PHYS220: Scientific Modelling

Macquarie University 2008

Description

1st Semester 2008, 3 credit points.
This unit introduces students to the ideas, process and practice of scientific modelling across a wide range of disciplines. It bridges the gaps between natural phenomena, mathematical descriptions and computer modelling, and discusses the process of validating models. The unit includes practical work in which systems applicable to other scientific disciplines as well as physics are modelled.

Aims

Students will learn the principles of scientific modelling, gain experience with common scientific modelling packages and apply scientific modelling in various disciplines.

Objectives (and generic skills)

• To develop familiarity with principles of modelling;
• To connect phenomenology with mathematical modelling;
• To develop skills in scientific modelling techniques;
• To develop familiarity with common scientific software packages;
• To develop report writing skills;
• To develop problem-solving skills and techniques.

Prerequisites

MATH132(P) or MATH133 or MATH135(P) or MATH 136; and any 100-level COMP or ISYS unit(P); and any 100-level PHYS, CBMS, CHEM, BIOL, GEOS or STAT unit(P)

Lecturers

Laboratory Demonstrator

Lectures/tutorials

• Tuesday 2pm E6A 109
• Tuesday 3pm E7B 163
• Wednesday 1pm E7B 263

Tentative list of lecture topics

Assessment

Assignments	20%	Four assignments
Practical	20%	Ten on-line lab reports
Modelling Project	20%	Report due Final Week (Thursday 5th June 2008)
Take-Home Examination	40%	To be released in class Wednesday 4th June 2008; due at noon Wednesday 11th June 2008

Laboratory Classes (Friday 2-5 pm E7B 209)

Notes and report templates are available on-line as Word documents. Access to these notes is password-restricted. Completion of lab work is mandatory, but lab work may be done at home or outside lab session times. It should, however, be handed in for marking by the end of the lab session for the relevant week. Attending the labs does give students opportunities to ask questions and get help with the lab tasks. The 3-hour lab sessions allow sufficient time to complete the lab work and write the report.

A report on each lab session will be submitted by the end of the class in weeks 1-10. The template report provided is to be filled in on-line and printed out at completion of the lab. These ten reports are assessed and each counts for 2% of the final mark for the unit for a total of 20%. Backing up of files is the student's responsibility and it is advisable to bring a USB memory stick to the lab for this purpose. Also note that food and drinks are not allowed in the lab.

Students will undertake a project for weeks 11-13. The written report will be assessed and counts for 20% of the final mark for the unit. The project may be completed in either Excel or Matlab, and students may demonstrate their projects during lab time in week 13.

Resources

The following links may be useful:
Calculating atmospheric air density
Standard atmosphere calculator
John Conway's Game of Life

Suggested Reading: (books and video are available in the library)
Elementary Mathematical Models, D. Kalman, QA401.K24 1997
The Beauty of Fractals: Images of complex dynamical systems, Peitgen & Richter, QA447.P45/1986
Complexity: The emerging science at the edge of order and chaos, M.M. Waldrop, Q175.W35
Chaos and Fractals: New frontiers of science, H-O. Peitgen, QA614.86.P43/1992
Chaos: Making a new science, J. Gleick, Q172.5.C45.G54/1987
A New Kind of Science, S. Wolfram, QA267.5.C45.W67/2002

An overview of chaos is given in the video:
Chaos, Q172.5.C45.C45

Online material related to 2004 lectures

Lesa Moore:

Heat equation
Random walk
Chaos and the logistic map
Complexity

Online material related to 2003 lectures

Barry Sanders:

Nonlinearity and chaos
Random walk
The heat equation and diffusion
Harmonic Oscillators

Neil Holbrook:

Andy Pitman:

Lesa Moore:

Plagiarism

"Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own. Any of the following acts constitutes plagiarism unless the source of each quotation or piece of borrowed material is clearly acknowledged:

• copying out part(s) of any document or audio-visual material (including computer-based material);
• using or extracting another person's concepts, experimental results, or conclusions;
• summarising another person's work;
• in an assignment where there was collaborative preparatory work, submitting substantially the same final version of any material as another student.

A general discussion of plagiarism, definitions, examples, procedures that will be followed by the University in cases of plagiarism, and recommended penalties are available from the Student@Macquarie website at http://www.student.mq.edu.au/plagiarism/. The University expects students to familiarise themselves with the website.

Special Consideration

Information about special considerations and student services is available at http://www.physics.mq.edu.au/undergrad/services/.

Student Liaison Committee

The Physics Department values quality teaching and engages in periodic student evaluations of its units, external review of its programs and course units, and seeks formal feedback from students via focus groups and the Student Liaison Committee. The Physics Department Student Liaison Committee meets once each semester, and lunch is provided. Two students should be elected/nominated to represent this unit at the student Liaison Committee meeting. Minutes of the meetings are reported at subsequent Student Liaison Committee meetings and to the Physics Department Committee for action. Please consider being a member of this committee.