Undergraduate Course: Numerical Recipes (PHYS10090)
Course Outline
| School | School of Physics and Astronomy |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | The main aim of this course is to develop an understanding of how numerical computations are implemented in practice. It will introduce the simplest
ways to implement functionality and then show how to achieve the same using library packages. There will be significant hands-on programming in Java. It is also intended to provide an opportunity for specialists to use a different language (this year either Python or C++).
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| Course description |
This course is taught through a combination of hands-on programming exercises in the CPLab. Two routes will be offered through the checkpoints: a Java-only route, and a multilingual route (aimed at specialists). At present students may elect to use Python or C++ subject to the agreement of the course organiser.
The course material will include:
- Matrices and matrix manipulation
- Minimisation methods
- Parameter fitting to data sets ( Chi squared and maximum likelihood)
- Random number generation, non uniform distributions
- Monte Carlo data set generation
- Simulation and analysis of a muon decay lifetime experiment
- Discrete fourier transforms
- Other numerical topics
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Computer Simulation (PHYS08026) OR
Computer Modelling (PHYS09057)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Proficiency in JAVA.
Students must be able to prove proficiency in Java and use of a Unix environment. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 33,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
55 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be 100% assessed through coursework consisting:
1. Checkpoints during the workshop sessions
2. A final exercise which will include the writing of code, a user manual for the code, and an accompanying report presenting the results of running the code.
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
- Implement simple versions of standard numerical algorithms in a computer pro-gram
- Implement the same functionality using widely available numerical library packages
- To gain a practical grounding in how to deal with dealing with and analyzing data which arises in a real physics research environment.
- Resolve conceptual and technical difficulties by locating and integrating relevant information from a diverse range of sources
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | NRec |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Peter Clarke
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Siobhan Macinnes
Tel: (0131 6)51 3448
Email: |
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