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Numerical Methods

David Gleich

Purdue University

Fall 2016

Course number CS-31400

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:30-10:20am

Location Haas G066


Initial survey -- your course goals

Please answer the following questions in complete sentences in a typed manuscript and submit the solution to me on Blackboard by class on August 26th, 2016.

Yourself

0) Please tell me about yourself: name, major. Any pronounciation help on your name would be appreciated!

1) Why are you taking the class?

2) In an effort to tie faces to names, please upload a recent photo of yourself to the special Blackboard submission for photos. Please title the photo firstname-lastname.jpg. Answer this question "Done!" after you've done that.

Background

3) We'll use a lot of linear algebra in this class. Tell me about your previous linear algebra classes. What topics did you cover? Any favorites? Any topics you didn't like?

4) Towards the end, we'll need to prove theorems using results from calculus such as Taylor's theorem. Do you remember Taylor's theorem?

5) We'll also need to do programming. What do you find most difficult about programming?

Numerical computing software

6) Have you used Julia before?

7) Have you used NumPy/SciPy (via Python) before?

8) Have you used R before?

9) Have you used Mathematica before?

10) Have you used Matlab before?

11) Any other numerical computing packages?

The course

12) Which of the topics from the syllabus are you most excited about?

13) Anything missing from the syllabus you were hoping to learn about?

14) It's an early class. Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you?

15) We'll be using Blackboard (to turn in homework) and Piazza (for class discussions). Please sign into both of them now. On Piazza, fill out the final exam poll.

16) I would like to require that Homeworks be submitted in Latex. Do you know how to use the Latex typesetting system?

Computer access

17) Where are you planning to do the coding pieces of an assignment? (My own computer, a lab, ...)

Videos

18) I am planning to record the lectures and post them to Kaltura, an internal Purdue website. If you have any reservations about this, please let me know.

Fun things

19) Do you read hacker news or reddit?

20) Do you play Pokemon Go?

21) Have you seen the movie "The Matrix"

22) Do you read the web comic "xkcd"?