The dates indicated below are
target dates. Depending on progress in class,
it may become necessary to adjust dates appropriately. Therefore, it is the responsibility
of each student to remain aware of what dates have been changed. The announcement of a change
will appear on this Web page and also be announced in class. The image 
will be used to indicate changes.
Date: Tue., Jan. 19
- Lecture Topic: Computational Physics Introduction
- Assignment: 1
- Assigment Due: Jan. 26
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 1
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 1, 2, 3
- Web Resources: Internet Notes, Notes on Numbers, Computer Literacy Topics, Computing Resources in ST I - Rm 310
Date: Tue., Jan. 26
- Lecture Topic: Functions and Roots
- Assignment: 2
- Assigment Due: Feb. 16
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 9
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 10 and for Numerical Precision Issues: see Sun's Numerical Computation Guide
- Supplemental Notes: Class notes on Central Force . For a more detail description on central force, you can also look at H. Goldstein, C. Poole, and J. Safko, Classical Mechanics, Chapter 3
Date: Tue., Feb. - Lecture Topic: Interpolation and Approximation
- Assignment: 3
- Assigment Due: March 2
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 3
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch.8
Date: Tue., Feb. - Lecture Topic: Numerical Integration
- Assignment: 4
- Assigment Due: March 9
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 4
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 6 and 7, Class Notes:1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2
Date: Tue., - Lecture Topic: Numerical Integration (cont) and Random Numbers
- Assignment: 5 (exam1) (Exam 1 will be assigned on this date.)
- Assigment Due: March 23 (You need to present your exam problem on March 23.)
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 7 and 15
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 6,7, and 5, Notes on Simpson's rule
Date: Tue., March 9
Spring Break
- Lecture Topic: None
- Assignment: None
- Assigment Due: N/A
- Textbook Reading: none
Date: Tue., - Lecture Topic: Random Numbers and Statistical Physics
+ The Metropolis Algorithm and the Ising Model - Assignment: 6
- Assigment Due: April 6 (This hw is due after the mid-term presentation.)
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 7 and 15
- Additional Class Notes: Example with Importance Sampling
- Additional Reading 1: Newman, M.E.J. and Barkema, G.T., Monte Carlo Methods in Statistical Physics, Ch1, Ch2, Ch3
- Additional Reading 2: links on assignment page
- Optional Reading: Landau, Ch. 5 and 15
Date: Tue., March 23
Mid-Term Presentations
- Lecture Topic: If needed, we might catch up lectures after the mid-term presentation on this day.
- Assignment: 5 (exam1)
- Assigment Due: N/A
- Textbook Reading: none
Date: Tue., March 30
- Lecture Topic: Fourier Analysis
- Assignment: delayed
- Assigment Due: April 13
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 12-13
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 10
Date: Tue., April 6
- Lecture Topic: Special Functions
- Assignment: no assignment
- Assigment Due: April 13
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 6
Date: Tue., April 13
- Lecture Topic: Fourier Analysis
- Assignment: 7 (combined with ODE in the following week)
- Assigment Due: April 27
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 12-13
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 10
Date: Tue., April 20
- Lecture Topic: Ordinary Differential Equations: I
- Assignment: 7
- Assigment Due: April 27
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 16
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 9
Date: Tue., April 27 (Final project will be assigned on this day.)
- Lecture Topic: Differential Equations: II
- Assignment: 8 (exam2.html)
- Assigment Due: May 7
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 17 and 19
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 9 and 17
Date: Tue., May 4
- Lecture Topic: Matrices and Eigensystems
- Assignment: 8 (exam2.html)
- Assigment Due: May 7 (Final project will be presented on May 7.)
- Assigment Due: April 27
- Suggested Reading: Press, Ch. 2,11
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 8
Date: Tue., May 4
- Lecture Topic: Introduction to Dynamical Systems (Sorry. We most likely will not be able to cover this lecture with the time remaining in the semester.)
- Assignment: 8 (exam2.html)
- Assigment Due: May 7 (Final project will be presented on May 7.)
- Suggested Reading: Hand Out
- Supplemental Reading: Landau, Ch. 12 and 13
Date: Friday., May 7 (5:30pm)
Final Project Presentations
- Lecture Topic:none
- Assignment: none
- Assigment Due: N/A
- Textbook Reading:none