Computing Tools for Mathematics
This course introduces some computing tools important for studying
and doing mathematics.
Philosophical goals:
- Use software to learn mathematics
- Use software to do mathematics
Pedagogical strategies:
- No assigned text
- Learn to answer technical questions by experiment and online search
- Model and document problem solving process as well as conclusions
- Use software best practices: version control, integrated testing
- Practice literate programming for mathematics
Technical content:
- Programming mathematics in Python
- Using applications that do mathematics, chosen from among
Mathematica, Matlab, Maple, Geogebra, Excel and others
- Writing mathematics using LaTeX
Structure: Lectures, lots of programming assignments, some exams,
student projects.
This course will probably meet the programming requirement for the
mathematics major - it can serve instead of CS110.
Course web page
You are looking at the course web page, which can always be found at
www.cs.umb.edu/~eb/480/.
Bookmark it in your browser, since you will be visiting often.
Syllabus
The current version is always available at www.cs.umb.edu/~eb/480/syllabus.html.
Since the I'm inventing the course on the fly, it's not likely to be
up to date. I may use it more to describe what has happened than what
will happen.
Prerequisites
Calculus I (Math 140)
Where and when?
Class meets Tuesday and Thursday from
11:00AM - 12:15PM in W-01-048.
Instructor
Ethan Bolker
Office:
Office phone:
e-mail: eb at cs dot umb dot edu
Office hours TTh 10-11 and 1-2 and by appointment.
The best way to reach me is by email. I read it regularly pretty much
all day every day. But please do not send attachments, and try not to
send email meant to be read as a web page (there may be a way to tell
your email software to send plain text, not html).
`<Hardware and Software