NEW COURSE
Effective: Fall 2000
| Course Number: * | 765-443 | Cross Listed Number: | |||
| Course Title: | Computer Simulation | ||||
| 15 Character Abbreviation: | Comp. Sim. |
| 25 Character Abbreviation: | Computer Simulation |
| Sponsor: | Jonathan Kane | E-mail Address: | kanej@mail.uww.edu | |
| Department: | Mathematical & Computer Sciences | College: | Letters & Sciences | |
| Other Programs Affected: | None |
| Check if course is to meet any of the following requirements: | |||||
| X None | __ Writing | __ Computer | __ Diversity | __ General Ed and Area | |
| Credit/Contact Hours: (per semester) | ||||
| Total lab hours: | 0 | Total lecture hours: | 48 | |
| Number of credits: | 3 | Total contact hours: | 48 | |
| Check if course is repeatable: | X No | _ Yes | (if yes, answer the following questions) | |||||
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No of credits in major | |||||||
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No of credits in degree | |||||||
| Enter the appropriate titles if the course is required in any of the following: |
| Major Title(s) Applied Mathematics & Computer Science Broadfield |
| Minor Title(s) |
| Emphasis Title(s) |
Course justification:
The newly proposed Applied Mathematics and Computer Science Broadfield
major will require some courses specifically designed to teach students
how to apply computers to practical research problems which arise in mathematics
and the sciences. One of the most important of these tools is computer
simulation. This course will give students the opportunity to apply their
computer programming skills to create computer simulations of real world
scientific problems arising in fields such as Biology, Physics, and Chemistry.
It will also show students that there are existing computer packages which
can be tailored to create some types of computer simulations.
Relationship to program assessment objectives:
This course being of an applied nature satisfies assessment objectives
for mathematical and computer application courses. In particular, it meets
the objectives of recognizing and applying mathematical models to the real
world, developing problem solving strategies and skills, and applying technology
to the solution of problems.
Budgetary impact:
There are already faculty in the Department of Mathematical and Computer
Sciences with the skills to teach this course. To be able to offer this
course on a regular basis will require that one extra section be taught
each two years. Currently the department is searching for three new faculty
with Computer Science expertise. With the filling of these positions, the
new section of the course can be staffed. The new emphases in Computer
Science will require adequate Computer Science laboratory facilities, but
there are now plans for a new Computer Science laboratory in Hyer Hall
which will be adequate to meet these needs.
Course description:
This course will teach students how to simulate natural phenomena both
through the writing of computer programs and by using existing computer
packages. The course will contain techniques of writing simulation programs
in a high level object oriented computer language to simulate real world
phenomena from Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. It will survey existing
software packages that lend themselves to simulation.
Course requisites:
Prerequisite: 760-253 and either 765-372 or
950-231
Course objectives and tentative course syllabus:
Students in this course will learn to take a mathematical model for
a real world problem and design and implement a computer program to simulate
that mathematical model. Examples from the physical and biological sciences
will be presented. Students will write both clock driven and event driven
simulation programs for some of these models. Also, an overview of existing
software packages which can perform simulation functions will be covered.
Outline:
Modeling:
What are mathematical modes?
What are computer simulations?
Why do we write computer
simulations?
Simulation Programming
An introduction to
probability and distribution
Random data generation
Monte Carlo techniques
Object oriented programming techniques for simulation
Clock driven simulations
Event driven simulations
Examples of simulation:
Examples from biology
Examples from chemistry
Examples from physics
Doing simulation with application packages
Symbolic manipulation
programs in mathematics
Statistical software
Simulation packages
Bibliography:
*Danby, J. M. A., Computer modeling : from sports to spaceflight—from
order to chaos, Richmond, Va. : Willmann-Bell, c1997.
*Ord-Smith, R. J. & Stephenson, J., Computer simulation of continuous
systems Cambridge University Press, 1975.
*Ross, Sheldon M., A course in simulation Macmillan 1990.
*Banks, Jerry & Carson, John S. Discrete-event system simulation
Prentice-Hall 1984.
Schroer, Bernard J. Automatic programming of simulation models
University of Alabama in Huntsville 1990.
Markowitz, Harry Max Simscript: a simulation programming language
Prentice Hall 1963.
Ricci, Fred J Analog/logic computer programming and simulation,
Spartan Books 1972.
Court, Mary C. Use of object-oriented programming to simulate human
behavior in emergency evacuation of an aircraft's passenger cabin U.S.
Dept. of Transportation1997.
Chen, Jim X Physically-based modeling and real-time simulation of
fluids in a networked virtual environment Institute for Simulation
and Training 1995.
Earnshaw, R.A & D. Watson Animation and scientific visualization
: tools and applications Academic Press 1993.
Whitney, Charles Allen Random processes in physical systems : an
introduction to probability-based computer simulations Wiley 1990.