Physics 3340 and Physics 6361 Reference Material

Professor Coan and Olness

Computational Physics: Fall 2023

• Instructor: Professor Thomas Coan and Professor Fredrick Olness
• Regrade Policy
• Standard Disclaimer
• Mathematica Courseware
• Solutions for Quizzes &Exams

Office hours:

• Coan: TBD
  
  
• Olness: 201 Fondren Science: I am available most any time, especially following class, and from 2-4 most afternoons. For a class this size, I find it easier if you just set up an appointment individually. I am also available for review sessions before the exams if requested.
  Call or leave a message at (214) 768-2500, or
  send me e-mail: olness@smu.edu

• Mathematica for symbolic and numerical problem solving

Course Text:

• Student's Guide to Python for Physical Modeling: Updated Edition by Kinder, Jesse M. / Nelson, Philip

Relevant Web Sites:

• To be posted ...

link to on-line material

link to ZOOM ROOM

link to Floating Point Web Browser Calculator

Some topics we will cover:

• C Programming & Debugging

• Python Programming

• Visualization of Numerical Data

• Computer Precision

• GSL Scientific Library

• Monte Carlo Simulation

• Numerical Integration & Differentiation

• Partial Differential Equations

• Boundary Value Problems

References:

• Thinking About Equations: A Practical Guide for Developing Mathematical Intuition in the Physical Sciences and Engineering by Matt A. Berstein and William A. Friedman
  
  
• Classical Mechanics. (2^nd or 3^rd Edition) by Herbert Goldstein
  
  
• Classical Mechanics with Applications, by Porter Wear Johnson
  A fresh, modern approach to mechanics w/ 150 exercises.
  
  
• Mechanics, by Keith R. Symon
  A classic! Provides an intuitive introduction to relativity, cosmology, quantum mechanics, and more.
  
  
• Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems. by Thornton and Marion
  
  
• Mathematica for Physics. by Zimmerman and Olness
  
  
• Schaum's Outline of Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables
  
  

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