COURSE TIME: TuTh 9:00 am -10:20 pm, Physics-Geology 130.
COURSE LOCATION: Physics 130
INSTRUCTOR: Richard Scalettar, scalettar@physics.ucdavis.edu
OFFICE: Physics-Geology 409.
OFFICE HOURS: Mo 2:00-3:00; Tu noon-1:00 pm in Physics 106 (computer lab).
REQUIRED TEXT: None
USEFUL BOOKS:
'Numerical Methods for Physics', A. Garcia
'Computational Physics', Rubin H. Landau and Manuel J. Paez
GRADING: Based on 6-7 homework assignments. No exams.

GENERAL COURSE GOALS:
This course will describe the use of computational methods to solve physics problems which cannot be treated by conventional analytic approaches. To develop confidence in our programs, we will show how these numerical techniques can reproduce analytic methods (when those methods can be applied). We will therefore spend some considerable time reviewing and developing 'standard' mathematical techniques.

DETAILED COURSE DESCRIPTION/SYLLABUS:
[1] Molecular Dynamics (Kepler Problem, Kirkwood gaps)
[2] Diffusion Equation (heat flow in inhomogeneous rod)
[3] Random Walks (Random number generators, diffusion limited aggregation)
[4] Laplace Equation (electrostatic potential, fields)
[5] Matrices (eigensystems, normal modes, localization)
[6] Schroedinger equation (shooting method, Lenard-Jones potential)
[7] Monte Carlo Methods (Ising model)