MATH 4073 - Numerical Analysis, Section 001 - Fall 2009
TR 1:30-2:45 p.m., 270 Nielsen Hall

Instructor: Nikola Petrov, 802 PHSC, (405)325-4316, npetrov AT math.ou.edu.

Office Hours: Tue 3:00-4:00 p.m., Wed 2:00-3:00 p.m., or by appointment.

Prerequisites: MATH 3113 (Intro to ODEs) or 3413 (Physical Math I).

Course catalog description: Solution of linear and nonlinear equations, approximation of functions, numerical integration and differentiation, introduction to analysis of convergence and errors, pitfalls in automatic computation, one-step methods in the solutions of ordinary differential equations. (F)

Course Objectives:
This course is intended to be a mathematical introduction to the theory and practical use of certain basic numerical methods that often arise in applications. While the emphasis of the course will be placed solidly on applications, we will discuss some of the mathematical theory behind the methods we study. Some theoretical understanding is critical to the proper practice of numerical analysis because no numerical method works 100% of the time. Thus when a method fails, the theory behind the method can often illuminate what went wrong and perhaps give insights into alternative approaches that may work better for the given problem.

Course Content:

Text: R. L. Burden, J. D. Faires. Numerical Analysis. 8th ed, Brooks/Cole, 2004, ISBN 0-534-39200-8.
The course will cover major portions of Chapters 1-5.

Homework (Solutions are posted after the due date in the Chemistry-Mathematics Library, 207 PHSC)

Content of the lectures:

Grading: Your grade will be determined by your performance on the following coursework:

Coursework Weight
Homework 20%
Exam 1 25%
Exam 2 25%
Final Exam 30%

Homework: Homework assignments will be set regularly throughout the semester. Each homework will consist of several problems, of which some pseudo-randomly chosen problems will be graded. Your two lowest homework grades will be dropped. All hand-in assignments will carry a specific due date and must be submitted in class on the due date. If you cannot come to class, you can turn in your homework in my office no later than 5 p.m. on the same day (if I am not in my office, you can slip it in under the door). No late homeworks will be accepted.

Shortly after a homework assignment's due date, solutions to the problems from that assignment will be placed on restricted reserve in the Chemistry-Mathematics Library on the second floor of the Physical Sciences Center. All homework assignments will be posted on this page one week before the assignment is due.

Exams: There will be two in-class midterms and a (comprehensive) in-class final.
Tentative dates for the midterms are October 13 (Tuesday) and November 17 (Tuesday).
The final is scheduled for December 18 (Friday), 1:30-3:30 p.m.
All tests must be taken at the scheduled times, except in extraordinary circumstances.
Please do not arrange travel plans that prevent you from taking any of the exams at the scheduled time.

Attendance: You are required to attend class on those days when an examination is being given; attendance during other class periods is also strongly encouraged. You are fully responsible for the material covered in each class, whether or not you attend. Make-ups for missed exams will be given only if there is a compelling reason for the absence, which I know about beforehand and can document independently of your testimony (for example, via a note or phone call from a doctor or a parent).

Technology: Because this is a mathematics course, we will emphasize the mathematical underpinnings of numerical analysis and deliberately de-emphasize acquiring expertise in any particular computer programming language or software package. However, we will frequently engage in computations to illustrate the mathematical results that we derive. For all computations required on in-class exams and for most homework problems, a calculator will be sufficient. Even if the complexity of the numerical methods requires the use of a computer, the amount of programming you will need to do will be very small, and previous programming experience is not assumed. Moreover, the textbook comes with a CD-ROM which contains programs for all of the numerical algorithms developed in the textbook (written in Fortran, C, Maple, Mathematica, Pascal, and MATLAB); these programs are also available on the web at http://www.as.ysu.edu/~faires/Numerical-Analysis/DiskMaterial/index.html. In class I will use MATLAB and Mathematica to illustrate how some algorithms are implemented. MATLAB and Mathematica are available on the computers in the University's computer labs, in particular, in the College of Arts and Sciences computer labs in the Physical Sciences Center (room 232) and in Dale Hall Tower; you can also purchase a student version of MATLAB to load on your own PC at the University Bookstore (the price is about $100), but please note that you are not required to buy it.

Academic calendar for Fall 2009.

Course schedule for Fall 2009.

Policy on W/I Grades : Through October 2 (Friday), you can withdraw from the course with an automatic "W". In addition, from October 5 (Monday) to December 11 (Friday), you may withdraw and receive a "W" or "F" according to your standing in the class. Dropping after November 30 (Monday) requires a petition to the Dean. (Such petitions are not often granted. Furthermore, even if the petition is granted, I will give you a grade of "Withdrawn Failing" if you are indeed failing at the time of your petition.) Please check the dates!

The grade of "I" (Incomplete) is not intended to serve as a benign substitute for the grade of "F". I only give the "I" grade if a student has completed the majority of the work in the course (for example everything except the final exam), the coursework cannot be completed because of compelling and verifiable problems beyond the student's control, and the student expresses a clear intention of making up the missed work as soon as possible.

Academic Misconduct: All cases of suspected academic misconduct will be referred to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for prosecution under the University's Academic Misconduct Code. The penalties can be quite severe. Don't do it!
For details on the University's policies concerning academic integrity see the A Student's Guide to Academic Integrity. For information on your rights to appeal charges of academic misconduct consult the Rights and Responsibilities Under the Academic Misconduct Code. Students are also bound by the provisions of the OU Student Code.

Students With Disabilities: The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course are requested to speak with the instructor as early in the semester as possible. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166: phone 405-325-3852 or TDD only 405-325-4173.

MATLAB tutorials:

Good to know: