Department of Mathematical Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2006/07

MA10126 Introduction to computing with applications

Credits: 6

Level: Certificate

Semester: 1

Assessment: CW 100%

Requisites:

Students must normally have A-level Mathematics, Grade A, or equivalent, in order to undertake this unit.
Aims & Learning Objectives:
Aims: To introduce computational tools of relevance to scientists working in a numerate discipline. To teach programming skills in the context of applications. To introduce presentational and expositional skills and group work.
Objectives: At the end of the course, students should be: proficient in elementary use of UNIX and EMACS; able to program a range of mathematical and statistical applications using MATLAB; able to analyse the complexity of simple algorithms; competent at working in groups, giving presentations and creating web pages.
Content:
Introduction to UNIX and EMACS. Brief introduction to HTML. Programming in MATLAB and applications to mathematical and statistical problems: Variables, operators and control, loops, iteration, recursion. Scripts and functions. Compilers and interpreters (by example). Data structures (by example). Visualisation. Graphical user interfaces. Numerical and symbolic computation. The MATLAB Symbolic Math toolbox. Introduction to complexity analysis. Efficiency of algorithms. Applications. Report writing. Presentations. Web design. Group project.

University | Catalogues for 2006/07