Professor Stuart L. Shapiro

A numerical laboratory course designed to familiarize students with the use of a computer to solve diverse problems in physics. Problems will be drawn from several different branches of physics and astrophysics. Hydrodynamics, including the physics of shock waves, will be emphasized as the main paradigm for nonlinear phenomena. For the hydrodynamics, the necessary analytic results will be derived in class. Examples drawn from classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, etc will already be familiar to students from standard physics courses. Numerical methods discussed will include solving ordinary and partial differential equations, linear algebra and eigenvalue problems, Monte Carlo techniques, etc.

Students will work on assigned numerical exercises and simulations both individually and in small teams. The results of these simulations will be presented in class periodically and will constitute an integral part of the class development. The emphasis throughout the semester will be on building confidence and expertise at solving physical problems on the computer.

Prerequisites: No formal requirements other than a working knowledge of some scientific programming language like Fortran, C or C++. Graduate students and upper level undergraduates with solid backgrounds in basic physics are welcome. This course should only be taken by students who plan to participate actively, but may be taken on a "credit-nocredit" (i.e. pass-fail) basis.