Further EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Academic Year 2023/2024 - Teacher: Rosa Maria PIDATELLAExpected Learning Outcomes
Aim of the course is to learn the use of 3 programming languages: Latex (text editing), Matlab (scientific computing), Mathematica (symbolic language)
- Knowledge and understanding: starting from a problem, the student will learn to investigate it using mathematical software.
- Applying knowledge and understanding: given its highly applied structure, the class will develop the ability to apply the acquired competences.
- Making judgements: the "answers" obtained through the software need to be critically analized. In many cases the raw data or the graphical representations need to be validated and understood.
- Communication skills: one of the main goals of the class is to organize material.
- Learning skills: the students will work in groups, also in case the lectures will be given online. In such a way the work load will appear not as tiring, and good students will learn how to explain facts while the less brilliant of them will have the possibility of improving their performances.
Course Structure
The course will be given in a computer lab. The activities are of laboratorial type, with a first description of the argument followed by a work in front of a computer, with the possibility of working in groups, discussing with other students and the teacher. In case the lectures will be given online, the student will work with own pc.
Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.
The teaching load is roughly distributed as follows:
3 CFU 36 Total hours
24 hours of frontal lesson
12 hours of practice
PLEASE NOTE: Information for students with disabilities and / or SLD
To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensatory measures, based on the didactic objectives and specific needs. It is also possible to contact the referent teacher CInAP (Center for Active and Participated Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or SLD) of our Department, prof. Filippo Stanco.
Required Prerequisites
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
The initial part of the course will be dedicated to learning how to write mathematical manuscripts with LaTeX. The major part of the course will be dedicated to the use of the computer to investigate mathematical problems and obtain answers in graphical form by two languages: Mathematica and Matlab, both to obtain graphical representation of data and to solve scientific problems with numerical codes (Matlab) and the symbolic ones (Mathematica). The graphical representations can be then used to write LaTex mathematical documents.
Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.
Textbook Information
1. T. Oetiker, H. Partl, I. Hyna, E. Schlegl (1999). The not so short introduction to LaTeX. Retrieved from https://tobi.oetiker.ch/lshort/lshort.pdf
2. G.Naldi, L.Pareschi Matlab: concetti e progetti Apogeo 2002
3. Notes of the teacher
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1. LaTeX | 1 |
| 2 | 2. Matlab: calcolo di zeri di funzione, risoluzione di un sistema lineare, interpolazione polinomiale | 2 |
| 3 | 3. Mathematica: risoluzione di problemi algebrici e analitici in forma simbolica | 3 |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Verification during the course: during the lessons students may be invited to participate by solving the exercises proposed by the teacher or by the students themselves on the blackboard.
Final exam: the student will have to write a short LaTeX document proposed and produce a few lines of code in Mathematica and Matlab facing some exercises. The student can choose between 5 exercises of different difficulty for each language
Criteria for the assignment of the vote: the following criteria will normally be used for the assignment of the vote:
not approved: the student is not able to carry out the minimum number of assigned exercises.
approved: the student can solve at least 3 of the exercises for each group.
approved with merit: the student is able to solve the exercises comprehensively and without errors.
PLEASE NOTE The verification of learning can also be carried out electronically, if conditions require it.
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
Write the LaTeX source that, compiled, produces a page similar to that proposed by the teacher.
Solve with Matlab an exercise related to polynomial interpolation that is: given a set of n + 1 points find the interpolating polynomial of degree n
Write a code in Mathematica that, given a function f of two variables and a point p, draws the graph of the function f in a neighborhood of p.