CISC 423: Applied Symbolic Computation

Catalog Description:
Introduction to one or more computer algebra systems, algebraic computation applied to problems in applied mathematics, and individual student projects using symbolic computation to solve a problem from student's own discipline. May be cross-listed with MATH613.

Current Texts:
An Introduction to Applied Symbolic Computation Using Macsyma
B.F. Caviness, R.P. Gilbert and R. Shtokhamer
(in Preparation)

Goals:
This course presents methods for using computer algebra systems such as Macsyma, Maple or Mathematica to solve mathematical problems in science, engineering, computer science and pure mathematics.

Content:

• What is symbolic computation: history, examples, getting started
• Overview of a computer algebra system: data types, evaluation and simplification, linear algebra, polynomials and other nonlinear equations, transcendental functions, integration, differential equations
• Applications using disk calculator mode: analyzing the behavior of an electrical circuit, finding the period of a non-linear oscillator, celestial mechanics, etc.
• Advanced aspects of a computer algebra system: the programming language, more on evaluation and simplification, plotting, properties, pattern matching, input/output including file usage, debugging, share library packages
• Advanced applications: For example - constructing of an aeronautical wing, general relativity, boundary value problems by function theoretic methods, acoustics

Required Background: Math 302 (Differential Equations) and a knowledge of programming.

Helpful Background: Unix, vi, and knowledge of an application area.