Syllabus
CSci 2031: Introduction to Numerical Computing
Spring 2008

Meeting time and place:
      Lecture: Mon/Weds/Fri 9:05am-9:55am, EE/CS 3-230.
      Recitation 002: Thursday 8:00am-8:50am, EE/CS 3-111.
      Recitation 003: Thursday 9:05am-9:55am, Ford Hall 150.
      As the space in each of the recitation rooms is limited, please plan to attend the recitation session that you are registered for.

Instructor:
      Dr. Victoria Interrante
      office hours: Weds/Fri 10:00am-10:30am, EE/CS 6-185
      phone: 612-625-3543
      email: interran{at}cs.umn.edu
      http://www.cs.umn.edu/~interran

Teaching Assistants:
      Guoquan Huang
      office hours: Tues/Thurs 2:00pm-3:00pm, EE/CS 2-209
      email: ghuang{at}cs.umn.edu
      http://www-users.cs.umn.edu/~ghuang/

      Esha Nerurkar
      office hours: Thursday 3:00pm-4:00pm, EE/CS 2-209
      email: nerurkar{at}cs.umn.edu
      http://www.cs.umn.edu/~nerurkar

Text:
      Cheney and Kincaid. Numerical Mathematics and Computing, Sixth Edition, Thompson (Brooks/Cole) Publishing

Course web page:
      http://www.itlabs.umn.edu/classes/Spring-2008/csci2031/

Course goals:
      This course offers a practical introduction to Numerical Computing. The course is designed to be of interest to students in Computer Science and other science and engineering disciplines. It is required of CSci majors in IT (those pursuing a B.S. degree). The goal is to teach the principles of Numerical Analysis, especially the concepts and tools involved in modeling real continuous mathematical or engineering problems on the digital computer, and the effects of using floating point arithmetic. Specific topics include: floating point number representation and error, root finding methods, polynomial interpolation, numerical differentiation, numerical integration, methods for solving systems of linear equations, approximation by spline functions, ordinary differential equations, and data smoothing via the method of least squares. Assignments will require some programming in Matlab.

Prerequisites:
      Calculus I+II, plus a course in basic linear algebra and differential equations (e.g. Math 2243 or equivalent). Students are expected to have had some programming experience.

Grading:
      Homework Assignments............................... 34%
      First Midterm Exam..................................... 18%
      Second Midterm Exam................................. 18%
      Final Exam................................................. 30%

Grades will be regularly posted and can be accessed through the web via the GRIT system. It is important that you check your grades regularly. If you see a discrepancy between your grades and the grades posted, you need to alert one of the TAs immediatly. Be sure to speak with the TA who graded your assignment.

Exams:
    Mid Quarter Exams:
        Friday February 29, 9:05-9:55am, EE/CS 3-230
        Friday April 18, 9:05-9:55am, EE/CS 3-230

    Final Exam
        Friday May 16, 1:30-3:30pm, EE/CS 3-230


Homework:
Weekly homework assignments will be given out on in class every Monday and will be due the following Monday at the beginning of class. Graded homeworks will be returned and solutions presented at the recitation sessions on Thursdays. Solutions will not be posted, so please plan to attend the recitation sessions to get this important information!

An assignment will be considered late if it is not handed in by the end of the class period on the day that it is due. Late assignments will be accepted up until the end of Professor Interrante's Monday office hours (10:00-10:30am) only. Credit earned on late homework will be reduced by 15%. No credit will be given for any assignment that is not received by the professor or one of the TAs before the Monday 10:30am late homework deadline, and no exceptions will be made to this rule.

When computing the final grade for each individual at the end of the semester, the lowest 2 homework assignment grades will be dropped.

Policies:
This course will follow the University's Uniform Grading and Transcription Policies, which are described on the web at http://www1.umn.edu/usenate/policies/gradingpolicy.html, and the Senate policy on the amount of academic work expected per credit, described on the web at http://www.fpd.finop.umn.edu/groups/senate/documents/policy/semestercon.html#work.

A grade of I will be assigned only under extraordinary circumstances: to be elegible, a student must have kept up with all of the required coursework to date and must have been prevented by an unforseeable emergency from completing the remainder of the coursework on time.

The amount and quality of work required for a grade of S will not be less than the amount and quality of work required for a C-. You are urged to check your registration for accuracy of course and section numbers and grading options.

All exams will be open book/open notes.

Make-up exams will only be given under exceptional circumstances, such as in the incidence of a serious illnesses or dire family emergency. In the incidence of such an emergency, the student must make every effort to inform the instructor of his or her request to take a make-up exam before the start of the scheduled exam.

In accordance with University regulations concerning final examinations, students with final examination conflicts, or with three (or more) final examinations within a 16 hour period, may request a resceduling of the final exam. Such requests should be made at least two weeks before the examination period begins.

The homework assignments that are designated as individual assignments must be completed individually. For these assigments, you may discuss basic strategies and possible general approaches with others in the class, but all of the work that you turn in must be your own. Copying from others, either from fellow students or off the internet, or from any other source, except as expressly indicated by me in writing and fully documented, is strictly forbidden and may constitute grounds for failure.