12569 - Computational Mathematics

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Computer Science (cod. 8028)

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, the student is aware of techniques for the solution of scientific calculus problems. She/He can face and solve such problems within a uniform, integrated computer algebra environment.

Course contents

  • Introduction to the Mathematica environment. Kernel, FrontEnd, and Notebook.
  • Introduction to programming within Mathematica.
  • Graphics and visualization tools.
  • Employing the system capabilites to analize and solve a particular applied problem, of didactical interest to the student, via a package development.

Readings/Bibliography

The material developed in class is made available to students enrolled in the course, through the VIRTUALE platform. Any other material/text, on Mathematica resources of Numerical and Symbolic Calculus, is obviously also useful, particularly for specific in-depth studies related to the exam project; the following (not compulsory) books are recommended because (besides being excellent texts) they are available at the UniBo Libraries.

  • Mathematica: A  Problem-Centered Approach, Roozbeh Hazrat, 2nd ed., Springer, London, UK, 2015.
  • An Introduction to Programming with Mathematica, R.J.Gaylord, S.N.Kamin, P.R.Wellin, 3nd ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2005.
  • Programming in Mathematica, 3rd ed., R. Maeder, Addison -Wesley, Reading, Mass., USA, 1997.
  • Front-end vision and multi-scale image analysis : multi-scale computer vision theory and applications, written in Mathematica, B. M. Ter Haar Romeny, Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 2003.
  • Modern differential geometry of curves and surfaces with Mathematica, A.Gray, E. Abbena, S. Salamon, 3rd ed.,  Chapman & Hall, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 2006.

Further Readings:

  • Wolfram U: open courses for students and professionals, www.wolfram.com/wolfram-u/
  • WRI Documentation Center,  reference.wolfram.com/language/
  • WRI How To Topics, reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/HowToTopics.html
  • Mathematica Resources, www.wolfram.com/mathematica/resources/

Teaching methods

1. Class lectures (obviously, complying with COVID-19 indications and the like)
2. Exercises in class and home assignments
3. Seminars

Assessment methods

Each student will be assigned a laboratory project, which they will choose according to their study interest and in agreement with the teacher; a viva-voce will follow, which may also consist in answering questions on the course subjects. The time taken by the project discussion may vary; generally, it takes at least an hour, but it might take longer.

Teaching tools

1. Laboratory activities in Mathematica (obviously, complying with COVID-19 indications and the like)
2. Course notes and material to study and exercise available at the VIRTUALE platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it) and text books available at the departmental libraries.

Links to further information

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/giulia.spaletta

Office hours

See the website of Giulia Spaletta

SDGs

Quality education

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.