Instructor: Dr. Ellen Peterson
Office: Wean Hall 7122
Office phone: 412-268-2162
email: ellenp@andrew.cmu.edu
Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday 4:00-5:00 (subject to change), or by appointment.

Room: Wean Hall 5409
Time: MWF 12:30pm-1:20pm 
Textbook: Richard L. Burden and J. Douglas Faires, Numerical Analysis, 9th Edition
Prerequisite: 15-110, 21-259. Thorough knowledge of calculus, and some linear algebra and basic programming skills are assumed.

Course Objectives: This course provides an introduction to the use of computers to solve scientific problems. A variety of numerical algorithms and applications will be discussed. In-class demonstrations and examples will be presented using MATLAB. Topics covered in this course include (but are not limited to):

• Numerical Representation and Errors
• Locating Roots of Equations
• Interpolation and Polynomial Interpolation
• Numerical Differentiation and Integration
• Systems of Linear Equations 
• Approximation by Spline Functions
• Initial and Boundary Value Problems for Ordinary Differential Equations


Course Assessment:
1. Problem Sets (30%)
2. Midterm Application Assignment (5%)
3. Midterm Exam (25%)
Tentative Date: Friday March 2
4. Final Application Assignment (15%)
5. Final Exam (25%)

Problem Sets:  Problem sets will be assigned weekly on Blackboard and will generally be collected on Wednesdays. Late homework will NOT be accepted. I highly encourage you to discuss the assignments with your classmates, but everyone is expected to write-up and turn in his/her own work. You should be aware that the homework is intended for you to learn from the course; please seek help from me or another classmate if you are having difficulty with an assignment. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!

Both analytical and computational problems will be given.  Students are encouraged to use MATLAB when completing the computational portion of the assignments. All computational assignments will be turned in electronically via the assignment tool in Blackboard.

Academic Honesty: We will apply to university guidelines as stated in the student handbook to ensure academic honesty.

Other Policies:

• I expect you to read sections of the book around the time of lectures and homework from those section.  The book has additional examples and discussion that you may find helpful.
• You are expected to attend all classes on time. Classroom discussion and questions in class help clarify issues, so please feel free to participate by asking questions.
• Arriving late for a class or leaving early is very disruptive. If you need to leave early, please let me know at the beginning of class, and sit near the door so you can slip out quietly.
• I encourage you not to use a computer during class. Taking notes during class time and reproducing examples on your own will be much more beneficial than mimicking them in class.
• If you are unavoidably absent (and the absence is excusable) from a test, a score for that test will be assessed at the end of the semester, based on your performance in homework, the other tests,
  and on the final, with an emphasis on the material of the missed test.