Course objectives

The goals of this course are to (1) introduce computing as a tool for numerical problem solving in physics, with an emphasis on simulation; (2) familiarize students with a variety of important methods and algorithms; and (3) use numerical experiments to uncover and explore phenomena from diverse subfields of physics.

Catalog description

This course covers topics of current interest, both experimental and theoretical.

3 credit hours

Prerequisitites

Instructor Approval Required

Where and when

Required course materials

There is no textbook for this course. All instructional material will be provided by the instructor. Students may be asked to arrange their own access to a UNIX or MacOS programming environment and to create accounts on external services such as Bitbucket.

Grading scheme

The course grade will be based on the cumulative points earned from assignments, in-classes quizzes, and a final exam, weighted as follows.

The numerical score (out of 100) will be converted to a letter grade with a corresponding grade point value, following the UM +/– grading system adopted in Fall 2011. The conversion is carried out by matching to the ranges shown in the table below.

In-class quizzes — Regular in-class quizzes will test students’ understanding of the material covered in recent lectures and assignments.

Homework — Homework assignments will be set roughly every week and will consist of a small computational project. The necessary instructions and computer code (C++11/C++14) will be posted on the class website. Assignments are to be submitted electronically for grading (as a shared git repository). A complete assignment consists of well-commented program and header files, a makefile, an explanatory document (plain text or pdf), and any required figures (pdf, eps, png, or tiff). Incomplete assignments submitted for partial credit should at the very least compile. Students may work co-operatively at the level of discussing algorithms and general approaches, but each student should implement his or her own, independent solution.

Attendance

The university requires that all students have a verified attendance at least once during the first two weeks of the semester for each course. If your attendance is not verified, you will be dropped from the course and any financial aid will be adjusted accordingly. Please see http://olemiss.edu/gotoclass for more information.

Regular attendance is strongly encouraged. During class, I will sometimes present worked problems, give hints and tips about the homework, and provide guidance about where to focus your studies for the tests and exams. In my experience, there is a strong correlation between regular student attendance and overall performance in the course.

Academic integrity and honesty

Students are expected to adhere to the University of Mississippi Creed and the Standards of Honesty as described in Policy Code ACA.AR.600.001 and the M Book.

Students are reminded that cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Performance on all tests and assignments shall represent the individual work of the student. Those who violate the Standards of Honesty will be reported and subject to the appropriate sanction, which may include expulsion from the University.

Intellectual property

All materials distributed electronically and in hard copy in this class are protected under intellectual copyright. Any attempt to upload these documents to a file sharing service or to profit from their distribution by any means constitutes theft and will be in violation of intellectual property law and the UM Academic Conduct Code unless expressly permitted for by the instructor.

Nondiscrimination policy

The University complies with all applicable laws regarding affirmative action and equal opportunity in all its activities and programs and does not discriminate against anyone protected by law because of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, handicap, or status as a veteran or disabled veteran.

Policies and procedures for students with disabilities

It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individual basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or meet course requirements. Students with disabilities should contact the Office of Student Disability Services (662-915-7128 or sds@olemiss.edu) to discuss their individual needs.

Examinations and last week of class

Regulations governing all examinations — A student’s failure to appear for an examination without an acceptable excuse, inability to present valid identification, absence from the room during the course of an examination without the consent of the examiner, or attempting any portion of an examination without submitting his or her answers shall result in failure of the examination. Tardiness beyond 15 minutes forfeits a student’s right to an examination.

Final examinations — A final examination, to be given at the time posted in the examination schedule, is required in each undergraduate course, unless the appropriate chair and dean have approved an exception. A student who has three or four final examinations in one day may arrange with the course instructor to take the noon or 7:30 p.m. examination at another time. In order to give a final examination at any time other than that shown in the posted examination schedule, an instructor must have prior approval of the department chair and dean.

Last week of class — The following guidelines exist to allow sufficient time for students and instructors to prepare for final examinations. These guidelines apply to the week preceding final examinations for undergraduate courses held during Fall and Spring semesters.

• During the period of Wednesday through Friday of the last week of class, instructors are not to give exams, tests, or quizzes that contribute more than 10% of the final grade for a class. An instructor can obtain approval of the department chair and dean to give an exam, test, or quiz, of this weight, during this three day period. Instructors should return graded work and/or inform students of their grades on exams, tests, or quizzes prior to the beginning of finals week.

• Exceptions to the above statement are automatically made for lab-based courses, technical writing courses, seminar courses that assign a term paper, and senior design courses that assign a multi-faceted project in lieu of a final exam. Major projects of the above types, which contribute more than 10% of the final grade and which are due during this Last Week period, should be assigned in the syllabus at the beginning of the semester and any substantial change in the assignment should be made known to students before the drop deadline.