Spring 2016 Course Syllabus - Mathematics 2100.001

Course: Mathematics 2100.001.
Course Title: Topics in Science and Technology: Modeling and Simulation in Science and Technology.
Time: TR 2:00-3:20.
Place: PEARMC 0P220.
Instructor: Seibold, Benjamin.
Instructor Office: Wachman Hall 518.
Instructor Email: benjamin.seibold@temple.edu
Instructor Phone: 215-204-1656.
Course Web Page: https://math.temple.edu/~seibold/teaching/2016_2100/
Office Hours: T 3:30-4:30 or R 1:00-2:00.
Prerequisites: MATH 1042 or higher.
Textbook: There is no single textbook for this course. The materials come from a variety of books and other sources. The sources are announced in class.
Course Goals: Expose students to the process of model building, the simulation and computation with mathematical models, and the interpretation and analysis of simulation results. Moreover, students will experience fundamental concepts ubiquitous in science and technology, such as: instabilities, phase transitions, resonance, upscaling.
Topics Covered: This course introduces the concept of (a) building a mathematical model of a real-world process, (b) using computational resources to simulate the model, and (c) properly interpreting the results. The main focus lies on processes with many interacting agents, such as: traffic flow, spread of diseases, forest fires, animal swarming, economic markets, social networks, robotics. The course provides an overview of model building concepts, training on the implementation of models in a computing environment, as well as theoretical background on how to analyze and understand large-scale phenomena (traffic waves, stock market crashes, swarm intelligence, etc.). General interest in mathematical model building and in programming is required.
Course Grading: Homework problems sets: 30%; course project: 30%; examinations: 40%.
Exam Dates: final exam: 04/28/2015.
Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend every class. If a student cannot attend a class for some justifiable reason, he or she is expected to contact the instructor before class.

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at (215) 204-1280, 100 Ritter Annex, to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here.

Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date given below.

During the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester or summer sessions, students may withdraw from a course with no record of the class appearing on the transcript. In weeks three through nine of the fall or spring semester, or during weeks three and four of summer sessions, the student may withdraw with the advisor's permission. The course will be recorded on the transcript with the instructor's notation of "W," indicating that the student withdrew. After week nine of the fall or spring semester, or week four of summer sessions, students may not withdraw from courses. No student may withdraw from more than five courses during the duration of his/her studies to earn a bachelor's degree. A student may not withdraw from the same course more than once. Students who miss the final exam and do not make alternative arrangements before the grades are turned in will be graded F.

The grade I (an "incomplete") is reserved for extreme circumstances. It is necessary to have completed almost all of the course with a passing average and to file an incomplete contract specifying what is left for you to do. To be eligible for an I grade you need a good reason and you should have missed not more than 25% of the first nine weeks of classes. If approved by the Mathematics Department chair and the CST Dean's office, the incomplete contract must include a default grade that will be used in case the I grade is not resolved within 12 months.