available in the General Access Campus Computing Labs and the university bookstore offers a student version for $140. Matlab is available in the College of Arts & Sciences Instructional Computing Lab and the student version costs $100.
The teaching assistants for the course AMATH-301 offer support for Matlab in Guggenheim, Room 416: Tuesdays 3:30-7:00pm, Wednesdays 5:00-8:00pm. You are welcome to use this service.



<matorril@amath.washington.edu> Wed Sep 30 09:19:24 PDT 2009