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MA40177: Scientific computing

[Page last updated: 23 October 2023]

Academic Year: 2023/24
Owning Department/School: Department of Mathematical Sciences
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework 1 (CW 50%)
  • Coursework 2 (CW 50%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites: Before taking this module you must take MA30051 (or take MA20222 and have equivalent experience subject to the approval of the module convenor) or you must take MA50174 (or an equivalent module from another institution). (or take MA20222 and have equivalent experience subject to the approval of the unit convenor) or you must take MA50174 (or an equivalent unit from another institution).
Learning Outcomes: Students should be able to write code to solve efficiently a range of scientific problems. They should be able to analyse algorithm complexity and efficiency. They should be familiar with scientific libraries and parallel programming. They will be expected to have deep knowledge of at least one challenging application.


Aims: To teach an understanding and appreciation of issues arising in the computational solution of challenging scientific and engineering problems.

Skills: Efficient solution of real-world problems using scientific computing (T, A); parallel programming (T, A).

Content: Units, complexity, analysis of algorithms, benchmarks. Floating point arithmetic. Programming in Fortran90. Makefiles. Data structures, full and sparse matrices. BLAS and LAPACK libraries. Visualisation. Parallel Computation: principles, message passing model, MPI, parallel data structures, scheduling on clusters, performance indicators.
Other libraries/software on the web: NAG Library, Netlib, GAMS, ScaLAPACK, ARPACK, PETSc, hypre. Linking with other languages such as C, C++. Case studies illustrating the lectures will be chosen from the topics: numerical PDEs (iterative methods, multigrid, preconditioning), adaptive refinement, quadrature, eigenvalue problems (nuclear reactor criticality computations, power method, subspace iteration, AUTO), nonlinear equations and bifurcation (nonlinear thermal conduction, Newton-type methods), optimisation, networks and graphs (graph drawing, clustering, Google's pagerank algorithm).

Course availability:

MA40177 is Optional on the following courses:

Department of Computer Science
  • USCM-AFM14 : MComp(Hons) Computer Science and Mathematics (Year 4)
  • USCM-AAM14 : MComp(Hons) Computer Science and Mathematics with Study year abroad (Year 5)
  • USCM-AKM14 : MComp(Hons) Computer Science and Mathematics with Year long work placement (Year 5)
Department of Mathematical Sciences
  • RSMA-AFM16 : Integrated PhD Statistical Applied Mathematics
  • TSMA-AFM17 : MRes Statistical Applied Mathematics
  • TSMA-AFM19 : MSc Mathematics with Data Science for Industry
  • TSMA-AWM19 : MSc Mathematics with Data Science for Industry
  • TSMA-AFM16 : MSc Statistical Applied Mathematics
  • USMA-AFB15 : BSc(Hons) Mathematical Sciences (Year 3)
  • USMA-AAB16 : BSc(Hons) Mathematical Sciences with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USMA-AKB16 : BSc(Hons) Mathematical Sciences with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USMA-AFB13 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics (Year 3)
  • USMA-AAB14 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USMA-AKB14 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USMA-AFB20 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics, Statistics, and Data Science (Year 3)
  • USMA-AAB06 : BSc(Hons) Statistics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USMA-AKB06 : BSc(Hons) Statistics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USMA-AFM14 : MMath(Hons) Mathematics (Year 3)
  • USMA-AFM14 : MMath(Hons) Mathematics (Year 4)
  • USMA-AAM15 : MMath(Hons) Mathematics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USMA-AKM15 : MMath(Hons) Mathematics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USMA-AKM15 : MMath(Hons) Mathematics with Year long work placement (Year 5)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.